I called the cops on a guy (possibly) taking pics of me today

[LKMN]

You should have just smiled. You're supposed to smile when someone is taking a picture.

 

[angelatc]

Umm screw that crap with never calling the police.

If someone was photographing me I would get the police to lay a serious smackdown!

Uhm, in America, nobody needs your permission to take your picture.

 

[angelatc]

Petar's website: http://pixyland.org/peterpan/

Well, huh. And he's not gay. The world is a complicated place.

 

[GeorgiaAvenger]

yeah AF makes a ton of posts about cops killing dogs and raiding houses for fun

you should read them and learn from it Petar

I always dismiss that bs. I have no interest in hearing every time a cop kills a dog. I'll go off my own experiences with officers.

 

[GeorgiaAvenger]

Uhm, in America, nobody needs your permission to take your picture.

Well the, I guess I would have to handle it myself.

 

[TheTexan]

but I don't want grungy weirdos publicly perving my pic either.

Would it make you feel better if he privately perved your pic

 

[Roxi]

"It should be remembered that any time someone calls for police “assistance,” he’s inviting the intervention of people who consider themselves licensed to inflict potentially lethal violence as punishment for non-compliance. " ~William Grigg

 

[RickyJ]

So I'm sitting in my car, in the parking lot of the local small town library today, using their wifi so that I could check out good ole' RPF's.

There is a car parked next to me, and some grungy dude is sitting inside of it.

I keep hearing the sound that an iphone makes when it snaps a photo, and when I look over, the guy has the outside camera on his iphone aimed right at me.

I feel quite perturbed at this point.

I am not completely sure if it is some misunderstanding or not, and I decide to deal with it by turning to my side so that I can record the guy with my computer video camera.

I don't really catch him doing anything aside from looking over at me for a moment.

I end up getting out of my car and asking the guy if he is taking pictures of me.

I see that he has burn scars all over his face.

The guy says he's not taking any photos, that he's online with his girlfriend, and tells me that I can look at his camera roll, which he has open.

I ask him why his phone has been making the camera sound if he has not been taking any photos.

He offers no explanation, and I end up telling him that I don't believe him, and that he can leave or I am going to call the cops.

He tells me that he will do the same and report me for videotaping him, which apparently he had noticed.

He leaves abruptly, and I call the police to report the whole incident, along with his license plate number.

Discuss.

You are paranoid. So what if he was taking pictures of you in a public place? You called the cops to report a guy taking pictures of you? You want Ron Paul forum members to discuss your paranoid delusions? I got much better things to do, good luck in life, you are going to need it.

 

[RickyJ]

Umm screw that crap with never calling the police.

If someone was photographing me I would get the police to lay a serious smackdown!

For what, photographing a moron in public? There is no law against that.

 

[RickyJ]

You should have just smiled. You're supposed to smile when someone is taking a picture.

Apparently the OP is a trouble maker, not only at libraries where he mooching off the free Wifi for library guests, but here at RPF where he is trolling his paranoid thoughts around for the world to see. He is much too uptight to smile, he's got to report some more people for making fun of him now.

 

[Roxi]

You are paranoid. So what if he was taking pictures of you in a public place? You called the cops to report a guy taking pictures of you? You want Ron Paul forum members to discuss your paranoid delusions? I got much better things to do, good luck in life, you are going to need it.

I don't really think he is paranoid, but I did immediately think this could be used as evidence of a pattern of paranoia. I would have likely flipped him off and left but I know I wouldn't have called the cops.

 

[Anti Federalist]

"It should be remembered that any time someone calls for police “assistance,” he’s inviting the intervention of people who consider themselves licensed to inflict potentially lethal violence as punishment for non-compliance. " ~William Grigg

+rep

 

[kylejack]

So I'm sitting in my car, in the parking lot of the local small town library today, using their wifi so that I could check out good ole' RPF's.

There is a car parked next to me, and some grungy dude is sitting inside of it.

I keep hearing the sound that an iphone makes when it snaps a photo, and when I look over, the guy has the outside camera on his iphone aimed right at me.

I feel quite perturbed at this point.

I am not completely sure if it is some misunderstanding or not, and I decide to deal with it by turning to my side so that I can record the guy with my computer video camera.

I don't really catch him doing anything aside from looking over at me for a moment.

I end up getting out of my car and asking the guy if he is taking pictures of me.

I see that he has burn scars all over his face.

The guy says he's not taking any photos, that he's online with his girlfriend, and tells me that I can look at his camera roll, which he has open.

I ask him why his phone has been making the camera sound if he has not been taking any photos.

He offers no explanation, and I end up telling him that I don't believe him, and that he can leave or I am going to call the cops.

He tells me that he will do the same and report me for videotaping him, which apparently he had noticed.

He leaves abruptly, and I call the police to report the whole incident, along with his license plate number.

Discuss.

