June 2, 2008
Reporter Hassled By Union Station Security While Reporting a Story on Photographers Being Hassled at Union Station
This is pretty good: Fox 5's Tom Fitzgerald decided to do a report on the ongoing harassment of photographers inside D.C.'s busy Union Station, a topic we've written about and heard about from our own Flickr contributors many times before. While he was there interviewing Amtrak's spokesperson on the subject, who in fact told the reporter that photography is absolutely allowed inside the Amtrak portion of the station, a security guard came up to the Fox 5 crew and told them turn their cameras off. You can watch the report here.
Interestingly enough, the company that owns the mall area of Union Station never got back to Fox 5 to clarify their policy.
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hey, the "watch the report here" link just goes back to an older dcist story currently...
Whoops, will be fixed in a minute...
Yeah no video defeats the purpose
If only a dcist were there to harass the harassers for harassing the photographers documenting photographic harassment, we could finally reach n-th level of deconstructionist absurdity and all our collective heads would implode.
Funny how photographing buildings in DC is somehow illegal, yet you can still get away with upskirt videos. The solution? Hire Cristo to drape Union Station in a Reichstag-size plastic skirt.
Oh I LOVE this video... You have the Amtrak spokesperson right there... CLASSIC DC.
You know what ought to be illegal at Union Station? The food court. There I was having my Chef's Special at Panda Cafe and it didn't contain a single piece of panda, shaved or otherwise. You can find better dining options up your own nose.
I almost feel sorry for the guard. He probably got kicked to the curb for his reaction even though it's the fault of upper management for not getting the rules right. Not surprising they haven't gotten back to FOX5 on what exactly their policy is...
They should hire that security guard to enforce the speed limit on the Capitol Crescent trail.
Private guards, even those working at buildings rented by US government agencies, never know the rules. Command and control for these contractors is a matter of wishful thinking, since it's cheaper that way. Sworn officers -- real cops -- aren't perfect, but they face real consequences when they screw up (despite a current well-publicized case) and policy changes are communicated more effectively.
Sometimes security guards around the city come up with some of the most unbelievable claims that you and I can't do this or that, and when you question them, they stumble for an answer.
Maybe it is all just a power-trip on their part?
i just watched the video, and you don't even report the big news that they break right at the end of their report:
apparently, eleanor holmes-norton is going to draft legislation that would enshrine photographers' rights to do their thing. that's big news. not sure how that would work, but it's worth noting...
Union Station management is terrible. What should be a great area asset is instead a hangout for bums and derelicts. Walking from the Metro down the front of Union Station toward residential Hill is like running a gauntlet of piss, aggressive panhandling, and general unpleasantness.
And the taxi que? Quite possibly the world's worst. All it takes is maybe 30 people needing a cab and you end up waiting forever in line. Seems fairly stupid, since Union Station is, you know, a transportation center.
The best part is when the officer said, "Yes we have a policy, but I can not answer your questions." Because that's the best way to defuse an incident with a reporter: "You're doing illegal things but I can't tell you why so stop being so curious, inquisitive, and, you know, other traits associated with being a reporter."
He should have remembered the old saying: Don't pick a fight with someone who buys their ink by the barrel.
Best Fox News report ever. The only better story would be if a former Bush lackey wrote a tell-all book damning the White House.
I think Monkeyrotica needs his/her own column here at dcist.
@Hillman: you know, I was just at Union Station yesterday walking around and realized the same thing. The front of Union Station is so unwieldy and worn, and the grass is sparse. With a little bit of DC-style landscaping and some large trees, the entrance to Union Station would better complement the magnificence of the inside.
I love the dialog:
I'm busting you for violating our rules.
What are your rules?
I can't tell you. But you're still busted.
The rent-a-cop should have charged the Fox reporter with violation of his double secret probation.
And how great would it have been if the Fox cameras had caught Larry Craig hanging around Union Station? That would have been Pulitzer material.
IMGoph: Be careful you don't fall for the old political sound bite. The wording is "considering, drafting legislation." Meaning that even if Norton's office works up the energy to put words on paper, they still have to submit it, put it through committee, and then actually get floor time to yell back and forth about how it will endanger the world if Congress passes/doesn't pass this legislation. And in all that, Norton would have to have the political energy and commitment to see it through to becoming law...with the President's signature.
Best bet to make something actually come of this: If you are a DC resident, contact Norton's office and tell them to actually do something with this law. Go to House.gov and find her webpage; she'll have a web form up where you can write a letter. Her office will have to live up to the sound bite if enough constituents write to her.
Well, and then, he fled! ?! All that makes sense to me is: Not knowing if camera crews were allowed in union station, he decided to cover his ass in case they weren't and tell them to stop filming. But when they argued and started asking about other rules, he realized "maybe it is allowed, and now they have me on tape not knowing the rules." So he got out as fast as he could and tried not to say anything that could be wrong about the other photo policies, which he also didn't know.
See, you'd never have this problem if they'd just hire Blackwater to do Union Station security. The Fox News guy would have had an entire magazine emptied into him before he hit the floor, everybody in Center Cafe would be dead, and everyone rushing to their train to Boston would be tripping over the hot brass. Problem solved.
I saw a guy snorting coke off one of the window ledges outside the Buffalo Grill in the colonnade -- in broad daylight, while the rent-a-cops were busy having a smoke outside the doors of the station.
