Truck Photography Vs. Homeland Security

[ATCO]

Hello Guys, This got fowarded from a guy I know from the vehicle modeling list I belong to... He said I could repost this, so here it goes. Wondering what your guy's take is one this subject...

Guys,

I have taken a lot of pictures over the last year, of many subjects.

Trucks, Trains, police and fire equipment, barns and buildings,
bridges and others.

I probably have 6,000 pictures, some dating back 25 years, posted on
a dozen or so web sites including my 2 Web Shots Accounts.

Monday, I went to our recycling center along the Mississippi River,
near the UP tracks and some of the river terminals.

I generally have my camera and I took a few truck pictures. The last
was of a Piasa tanker.

The driver stopped in the road and yelled at me about what I was
doing. He told me it was against the law and took my license plate
number.

Note that I was on public property and was not taking pictures of the
terminals.

Yesterday afternoon, about 2 PM, two Homeland Security investigators
were at my front door. They were from the Coast Guard Division which
is responsible for the terminals. As an aside, St. Louis is the
Country's 3rd largest inland port.

In all, they were in my home for a couple of hours and saw much of my
truck collection and my HO railroad, which they asked to see.

The good news.

It is not against the law to take pictures of anything from public
property.

Not yet at least.

However, many Federal Protective Services Officers, security guards
and employees of various compaines will tell you it is.

Please do not argue with them and this question is coming before the
courts in many places, more so when camers have been taken away from
folks.

These guys were very professional and very precise and detailed in
their questions.

In fact, we had a nice conversation about these issues, our security
and how hard it can be to try to protect us.

Their view, is to follow 1,000 leads because one might be valid and
lead to information they need or can use.

Generally, I have had few problems, but I have been questioned in the
past by generally friendly folks.

One the down side, in one respect, they now have a lot of information
about me in their files and computer systems.

On the up side, if they gat another call about me, they know who I am.

They were surprised to some extent, in regard to our overall numbers
and the extent of these related hobbies in ragard to trucks and
trains.

Don't trepass.

Don't give folks a hard time.

Stay out of the way.

Don't litter.

Ask permission if it fits.

All common sense.

They also asked that I report any activity that I think is unusual.

[Big_Dave]

I think that truck driver is a little paranoid. :wacko:

Maybe he needs one of these (http://www.stopabductions.com/). :rofl:

ATCO-

Just noticed a big sign the other day while driving over the Whitestone Bridge outside of the Bronx...-Taking of photos is strickly prohibited- Pathetic - can't even take a photograph of the Long Island Sound...


http://www.expediterworld.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10005/OneNationUnder1.jpg

[accremonious]

Two years ago just before I retired I hauled a hazmat load from Mississauga, Ont. to Neville Island, Pa. for Ashland Chemicals from their Mississauga refinery. Of course, I cleared US Customs using my Fast/Express Card and ran on down I-90 and I-79 to the exit on the Ohio River bridge and along the river road to the security gate. I had been there before and was cleared quickly through the gate and on to the off loading docks. Upon my return to the security gate they were searching incoming trucks and using the long handled mirrors to view the undersides of these inbound vehicles. Someone remembered that none of this had been performed on my rig and began to complain bitterly about the you know what about a foreigner not having his truck searched, etc. It suddenly stopped the BS when I said that the security knows that I have had to clear US Customs at the border and probably had my truck x-rayed! All of this post 9/11 is going to wear on us for a long time to come and is costing the taxpayers and comsumers an awful lot in the long run!
I felt at the time and still have not changed my mind that a certain part of a certain country should be uninhabited radio active glass! And it is not Iraq! Which country supplied the most participants in the 9/11 attach and the financing? After all this time we still have not sent them the message that they will understand and Japan got it immediately upon the second shot! The price we are all paying is too much, especially the families of the deceased and wounded military! Now it is too late and history will pas judgement on these failures!

[Randy]

Interesting to say the least ...I took several pictures of Navy ships, helicopters and a sub while on a harbor tour down in San Diego all located in and around the Navy base.

Randy

[sweet_whiskey]

Real interesting..
When I was delivering in San Diego I took pics of the ships there on the port. I wasn't told differently.

In Port Manatee I took pics of the port/dock/ships that were anchered and no one said anything. In fact, I was ignored. I thought surely I would be told to get lost or something.

I'm afraid that the time has come where my trigger finger on my camera will come to a end. It will be real pathetic if I can't even take pics of airplanes or land scapes.

