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When I was in high school, I took a couple years of German. The Wall was still up and I remember our teacher talking about East Germany. One of the things that suprised me was that if you were in East Germany, you had to be extremely careful about where you pointed your camera, since you stood a good chance of being accused of espionage and locked up Top Secret-style, if not executed. How wonderful it was, I thought, to be blessed enough to live in a country where simply photographing or taking interest in your surroundings wasn't something that would get you into jail.

Imagine my suprise, then, when I was in New York City about a year ago (the first and only time I've been post-11SEP) and saw huge (hugh?) signs around one of the tunnels our bus went through proclaiming that it was illegal to take photographs! And now, to see so many folks ready to call the police should I give more than a passing glance to anything. If I find the comings-and-goings of ships in a harbor fascinating, and wish to watch them, should I have to go through a background check? I love to sit on the Covington side of the Ohio river and watch the traffic going over the bridges. Do I not have the freedom to do that? I've timed how long it takes barges to get from one bridge to another on the river all the time. Why am I doing that? Quite frankly, that's my business, not the government's, and certainly not the business of some busy-body that wishes to interrupt my mid-cigar entertainment with an interrogation. I like to look at power plants, dams, manufacturing facilities, bridges, highways, planes, trains, and automobiles. Those marvels of modern engineering fascinate me. I always felt sorry for the East Germans who would have their motives questioned for taking an interest in the world around them, never thinking that someday, that might be me, too!

And, no, I'm not of middle eastern descent, so, you might argue, noone would think twice about me. But, with the reports of the terrorists trying to recruit non-Arabs, how long until that doesn't matter anymore?

K,
I have lived in MD for 35 of my 44 years. I have lived within 4 miles of this overpass all of that time. I have never until this time seen anyone just stand and watch traffic on this overpass problably because it is heavily trafficked. That was strange enough, but when there is a second person on the next bridge doing the same thing and they are both Middle Eastern, you know what? THey are doing something no good. Sorry pal, this may be America, but some people living want that to change in a whole lot worse ways than simply not allowing photos.

Regards,
Boiler Plate

P.S.
Less than 5 minutes drive from where Wolfe saw his guy lies the home of the NSA and I am willing to bet that if there are people doing something funny on I270 and Rte 29, they are problably doing the same thing on I95 and the BW Pkwy which run on either side of NSA.