politechbot.com: Steve Mann and Surveil. Cam Players on how to watch the watchers

RoUS pointed me to this article, and it got me thinking about the rationale behind prohibitions against taking photographs in public transportation terminals, like airports, train stations, and bus stations. It seems, once again, a way to keep honest people from doing honest things, while in no way deterring criminals from doing criminal things.

Criminals don’t use 35mm cameras to take their pictures, they use concealed cameras which are … well, concealed. So this law effectively ensures that all pictures of the inside of airports are in the hands of criminals, rather than honest people. In what way does this make sense?

Likewise, if the airport people are taking pictures of me, and I wish to take pictures of them, they will likely take offence. But why? Why is it any more invasive for me to take a picture of them? After all, I am a private citizen, and they are the employees of the United States Government – my employee, in a sense. In that regard, it would seem that I have more right to a picture of them than they do of me.

So, the next time I travel, I will, without question, give this a try. I’ll probably peacefully comply if asked to delete pictures, since it is exceedingly unlikely that the flunkies at that rung of the food chain would have a better response than the “following orders” one, but you never know.