It's okay, he got a release signed from Mother Nature.
Posted on 10/08/2012 8:42:36 AM PDT by Altariel
A man who snapped photos of a brewing storm last month received a visit Friday from an FBI Agent, inquiring why he would want to take such photos.
Michael Galindo explained that he was simply volunteering for the National Weather Service.
And FBI Agent David Pileggi seemed to be satisfied with that response.
But Galindo was left wondering whether he now has a permanent FBI file.
“He told me, ‘you’re not a threat and you are doing a public service but just be careful next time,’” Galindo said in a telephone interview with Photography is Not a Crime.
The problem arose because Galindo happened to be taking photos near the Lyondell Refinery outside of Houston on September 13, even though he was never standing on the refinery’s property.
Someone from the refinery spotted him and called police, whom apparently arrived after he had left.
Police then contacted the local FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which bills itself as “nation’s front line on terrorism.”
“I was pretty freaked out when he came but I had no idea what it was about,” said the 26-year-old man. “The worst thing I’ve done is get speeding tickets, but I haven’t gotten one in three years.
“He said I was spotted near the refinery but I couldn’t even remember doing that. I thought it had to be somebody else.
“It wasn’t until he mentioned my camera that I made the connection.”
Galindo told the agent that he volunteers for a NWS program called Skywarn that trains citizens to monitor the weather in the name of “protecting lives and property.”
He said when he pulled off to the side of the road and began taking photos of a brewing storm and potential tornados, he didn’t even notice the refinery, but made sure there weren’t any “no parking” signs around.
“I told him I had been looking for a clear line of site and I had found it,” he said.
Although Pileggi seemed a little surprised by that response, he pulled out a three-page document and began asking questions off it, inquiring whether Galindo had ever been in the military or had ever traveled overseas and about what schools he had attended in the past.
“I wasn’t sure what that had to do with anything,” Galindo said.
The 20-minute visit took place less than a week after a scathing report was released on the inefficiency and ineptitude on urban fusion centers, such as the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Homeland Security Bureau, which was monitoring my Facebook page because of my blog, as well as the Houston fusion center, which produced a video depicting photographers as terrorists.
Joint Terrorism Task Forces are a little different than fusion centers but they both operate under the Department of Homeland Security and are under the assumption photographers are terrorists.
http://www.usenetbinaries.com/groups/alt.binaries.pictures.weather/2012/08/08/h/1.html
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Bit long winded, but that’s the proper web address
We only tell you what you need to know.
“Comrade citizen, your behavior is potentially concerning to The State-—after all, We are the only ones authorized to take pictures of you and others at every traffic light, mall, public place and school without your permission. Your ‘freedom-loving’ behavior is suspicious, and will be noted.
All hail President Messiah, comrade!-—and we’re watching you.”
I’m glad he did not interfere when you took your pictures. Once upon a time, he would likely have had a friendly chat with you, and not confronted you.
The kids growing up today will, by and large, view this as “normal”. Most of the elementary aged kids were all either infants or born after 9/11.
They will be less likely to bat an eye at this development than you or I.
I pray we can turn the tide before it is their turn to take the helm.
If someone wanted a pix of the Lyondel Refinery, they could lift one from the PR dept’s web page.
There is a price to pay for freedom. I argued something like this with some moronic woman on this site several months ago regarding gun control and people. The argument went something like this
Me: You can't prevent basic freedoms from being exercised because you think someone MIGHT abuse them.
Her: You must have spent time in a mental institution because you don't want background checks before gun purchases.
Me: A right that requires government permission to exercise is NOT a right. It's simply a privilege granted by the government that can be taken away at any time. Go hide under your bed and have a good cry.
The discussion really didn't ever get anywhere. The same with taking pictures. There really isn't any statistically valid evidence that people who take picture are terrorists, or we'd all be terrorists. Sending the federal SS after some guy who was taking pictures is very disturbing to me.
The photographer's anwer should have been: am I being charged with a crime? If yes, then I want a lawyer, and if no I don't have to talk to you.
Every person in the USA should watch the excellent Don't talk to cops once a year.
I wonder how they found him. Someone got his license plate?
Freegards
I grew up in San Francisco and although there are quite a few RR tracks close to the bay along the eastern side of the peninsula, north of Hunter's Point,(huge Naval Shipyard) we city kids never got anywhere near that area. Usually. A couple of us decided one day to take our cameras (brownies.) and took our bikes over there to get pictures of locomotives going by. It was a different age then (for me, that was across town.) Three speed bikes.
After an hour of wandering through the RR yards, there were no fences that I can recall, and actually getting pics of a few locomotives, here comes a jeep with two armed MPs...
We must have been all of 12 at the time.
Yeah. Our Federal Bozos have been on the case a long time. I doubt, however, if we ever got a report in some file. As I recall, we had no ID of any kind in those days. They asked us a few questions, said "You aren't supposed to be here. SHOO!"
And that was the end of it.
Post 911, it's a different universe. I feel paranoid now when visiting large cities, simple taking photos of famous landmarks. Thanks to the koranimals. Every time I've taken a picture since then (never knowing what's in the background) I pause and silently curse the political decision to allow the primitive killer cult to redefine our entire lives.
You can’t look at a radar display, even the modern doppler
one and point at a spot and say “here is a tornado”. Thats
why they still need trained observers. I’ve never climbed
up on my roof, but I have drove to higher ground for a better
field of view.
Mike
N8KAH
The eyes cannot trespass.
Boyd v. United States
However it doesn’t mean you can’t be scrutinized.
But unfortunately today’s law enforcement has a sense of entitlement to go very deep into the gray areas and there is little we can do about it because of both official and unofficial blanket immunity.
I think we need law enforcement gun control.
“A man who snapped photos of a brewing storm last month received a visit Friday from an FBI Agent, inquiring why he would want to take such photos.”
Don't ever freak out. No point. It's not so much what one doesn't know that will get one in trouble and lead to a massive waste of time at incredible expense, it's what you know that isn't so.
You will not properly use profiling to talk to the individuals you should be talking to and waste our taxpayer dollars talking to those you should leave alone. The entire government has become a joke, striking out here and there against imagined enemies while the real enemies either sit down and eat meals with their intended victims or waltz around in plain sight unimpeded in their missions.
Your ISP may provide one, or you'll have to find a free or pay service.
Most of the free ones don't carry or allow binaries, or only sample binary postings, or may not allow posting.
Mostly of our own making.
Foreign-born muslims found here illegally should be deported within 24 hours. Note I did not say "internment camps," torture or Gitmo.
Unless, of course, it's a second or third violation of our immigration and public security laws. Then nothing is too "unreasonable" or severe.
Koranimals who have already done harm to American property or citizens --- swift prosecution, trial and excution.
Formerly, there was no debate about how to treat foreign soldiers infiltrating as civilians. Those have always been treated as spies. The penalty for military spies has always been, universally, death.
Ha ha ha. I get it.
My wife and I were discussing that the other day.
In a martial law type situation you would be wise to realize that a sickening number of your neighbors would turn you in to DHS in a heartbeat to get extra favors like ration coupons, etc.
They would also do it to settle petty grievances.
Yes, some of your neighbors will be your enemy when the SHTF. Guaranteed.
A whats the frequency Kennith moment.
I’d have to tell the guy, I hate to be a prick, but I’m not answering any questions.
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