TSA wannabes...
Posted on 12/23/2011 10:12:27 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
Two grandparents were kicked out of the University Park Mall Tuesday after they took a picture of their visiting grandson in the Food Court.
"We were going to take our grandson, he's five and visiting from California, to see Santa and we were just sitting around the table having something to drink, talking about what we were planning and that's when my husband took the picture," said Grandmother Debbie Cassella.
Cassella said immediately a mall employee instructed them to stop taking pictures or they would be thrown out of the mall.
"I believe she said you can't take pictures at the mall. I thought she was joking and I said ‘I’m taking a picture of my grandson’, I’d understand if I was taking pictures of the architecture or the products in the stores and she became a little hostile and aggressive," said Grandfather Don Oberloh.
Oberloh and Cassella said they were unaware of the University Park's policy against picture taking and requested.
"I asked to speak with a mall manager and she flashed a badge at me, and I didn't see it, and asked ‘is this good enough?’ and I tried explaining things to her and she came back, I apologized and she was more belligerent and I asked again ‘may I speak with the mall manager’ and she said ‘that's me’ and I said ‘there's nobody higher than you?’ and she said ‘one person’, ‘may I speak with that person’ and then security came over," said Oberloh.
Oberloh left the mall after being asked by security, but Cassella stayed behind to wait on her daughter, who had gone into a store.
"I told him I can't just leave and then he said that he would remove me physically and then he called another security guard and that guy came over and then my daughter showed up and I said we were just here to take my grandson to see Santa and he said you can't see Santa," said Cassella. "It was embarrassing and I felt bad for my grandson. I'll never go back to the mall. I’ve shopped at the mall regularly and I’ll never go back to the mall. I don’t' feel comfortable there."
A spokesperson for the University Park Mall declined an on camera interview, but said mall managers are investigating the incident and reiterated the mall's policy against photography. She also said the mall does not immediate remove shoppers after a picture is taken, but will remove guests who do not comply with requests to stop taking photos or are aggressive with staff.
Looks like a mall cop got full of himself. Presumably, pictures ARE being taken of the kiddies with Santa...so there are exceptions.
Speaking of, does anyone know if the mall Santa was offering pictures with Santa? Most do,IIRC.
Like a photo-taking Flash Mob? GREAT IDEA!!!!
I for one welcome our new fascist overlords. /s/
Simon Property Group is an S&P 500 company and the largest real estate company in the U.S. The Company owns or has an interest in 392 retail real estate properties comprising 262 million square feet of GLA in North America, Europe and Asia. Simon Property Group is an NYSE listed company (NYSE: SPG).
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Not everyone has a cellphone;nor does every cellphone have a camera.
There are still a few million who see no need to be tracked and monitored.or can’t afford another monthly bill, and the basic economy plan phones do not include cameras.I know because I looked over the displays of cellphones at several stores.
But it is likely MOST have a camera-equipped cellphone in their possession.
Just throwing around their puny little power. Dumb. Really dumb.
Read the comments at the link. Apparently the “Grandpa” is a troublemaker who is well known to photo stores for violations of the American Disabilities Act.
FWIW.
Civil disobedience and public outcry is the cure.
Organize a “bring your camera to the mall day/week/month”. Let’s see how they deal with several hundred rule breaking shutterbugs all at once.
We the people need to start taking this country back.
Make this issue blow up in their faces.
Once the retailers start to loose money, the problem will solve itself.
http://whereslulu.com/2010/09/28/this-american-life-spotlights-crybaby-ada-lawsuit-filers/
From the Grandfather:
Don Oberloh
October 24, 2010 at 6:54 am
We have regional offices and each has contacted over 1000 non-comlpiant businesses in their respective areas with a series of three letters as notices of non-compliance. We spell out that we can get them government money, up front, to pay for their consultation fee as well as alterations. Not one, I repeat, not one has responded postitively. period! When we are forced to drag them into court we do not settle for money. Wes ettle for them using our servicde to document their violations, write construction spacifications, over see alteration implementation and certificatio. The entire cost for this is $ 499.99 for small businesses, and do not forget, the government pays for it.
Business owners who chose to continue an illegal, wilful disregard of civil rightsw mandates are the only ones that end up paying big buck for real advocates, not drive by serial litigants.
Police state, I know it is private property byt still. Need to attack this with Facebook and such, do a boycott the mall page. Start posting where other items it sells can be found.
Agree with all your points, but possibly there was one well-intentioned reason for not taking pictures: to keep stalkers or such from taking pictures of folks without their permission.
Bottom-line: I’m sure these folks weren’t doing anything wrong or even against a policy, but they got on the bad side of a mall cop for their non-compliance and visible disbelief at the “order.”
I grew up in that area of the state and can scarcely believe that this level rot has set in already! But it sure seems to be happening everywhere now.
while Christmas shopping this year,I took numerous pics and texted them to the grandkids’s mom before buying for Christmas. a number of store clerks witnessed this and no one ever said a word. they all smiled and said what a great idea. saves returning stuff. I did this at the mall and the local Target among other stores.
Don’t blame it on the mall, blame it on lawyers. The mall is only making rules such as this to protect itself from lawsuits. Yeah it was only gramps and granny taking pics of the grandchild, but the rule has to be uniformly enforced. Check your local mall, they probably have the same rule
You know, that’s precisely what I think every time I see a report about a TSA employee. “Here’s another person who last week worked at McDonalds.”
The security of our nation rests in the hands of people who still want to ask you if you’d like fries with that?
Heaven help us.
TSA wannabes...
Obviously you've read Atlas Shrugged. If not, I commend you for your insight, and I definitely recommend that you read Ayn Rand's masterpiece.
So I guess what you’re telling me, Jimbo, is that since the grandfather annoys businesses, it’s OK to execute Gestapo tactics on his family. OK got it.
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