Photography is not a crime, sir. Why did you call the cops?

 

[kylejack]

Well the, I guess I would have to handle it myself.

Handle it? Who gives a damn if someone photographs you? It's the same thing they can see with their eyes.

 

[pcosmar]

In all seriousness that this thread deserves,,

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/character/tanaris/Petar/simple

This is Petar. My lvl40 Priest.

 

[pcgame]

..

 

[Anti Federalist]

This thread is now, officially, Petarded.

 

[Petar]

maybe the guy was on dangerous pharmaceutical drugs that caused paranoia and he started taking picture?

there's a million scenarios where u have no idea what he was doing

could he have been taking pictures of your car? Is there anything different about your car?

His behavior seemed to indicate that he was taking photos of me, and he failed to offer a suitable explanation when given a chance.

What do you suggest that I should have done?

D00d - you're supposed to be one of the smart people here. Why are you waxing stoopid? Seriously, what would possess you to make voluntary contact with a cop? I am sure you have seem all the lunatic shit cops do that has been posted here. That should be enough to keep your head straight on what not to do. Not busting on you, trying to keep your head in one piece. There is NOTHING they can do, esp. if the guy has left. It isn't a crime to take photos... unless you can document him having followed you from place to place. In that case I'd still not call cops, but take of things my own way, but that's another topic for another day.

Approaching someone you suspect is doing something unkosher is also a tactical error. You have NO idea who this guy is and if perchance he turns out to be a true badass, are you equipped to defend your life? If not, BAD Petar. Bad bad Petar. You gots ta' keep your head screwed on right or you can end up in an ICU or on a slab. I'm dead serious about this, too. Forty one years of training has taught me to NEVER fuck with ANYONE if I can avoid it, especially if I'm alone. One-man ops don't go off the way they do in stoopid Hollywood movies. Be careful. More careful than you were. A lot more. OK?

That all said, your description of his behavior would indicate he was up to something he was not interested in discussing with you - another indicator that approaching him as you did was ill-considered. Now keep your eyes peeled for this asshole in case you find you have a tick. If you do... not sure what to suggest. In my circle we can always get up a team to remedy the problem quietly and without equivocation. If you're on your own, I recommend arming up - pistol preferred so you can air out any serious problems that might arise. YMMV, of course. I doubt this was anything more than a weirdo up to something embarrassing, but keep your eyes alert for a couple of weeks just in case something else is going on. Do you have anyone who might be looking to harm you or get "dirt"? No need to answer, just ask yourself and think about it awhile. Sounds paranoid, but much crazier shit happens every day.

Be cool.

I actually really do appreciate your advice.

If the guy did happen to be a really bad motherfucker then I could have been seriously hurt or killed.

I do have a couple of enemies, but no one sophisticated enough to send someone after me.

As far as police go, I've actually had a whole range of experiences with them for a very long time.

I felt comfortyable with calling them this time, and they have been very respectful about the whole thing.

I know that there are many very serious problems with police these days, but I don't believe that it is wise to always shun them completely.

They do have a certain role which is vital in civil society.

yeah AF makes a ton of posts about cops killing dogs and raiding houses for fun

you should read them and learn from it Petar

I'm familiar with AF's posts, and it is good that he is getting the word out on serious problems with police these days.

I still think that it is foolish to completely shun them though.

I believe that police are required in civil society.

You should have just smiled. You're supposed to smile when someone is taking a picture.

Danke has already established that I was in fact smiling:

Would it make you feel better if he privately perved your pic

If he had at least politely asked for permission then I would have felt uncofortable without being infuriated.

"It should be remembered that any time someone calls for police “assistance,” he’s inviting the intervention of people who consider themselves licensed to inflict potentially lethal violence as punishment for non-compliance. " ~William Grigg

The police have been very respectful about the whole thing.

You are paranoid. So what if he was taking pictures of you in a public place? You called the cops to report a guy taking pictures of you? You want Ron Paul forum members to discuss your paranoid delusions? I got much better things to do, good luck in life, you are going to need it.

Am I paranoid, or was he taking pictures of me?

Please pick one so that I can at least pretend that I am communicating with intelligent life.

Thanks.

Photography is not a crime, sir. Why did you call the cops?

Photographing someone against their will could be considered disorderly conduct.

I've explained my reasons for calling the police a few times, why don't you tell me what you would have done.

In all seriousness that this thread deserves,,

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/character/tanaris/Petar/simple

This is Petar. My lvl40 Priest.

I prefer LARP.

This thread is now, officially, Petarded.

I sincerely apologize for that fact that me and/or my dogs have yet to be shot by the police I called.

 

[phill4paul]

I prefer LARP.

That explains it all. You should have 'lightning bolted' the MF.

 

[Noble Savage]

The hot terror ticket these days is the homegrown variety and they're looking for any example to justify their relevance so look out