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Reprimanded for Photographing UA Check in Desks at JFK

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Reprimanded for Photographing UA Check in Desks at JFK

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Old Aug 10, 2011, 12:12 am
  #31  
 
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Originally Posted by DeafBlonde
Bolding mine: Personally, I wouldn't mind as long as I had on my make-up and was not having a bad hair day!
^
I bet even with no make-up and messy hair you would still make a gorgeous picture...there's nothing to beat natural beauty.
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Old Aug 10, 2011, 12:17 am
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by PhoenixRev
PHX is wholly owned by the City of Phoenix and space is leased.

However, if I am standing in the common walkway, lounge, or seating area and use a telephoto lens...
if...if...if...if

I suspect the OP was not fitting into your scenario.
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Old Aug 10, 2011, 12:41 am
  #33  
 
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Originally Posted by BadgerBoi
if...if...if...if

I suspect the OP was not fitting into your scenario.
Nonsense.

I don't know of a single airport that has markings on the floor where the airline "leased space" begins and the commons end. A wide open gate area including the gate desk is not a private space.

I re-read the OP and the OP stated he was taking a photo of the check in desks. The desks themselves may be leased but I seriously doubt the common areas are and, therefore, the OP had every right in the world to take photos as he chose to do.

The U.S. Supreme Court has stated over and over again that there is ZERO expectation of privacy in a public space.

A busy airline terminal is one of the most public places one can imagine.
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Old Aug 10, 2011, 12:56 am
  #34  
 
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
Their policy is moot and unenforceable at airport owned property and public spaces such as check-in counters and gates...as well as taking pictures of UA aircraft from public spaces.

If they don't like it, too bad.
The real issue is when you're not photographing United property and you're still menaced. Last month, a UAX employee threatened to take my camera away at IAD for snapping a few pictures of the Saarinen terminal while waiting for my bag to come off the flight. No UA property was in the picture and the Washington Airport Authority seems to permit photography (it has explicit carve outs for personal use from its commercial photography policy).

In retrospect, I should have complained to UA, but I imagine I would have gotten the usual "Security! 9/11!" response.
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Old Aug 10, 2011, 1:09 am
  #35  
 
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Originally Posted by BadgerBoi
if...if...if...if

I suspect the OP was not fitting into your scenario.
, really?
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Old Aug 10, 2011, 1:35 am
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by Travelsonic
, really?
Yes really

There was nothing in the OP to indicate that - but then if you'd read the post you'd know that, wouldn't you
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Old Aug 10, 2011, 1:35 am
  #37  
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Originally Posted by RatherBeOnATrain
I would send a complaint into United, explaining what you were trying to do and what happened.
Send one to CO as well. The contrast will be quite surprising.
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Old Aug 10, 2011, 1:39 am
  #38  
 
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Originally Posted by PhoenixRev
Nonsense.

I don't know of a single airport that has markings on the floor where yadayadayada...
In your previous post you pulled a whole lot of hypotheticals out of thin air. There is nothing in the OP to fit in with the scenario you conjured up.
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Old Aug 10, 2011, 4:40 am
  #39  
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I think it's time for a photography flash mob at JFK. They can't arrest all 500 of us. Someone would have to be photographing the photographers as well.
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Old Aug 10, 2011, 4:48 am
  #40  
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Originally Posted by DeafBlonde
It seems to me that the TSA suffers the same malady as the UA personnel...
TSA suffers from many maladies, this being just a minor one.
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Old Aug 10, 2011, 8:40 am
  #41  
 
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Originally Posted by BadgerBoi
In your previous post you pulled a whole lot of hypotheticals out of thin air. There is nothing in the OP to fit in with the scenario you conjured up.
Of course there is. I explained it to you.

The OP said he was taking photos of the gate desk. UA doesn't own the commons, although it may lease the gate desk.

Your contention is all but suggesting that UA has the right to stop him from taking photos of the gate desk simply because he is in proximity to the gate desk. Using that logic, my neighbor across the street can prevent me from taking photos of his house while I am sitting on my porch with my camera.

There is a simple way to prove your point: cite the law that states that citizens can be prevented from taking photographs of a gate desk in an airline terminal while standing in a common area.
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Old Aug 10, 2011, 9:50 am
  #42  
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Originally Posted by PhoenixRev
There is a simple way to prove your point: cite the law that states that citizens can be prevented from taking photographs of a gate desk in an airline terminal while standing in a common area.
While the airport is a public place, the PANYNJ, which owns the airport, has a rule banning pretty much all unauthorized photography. Whether that rule is completely legal remains t be seen. I don't know of any successful challenges to it. It is certainly enforced.
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Old Aug 10, 2011, 11:21 am
  #43  
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Originally Posted by CMK10
I......The second agent starting talking about "security" and "9/11" and how this was "New York and everyone is very cautious here"......
Oh bullsh*t! It pi$$es me off to no end when someone plays the 9/11 card just as much as when they play the race card. Yes, 9/11 happened in New York, but it also happened in D.C. and in PA and affected people world wide and this person needs to follow Frances and lighten up

Originally Posted by saulblum
Then the employees should have said that they'd prefer not to be photographed, and politely asked the passenger to stop.

Once they threw out "9/11! This is New York! Security!" they lost their credibility......
Yup ^
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Old Aug 10, 2011, 11:39 am
  #44  
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As the OP, I want to thank everyone for contributing to this thread. When this happened, I was really upset over everything but I knew I could take the issue to Flyertalk and I'd get intelligent debate from all sides. If I needed another reason to love this Community (which I didn't) I would have gotten one.

I'm going to write an email to United and I will report back with what they say. Again, thank you to everyone, even to the people who disagreed with me
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Old Aug 10, 2011, 11:53 am
  #45  
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Originally Posted by CMK10
As the OP, I want to thank everyone for contributing to this thread. When this happened, I was really upset over everything but I knew I could take the issue to Flyertalk and I'd get intelligent debate from all sides. If I needed another reason to love this Community (which I didn't) I would have gotten one.

I'm going to write an email to United and I will report back with what they say. Again, thank you to everyone, even to the people who disagreed with me
I wouldn't bother writing UA a letter - they don't care. The new CO management has yet to bash the paranoia out of their twitty heads.

I love the flash mob idea - as we could target both the PA facilities and UA at the same time. I should be in NY this fall for sure and perhaps we can get a big group together (needs to be at least 25 people) to hit the UA terminal at JFK and start taking pictures of everything.
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