p.1 #1 · UPDATE: Whats with the anti photography hysteria?
Last night my wife dropped my 15 year old off at Hulen mall here in Fort Worth to meet some of his friends. Being that 15 year olds don't want their mom tagging along she went down the street to a book store. He takes his 350D everywhere with him, but I've told him not to take pictures inside stores without permission because some businesses take offense so he took the lens off of it and put in the pocket of his cargo pants so that nobody would complain.
Well, security came up to him and told him that they had complaints that he was taking pictures and that he had to leave. They wouldn't let him wait for my wife get there to pick him up...even outside on the bench... and made him completely leave the mall parking lot....after dark. My wife showed up to pick him up and he wasn't there, and she drove around the parking lot trying to find him for an hour or so. Meanwhile, he was walking to the book store a couple of miles down the road and some of the employees of the book store were nice enough to give him a ride back up to the mall to find my wife.
What is with these people?
Edited by watkinssr on Apr 25, 2008 at 03:10 PM GMT
p.1 #2 · UPDATE: Whats with the anti photography hysteria?
Im 15. Never had this problem. but I would not have left. At all. I would have stayed where I was, and ignored the rent a cops. He wasn't doing anything wrong!
p.1 #3 · UPDATE: Whats with the anti photography hysteria?
nick pro wrote:
Im 15. Never had this problem. but I would not have left. At all. I would have stayed where I was, and ignored the rent a cops. He wasn't doing anything wrong!
In texas that would earn you a trip to jail (juvie, for a 15 year old)...a few hundred in fines for your parents... Probably would where you are as well, but laws vary state to state. Around here we have pretty strict criminal trespass laws. Security tells you to leave the property and you don't you are trespassing...they can physically detain you even (although mall security rarely will do that.)
p.1 #4 · UPDATE: Whats with the anti photography hysteria?
Keep in mind that they likely have the right to restrict photography on their premises. And unless they have x-ray vision, they probably found out through more conventional methods that he had a camera.... It's a touchy situation but you may have some issue about the way they handled taking him off the property and not turning him over to a responsible adult, or what opportunity he was given to call someone, etc. Some places resolve that by releasing the kids to the cops instead although 15 is maybe old enough to be allowed to take care of his own arrangements.
p.1 #5 · UPDATE: Whats with the anti photography hysteria?
Sure,they have a right to restrict photogrpahy on their premises..but kicking a kid out because he has a camera hanging from a strap is just silly. Nothing they did was illegal, but it definately was irresponsible and rude. (He had the lens off to show he wasnt using it, but the camera was in plain view).
A reasonable response would be to simply come up to him and ask him not to take pictures in the mall...it's not posted and they didn't give him any warning. Just kicked him out.
p.1 #6 · UPDATE: Whats with the anti photography hysteria?
The anti-photography hysteria has been going on for a while and is due to years of hidden camera documentaries that exposed unsuspecting store clerks doing embarrassing things at the work place or other business practices, whether they were unpopular, illegal, or both. Most malls, if not all, have rules against any photography within the boundaries of the mall. These rules are probably posted somewhere within the mall but you would probably have to ask or go looking for them. Enforcement of these rules has likely been inconsistent.
However, as Craig mentioned, the mall security should not have strandeded a minor the way they did.
p.1 #9 · UPDATE: Whats with the anti photography hysteria?
I would be talking to Mall Management about them booting him to the curb. What are you going to do with rent a cops? They should have used their heads, knowing the he had to be picked up by an adult.
p.1 #10 · UPDATE: Whats with the anti photography hysteria?
monochrome wrote:
I would be talking to Mall Management about them booting him to the curb. What are you going to do with rent a cops? They should have used their heads, knowing the he had to be picked up by an adult.
I emailed the mall office, and I've had two emails back from them saying that when the general manager returns on friday he wants to talk to me. Monday, I'll email newspaper and tv stations. I'm going to make sure someone regrets this in some meaningful way.
p.1 #12 · UPDATE: Whats with the anti photography hysteria?
He's a teenager...there are teenage girls in malls. That was my first thought. Thats what got him interested in photography in the first place, all the little girls his age at my coffee shop wanting him to take their photo. But I checked the camera and the count hadn't been reset and there were no shots missing....
p.1 #13 · UPDATE: Whats with the anti photography hysteria?
When I was stationed in California, in my early twenties, I had my buddies Minolta X300 with me almost everything I went off base. Reason; to take pictures of the pretty girls.
p.1 #15 · UPDATE: Whats with the anti photography hysteria?
HinduG wrote:
Most malls have a policy prohibiting photography.
Yep. He wasnt taking any pictures, so he wasnt violating their rules. Did you read the OP?
Why should the mall security let your son wait around for his mom to come pick him up? Are they running a daycare center?
How would letting him sit on a park bench in front of the mall until his ride shows up=running a day care center? What a silly statement.
What would it hurt? It would not harm their business nor cost them any money.
Malls make a huge chunk of their profit from teenagers whose parents drop them off. It is irresponsible to then force said teenagers to walk off down a busy street after dark where their parents cant find them. The person in the malls management who I talked to aggreed, and they are doing an investigation into what happened.
p.1 #17 · UPDATE: Whats with the anti photography hysteria?
Sounds unfortunate. In dealing with many teenagers, I doubt you are getting the full story from your son. . .There are always two sides.
In any event, they are not responsible for the welfare of your son. Common sense should dictate they communicate with a parent, but again, we don't know mall security side of this story. Should be a lesson learned for your son.
Here in the metro New Orleans area a local mall has banned kids under 18 from being in the mall after a certain hour, period. You must show ID to get in. Too many parent were using the mall as a daycare and kids in groups are unruly.
p.1 #19 · UPDATE: Whats with the anti photography hysteria?
Oh I agree. I used to work with troubled teens and I'm pretty suspicious naturally. Thats why I checked his camera myself. My son is generally pretty honest with me...he's not afraid to say when he screwed up and did something he shouldn't and he's pretty level headed...but he is still a teenager and they do stupid things.
To a point you are right. What they did was legally within their rights. Morally, well, thats debateable. In any case, I know that if a story like this got out to the investigative reporter types it would cost them a lot of business...I grew up going to this mall and have friends who have had businesses there. They depend heavily on the high school traffi, and if parents dont feel safe dropping off their kids then their stores will suffer a considerable loss... ...Show more →
Common sense should dictate they communicate with a parent, but again, we don't know mall security side of this story. Should be a lesson learned for your son.
thats why I emailed the mall management rather than going straight to the media. Unless something is radically differant than what I know, he did nothing wrong. The lesson I hope he learns from this is when something like this happens calmly address it with management of the establishment Hope it works
p.1 #20 · UPDATE: Whats with the anti photography hysteria?
Don't fool yourself, malls are fond of kids spending money. They aren't fond of kids hanging around not spending money and annoying the paying customers. Kids get released on their own all the time by store and mall security. Turn it into a problem for them and they will make it policy to release the kids to a parent or guardian. And if they can't get you, they'll call the cops. Let it go. Give him a dime and/or a cell phone
