Tue 27 May 2008
TV Reporters Arrested While Filming Train Station
Posted by TJ under StationStops
A reporter and camera man from Hartford TV station WFSB were arrested late last week by MTA police while filming a piece on a new train station in West Haven, Connecticut, reports the New Haven Register.
Leon Collins and his photographer face criminal trespassing charges for entering and area that was marked “Employees Only.”
The TV station says they were filming a segment on the new train station, but some wondered if the reporter was doing an investigative bit about lax security in the train station.
I guess StationStops is lucky he shot this video without ending up in some Nutmeg State gulag.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Actually the day I shot that video I explicitly asked the MTA people at the demo if I could shoot with a tripod - and they were like ‘oh yeah, certainly’.
As I mention in my article on the subject, the problem with MTA photography is ambiguous enforcement - especially amongst security guards.
http://www.stationstops.com/2008/05/27/two-television-reporters-arrested-at-new-haven-train-station-doing-their-jobs/
May 30th, 2008 at 12:06 am
I’ve been all over the Metro-North Territory, and the only place I’ve ever been harrased was Union Station New Haven and New Haven Station Platform. I later found out that I had every right to photograph the entire area as I was not in the restricted area - EMPLOYEE ONLY section…Had I known this I would not have backed down. Here is a summary of my lovely day at New Haven CT.
I was at UNION STATION for the first time ever in my life on Thursday 3/6/08. After a dozen or so photographs on the NH platform, and around and then in Union Station, I was first approached by a broom wielding cleaner (who was obviously irritated by my presence) and asked “NO PICTURES INSIDE UNION STATION!” I said “Really? OK, no problem,” and I began to leave. I was then approached by a safety-vest clad security man, who asked me rapidly “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING? - WHY ARE YOU TAKING PICTURES? - WHO ARE YOU? - WHAT ARE YOU TAKING PICTURES FOR? -PICTURES ARE NOT ALLOWED IN HERE. - YOU NEED PERMISSION FROM THE UPSTAIRS OFFICE, SECOND FLOOR.”
I then apologized for not “knowing the rule,” and proceeded to leave. I did not want to make a scene or press the issue. Funny, but I looked and did not see one sign saying NO PHOTOS.