Saturday, March 15, 2008

You can't take pictures here.

Last night Mr S. and I went up to the city to visit some of his childhood friends. I don't think either one of us felt like it. I was bone tired from the crapshack. He'd had an especially busy day at work. But, these friends only fly in a few times a year. So we said "Sure... I'd love to drive up to the city on a Friday night - entertain you, and take you to the airport." Although - we didn't really know we were taking them to the airport until they were putting their luggage into our trunk.

Anyway - after having some beers at Gordon Bierge. We decided to get some coffee from Starbucks, and walk around the Pier to kill some time before their flight. Apparently, the Starbucks in that area close at 6:00. WTF?

There were a million tourists on the street. The restaurants were packed - but you couldn't any any coffee from Starbucks. So we figured we'd just wander further down and run into some place that sold coffee. We saw a sign for Peets coffee and went into this building.

I think it is the old ferry building. And inside it is really architecturally amazing.



So - I go to whip out my camera, and as soon as I get a shot lined up. I'm confronted by a security guard. He was nice - but he told me I couldn't take pictures with my camera. The whole time Mr S.'s friends are taking a million shots with their point and click camera.

Whenever I'm shut down from taking pictures, I always politely ask why. The guard told me it was a security thing. Which I can honestly accept. But, when he told me that I can take all the pictures I want with a small camera - just not the kind of camera I had. I had to tell him that it was a rediculous rule. Someone who is a security threat wasn't going to go out and buy a high end camera. They were going to case the joint with a point and click.

I'm not sure what San Fransisco has up their ass about this kind of thing. I've read several blogs where people get confronted by security guards and shut down in San Fransisco for taking pictures of buildings. The reasons all seem very odd and random. Like - being able to use a small camera instead of a Nikon. Which seems ridiculous. If you don't want people taking photos. Post it somewhere and make the same rule for everyone.

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