And McConnel is right at my front door. :angry:

[accremonious]

I took this on a Sunday afternoon through the chain link fence up at Oshawa Airport. This is retrofitted DC-3 with turboprops! Today I went inside to ask if this was the one that crashed last month over at Dunkirk, NY, but was told that was a twin Beechcraft. This DC-3 is on assignment in Northern Sask. right now and AOK.
www.truckstopusa.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10164/normal_100_1033.jpg

[nitestar]

As far as taking pictures of trucks I can tell you a bit about why you shouldn't.
One is that if you have someone take a picture of your truck it can be duplicated. Color, lettering, numbers etc.
This look alike truck can than be used to try to enter a restricted area.

Most security guards recognize trucks before they see the drivers. Once a truck is inside the security perimeter, security goes out the window if the bad guy is driving and is intent on hayhem

You are part of the picture taken, your truck is part of the picture and between them and a bit of survailence on their part a good look alike is made up.

We have been told by our company and DOD to not let people we don't know take pictures of our trucks.

Pictures are part of a pattern or schedule and of course Homeland Security is paranoid to the inth degree and this is their request.

When those investigators appeared at his home it does show that they do take security complaints seriously. Even if it takes a few days.

If you are hauling any load or any placarded load and you have questions about any one in a car or vehicle around you, if you think they are a bit hincky.
Gather as much information about them and the vehicle you can.
Make the call. License number, color of car, dents, bumper stickers, color of shirt hat or not, hair, how many in it, direction, time of day, If you can get a picture do it.,
Better to make the call then to wish you did later

Couple of things will happen ( or should) one, this person or persons will be talked to. This should educate them. This will stop them from being around your load. Your down the road they are on the side with a cop. Or some one knocks on their front door and educates them.

Second , It could result in a charge of terroristic threatening Or attempted hijacking .
If you are adamant about it they can spend up to 72 hours being questioned.

It does not have to be a placarded load either. They may just want your truck or your ID. Killing you is not a problem.
A wierdo .

We had situation a year or so back . A car was getting squirlley around us.
We had a load of classified on. We called and the OK SP showed up. We were in contact with him on the cell phone. He came around us and this hinkey person was surprised to say the least when they got pulled over.
As it turned out he was a jerk, just didn't like trucks or truckers . but the good thing is he was on a suspended license and had a warrant outstanding ... Good bye problem.


Be very carefull of any one in a car motioning to you as they pass that something is wrong with your truck or load, It could be a ruse to get you out of the truck to rob you or take your truck.
Give it a lot of thought before you go for the shoulder and they stick around too.
Gather information as you consider it.

[officegirl]

:yikes:

No one even pays attention to the alien spaceship I took a picture of while taking a picture of military flyby at a race.

(Insert Twilight Zone Music Here)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/officegirl/purplemystery.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/officegirl/pclose.jpg

Actually I didn't even notice it until after I downloaded the pictures. I have no iidea what it is.

[accremonious]

UFO is doubtful, flare of some kind maybe. Did you ask the air traffic controllers? Speed and trajectory may indicate that something was jetisoned. Very interesting and a good "find"! Keep us posted of any answers to your enquiries, please! Try asking one of the UFO debunkering experts as they often have seen something like it in the past.

[officegirl]

LOL The only other place I've ever posted or shared the picture was another racing site. I was teasing about no one paying attention. I figure there's some good explanation to it so no point in actually sending it in anywhere.

[accremonious]

I would think that military airtraffic control would be very interested if they were not aware of and did not know about this! You should run it by the local airport authority for their explanation! You took the photos in a public place and in good faith. If they do not have a good logical explanation then it is yours and everybody's safety and business that this is checked out! I notice the guy wire or cable in the photos which also would help locate your ground position and the approximate time can be calculated from your memory and the flight logs.
One thing to think of is, what was nearby that might have caused a reflection on your lens which could create an artificial artifact! If you remember that one of the photos of a flying saucer years ago was debunked when you see that it is a reflection off the glass window from the open snap dome fastener on a donegal tweed cap on the photographers head! Many other debunkings have had logical explanations when an open mind and alert eyes are applied to the scene!

[scubadiver]

If that isn't a trick of the lens its in all likelyhood space junk. According to NORAD they track several thousand pieces of it. The smallest I know of is tools used by Astronaunts and the biggest is rocket parts and Sats.