Out in the 'burbs, with 30 minutes to kill. Decide to get coffee, and perhaps photo stroll for a second. A freight train rolls through, impeding my path to the coffee shops. I decide to take a photo of it, just in case something interesting happens. The train is a long, long train, full of cars containing vegetable oil, hydrochloric acid, steel beams, coal, empty cattle cars, ADM cars, Cargill cars, etc. Takes at least 15 minutes before it passes. However, within 2 minutes, an Elmhurst cop rolls up, and parks in the middle of the street. He doesn't get out of the car, but he's furiously writing things down, giving me the evil eye, probably loosening his gun buckle.
I'm wearing a suit coat and jeans, but like I mentioned yesterday, I am sort of a swarthy Celt, and I haven't shaved since the weekend, so maybe I fit some profile? Pasta-damn, what kind of a country do we live in? The Union Pacific company (and/or their corporate predecessors ) stole the train land from taxpayers, apparently taking photos of graffiti-ridden freight cars while sitting on public property is anathema.
Bleh. Photos later, once I get home and shower to remove the stench of Patriot Act-esque dog shit from my shoe.
I guess it could be worse, much worse, but had I followed my first impulse, and strolled over to the police officer to take his photo as a sort of fuck you gesture, I might not be able to be writing this at all, and would have missed my meeting while I gave a statement to the Elmhurst police.
(update: photos here. I'm spoiled, living in America. I expect cops to be leave me alone unless I need them. I don't expect to be 'a person of interest' by just walking down the street with a camera. If I'm at a rally, sure. In a normal situation, no, it reminds me too much that '9/11 changed everything', and that even American citizens can be locked away without trial these days, these dark days. Also, Chicago city cops have better things to do, like catching real criminals, but suburban cops are usually the worst: I guess they are bored, and want to show off a little. I jay-walk in the city all the time, in front of squad cars, don't even think twice. If I was to jay-walk in Elmhurst, I'd probably get arrested.)
Tags: censorship, /Patriot_Act, /patriotism
God. That sucks. Chilling restraint on 1st Amendment rights. What's worse is people are starting to believe it's illegal to photograph in public places.
I find it interesting, that you think yourself so outragious and important, that you would compare a cop looking at you and writing something down, to the constitutional violations supported and written into the Patriot Act. You sound more than alittle paranoid given that overstated hyperbole and sweeping generalization.
You were in fact doing the same thing he was, looking at something and making a record of what you saw. How do you know he wasn't writing a haiku about you?
I find it interesting, that you think yourself so outragious and important, that you would compare a cop looking at you and writing something down, to the constitutional violations supported and written into the Patriot Act. You sound more than alittle paranoid given that overstated hyperbole and sweeping generalization.
You were in fact doing the same thing he was, looking at something and making a record of what you saw. How do you know he wasn't writing a haiku about you?
hey Phil-who-is-so-self-important-that-he-has-to-leave-two-comments-that-say-the-same thing - fuck you
Cogent argument. It's a wonder the Republicans maintain control of our government with debaters such as yourself wielding such strong points.
Why do you think I care? I don't recall signing up to debate you. I've never run for office, and I despise politicians both Dem and Repuke. Can you waterboard yourself somewhere and post the footage on Youtube? Why do you care if I hate the suburbs? Just be happy I'm not adding to your commuting woes.
Oh, and congrats on the birth of your son.
Well, I can't read your entire comment for some reason, so I can't really answer you.
Why do you care? Maybe, you don't. You seem to care about things (civil rights, the war on terrorism, the war in Iraq, our elected officials, etc.) based on your blog posts.
Indicting an entire community after 30 minutes in their train stations is the same kind of reactionary, oversimplification utilized by our G.O.P. leaders. If you wanna critisize others publicly when you know nothing about them go ahead. But suck it up and take the critisism for it.
Maybe you said, Why do you think I care what you think? My question than would be, like our President do you not like to be disagreed with?
Seems that by shutting off my computer protection I can see the comments. O.K. Good.
Swanksalot - sorry for the extra post. Posting that comment twice was an accident, which you think would be self-evident, but I must say is a great opportunity to zing me. Well crafted.
Seth - I think I answered those questions... Lets see... It's not so much that I care that you hate the Burb's or that you clog my commute, cause you don't I wait tables at night, it's any blanket generalization that gets me.
Also thanks for the congrates, that's actually a poorly crafted post,it was really his birthday.
elmhurst cops sit in parking lots just to wait to see if they can catcatch someone come outside to take a little toke they would shit in their pants when confronting the real bad guys