If only they were as diligent stopping the open drug use as they are stopping photographers.
I'd show up for a photo-in just to prove a point.
Anyone interested?
...like running a gauntlet of piss, aggressive panhandling, and general unpleasantness.
When I first read this, I saw "agressive pisshandling."
And then I remembered Union Station's right up the street from the Heritage Foundation, famous for their Friday night 2-4-1 watersports happyhours.
juanfe - You bringing the coke?
i once had a +5 gauntlet of piss but the hinges kept rusting shut on me. very painful
Where were Fox News, Blackwater, and the +5 piss gauntlets when the Freeze-in protesters descended on Union Station?
I heart Disco Stu.
Archaic, gratuitous D&D references make my day.
I love it. Police and security guards have absolutely no idea what the rules are. While filming a demonstration near the DoJ I was told by officers that I couldn't take pictures. When I questioned them about it (and pointed out other people who started to arrive with cameras, including Fox 5) the officers walked away, went into a huddle (seriously), and then came back to tell me instead that I couldn't have a tripod because it could be used to mount a ROCKET LAUNCHER. C'mon fellas, couldn't have thought of something a little more creative???
Well, Monkeyrotica, your wish may soon be granted. The current management of Union Station announced that they art unhappy with the variety and uniqueness of the shops, restaurants and movie theaters in Union Station, so they will be not be renewing their leases. They hope to empty out the building so they can rent to a few big-box stores as well. I think Bed Bath and Beyond and Barnes and Noble were the ones they mentioned.
The reality is, managing three leases for big, national retailers is easier than managing dozens of leases for smaller operators. This management laziness is probably also what has led to a rapid and significant decline in the last few months of the maintenance and security that Hillman and Juanfe have mentioned.
AS far as Columbus Circle in front of the Station, d. is supposedly preparing to reconstruct the streets and park, which is why the Circulator bus has been re-routed through the garage.
alewis - I tried to shoot some video with a tripod on the Capitol grounds and the guard stopped me. He said tripods were off limits because they damage the lawn or something like that. Anyway, did you know that urine is sterile? That's right. You can drink it.
Trust Tyler.
Huh. The explanation I heard for the tripod thing was that a tripod automatically = professional.
(Which is funny, since I use a tripod for taking long exposure shots with an ancient, thrift-store Pentax.)
monkeyrotica:
juanfe - You bringing the coke?
Zero or Diet?
:-)
The best would have been if the guard had referred them to the Amtrak Spokesman.
Can Norton even introduce legislation or does she have to get one of her friends with actual voting rights to do it?
"current management of Union Station announced that they art unhappy with the variety and uniqueness of the shops, restaurants and movie theaters in Union Station"
When the restaurants range from awful to terrible to e. coli-on-a-bun, you don't call that "variety and uniqueness".
I'm all for small non-chain restaurants, but the ones in Union Station are atrocious. It's a mall food court, and is no better than that implies.
And the Union Station movie theater is even worse.
I'd rather not have too many bland chains move in, but seriously, they'd be better than what's there now.
Frank & Stein brought back their E-coli On A Bun? I thought that was a west-coast only promo, along with the "special cholera sauce."
"Anyway, did you know that urine is sterile? That's right. You can drink it."
Urine is sterile until it leaves the body!
nice going, trebek. i almost had them drinking urine.
Stanton Park:
If you've got details on Union Station plan please post them. I've done everything from googlied it to called them directly. So far nothing.
For people managing a public asset they sure are secretive.
Hillman, Greater Greater Washington has some details:
http://www.greatergreaterwashington.org/
Scan down, there's a couple good posts. They had a public meeting on the plan just last week, fwiw regarding their secrecy.
wow this is TOO funny. I once saw a guy down there who had a security guard all over his ass and he said "ENOUGH AlREADY, THE DUDE ABIDES! JESUS CHRIST"
Okay, when did people start referring to DDOT as d.? Yes, the d. is their logo, but it's not like I stick a line through DRPT when referring to the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
i think referring to them as d. is fun. i stick with ddot, but to each their own.
Reid:
Thanks.
Actually I was talking about plans for the interior of Union Station..... the shops, food court, etc.. That's what I've been unable to get any detail on.
ahhh. That I cannot help you with. I've heard that they're trying to evict all the tenants by not renewing.
I'm kind of curious about one thing in the food court. The tilework around some of the food-stands look like they were numbered some way. I wonder whether they were old entrances down to the tracks or whether they were just old food stands.
Like I said, just about anything would be an improvement on the current situation there. Although, I'd prefer a mix between quality cheap eats and a nice sit down a la the Oyster Bar at Grand Central. (And better sit down restaurants in the main hall would be desirable. "America"? Really? Whenever I walk by that, that song from Team America comes into my head.)
@monkeyrotica didn't you switch to using a monopod with your camera, just to mess with Capitol security?
@trebek:
Thanks for nothing. I could have used that post about 45 seconds sooner.
And, here comes the rust. Sigh.
[snippy] "Anyway, did you know that urine is sterile? That's right. You can drink it."
Urine is sterile until it leaves the body! [end snippy]
Or unless said tinkler has an infection.
"It really hurts to pee, and Mr. Happy has swollen to the size of a Pringles can."
From naalex: With a little bit of DC-style landscaping...> I assume you mean dog poop and unattractive people in suits?