Rights to Photograph at a Skating Rink

[Suhit Gupta]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://thomashawk.com/2006/05/youve-got-to-fight-for-your-right-to.html' target='_blank'>http://thomashawk.com/2006/05/youve-got-to-fight-for-your-right-to.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The Troy Record is reporting this morning that a public ice skating rink in Troy, New York has banned photography at the rink. The NYCLU is threatening to sue the City over the policy which is apparently designed to prevent pedophiles from photographing kids. Although photography is banned, apparently individuals can seek permission from the Recreation Director George Rogers. ""As long as they are videotaping their kid I have absolutely no problem and I have given permission to parents and coaches," he said. "We are not going to let them be photographed or videotaped by anyone who comes along and wants to take their picture."" One parent, Jean Hetman, however is alleging that she is being discriminated against by being disallowed to photograph."</i><br /><br />I honestly can't decide which side to take on this one. I'd recommend reading the <a href="http://www.troyrecord.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1170&amp;dept_id=7021&amp;newsid=16606489&amp;PAG=461&amp;rfi=9">original story here</a> to form your own judgements on this one. On the one hand I can see why the policy is being put in place. But then on the other hand, it is unfortunate that not everyone (who deserves it) is legitimately being given permission. Either way, it is sad that we had to deal with issues like this one.

[Vincent Ferrari]

There isn't really an issue of "sides" here, to be honest: The city is wrong.

The rink is apparently city-owned and operated, and therefore is a public place open to photography, videography, etc. As much as we'd like to comfort ourselves by saying it's probably to protect kids in the long run, that ain't gonna fly.

Until photography is illegal, doing so in public places is not only legal, but protected. Why else would the New York City MTA suddenly back off a proposed subway photography ban? They knew they wouldn't win that fight, and I'm assuming that's what's going to happen here.

[phillypocket]

I don't have kids, so maybe I'm missing something here. What protection does a photography ban afford when your already out in public. All kinds of people can see you at the rink. Since this appears to be a case of people taking shots of what is normaly presented to the public (i.e. nothing peverse), I don't see the danger. What white elephant am I missing?

[Vincent Ferrari]

The paranoid one ;-)