Photo by Flickr user skronk!
This bizarre (and we admit, annoying) story comes by way of Muni rider Bhetland:
I was riding the Castro underground, going downtown today and this freak lady insisted on taking my picture. It didn’t matter how much I turned around and told her that I didn’t want my picture taken. Never have I felt like hitting someone as much as I felt like hitting her. I didn’t, but seriously folks. I am an photographer myself. You don’t assault someone which insisting on taking their pictures. She had her camera inches away from my face. What a freak. It’s crap like this that makes me drive my car most days.
So, did Bhetland have a right to get so annoyed? Did they photog have the right to continue shooting? Is it no longer about rights, and simply about respect and chilling the eff out? Let us know in comments.
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this story sounds 99% made up to me.
“It didn’t matter how much I turned around and told her that I didn’t want my picture taken.” — how much did you turn around? 180 degrees? Or did you just turn your face to the side.
“inches away from my face” — how many inches? 36? 48? That’s also called “feet.”
Did the photographer speak English? Do you speak English clearly? This post makes me think that the answer to that question may be “no.” Is it possible that the photographer didn’t understand what you were saying?
In my experience, people who say things like, “It’s crap like this that makes me drive my car most days” really just don’t like riding Muni, and find something to complain about whenever they do. Suck it up.
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Leaving aside the issue of the story’s truth, it serves to illustrate an issue, which is privacy in a public area, the blurred areas of “my space” as opposed to “your space” which are constantly tested particularly when squashed together on public transit. As to the question, yes, I think the writer has a right to be upset — whether it’s good for his blood pressure is another question. It’s best not to bother the things you can’t change, but being part of someone’s photo session seems intrusive, and I, too, would turn away and might complain. Being photographed is not always flattering, and in general most public shutterbugs know that it’s best to ask first — unless, of course, you’ve dressed and gone out of your way to be the type of person who Should Be Photographed.
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