Police Cart Burns Near Pier 1

It was a relatively long time before someone commented; I think because this was a fire, and no-one wanted to appear snarky lest karma kick them in the pinto beans.

(I don’t believe in karma, but I notice that it sometimes happens anyway.)

Karl, How do you always manage to be “on the spot” when these things occur? Hmmm. Anyhow, be glad they did not confiscate your camera!

Love the music–very Götterdämmerung.Or Fifth Dimension?.

He might have been trying to protect Karl from possible danger, Regina–and to protect himself should Karl have been hurt under his “watch.”

Mr. Crusty,
Exactly!

Anyone has authority to photograph or videotape anything in public view, period.

My favorite “make up the rules as you go along” incident occurred in the aftermath of a bus fire, in which the diesel fuel ignited several parked cars near the Verrazano Bridge. Several other media and I were at the scene, which had long since been secured. The FD chiefs knew we were there, and didn’t care. Diesel fuel, mind you, has an incredibly high ignition temperature — you can strike a match across a puddle of the stuff and be fine. However, we were told by one individual from PD that our cameras and lights were hazardous, and for our own safety, etc., etc. When we pointed out that the half dozen fire engines COVERED in rotating lights and strobes were driving through the spillage (on their way home at that point) the true reason for the directive—he felt like it–became clear.

Or the time that an officer declared the sidewalk at West 25th and 10th Ave. “private property” (I shoulda demanded to speak to the landowner!) in the midst of another scene.

This is the way of life for those of us who cover spot news every day; we shrug it off, because otherwise we’d be spending more time filing civilian complaints than doing our job and, in the end, it achieves nothing. It didn’t used to be that way, but you live and let live, and try to do your job as best you can.

My 15 years of documenting heroics and knowing what PD goes through every day trumps my First-Amendment-Saber-Rattling. I call BS when I see it, but that’s about it.

I had no problem with the policeman asking me to move back. The cart had already exploded and there was a possibility it might explode again. Just wish I got the first explosion on tape. Got there a minute too late. lol

@weegee, I obviously can’t comment on your personal experiences, and officers may have impeded your video taping unreasonably but my experience with the media is that they often think they have a right to interfere with emergency services doing their job. Officers are always taught to create a perimeter at a scene outside of which the public is moved not only for their safety but also to facilitate the ongoing emergency services.

You may be willing to risk your safety to get close to a news worthy situation but police officers have to err on the side of caution and that often means moving the media further away than perhaps they would want.

Anybody that lives in NYC knows how the media can behave at some of these situations. The police have to control the scene and that often can be perceived as stifling the constitutional rights of the media.

David on Middagh did the dancing couple belong to the media? We’re they video taping something that the police prohibited? That was the issue I was responding to. Not sure what relevance the dancing couple has to do with my comments on the media.

I bet Regina is a pig herself. I mean the fugly kind.

Interesting: At noon, this happens. Then 4 hours later directly across the water, South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 catches fire.

As Weegee said, “Anyone has authority to photograph or videotape anything in public view, period.”
The Police have no right to tell anyone to stop recording video or taking photographs. The city deserves to be sued for each and every civil rights violation. That typical example of New York’s Fattest, in the video, should be punished.

Crusty, take the high road, you’re correct in this case, but you stoop to her level with the namecalling.

Regina, I guess the statement from the “victim” of this “pigs” actions doesn’t mean very much to you. Ignore what Karl has said himself and conveniently go with the words of someone that was not there and just make an off hand comment. Typical of someone of your ilk.

So again what did the person with the video camera say?

Karl J. said, “I had no problem with the policeman asking me to move back. The cart had already exploded and there was a possibility it might explode again.

Karl, as silly as this seems, would you like to clear this up further for the “low information” types like Regina that struggle with basic reading comprehension? Did you feel the officer’s actions were to:

1) prevent you from videotaping the fire because of the fascistic inclinations of all NYPD officers, (otherwise known as pigs), to violate your constitutional and God given rights to videotape the egregious and damning scooter fire?

or

2) prevent you from getting injured should the vehicle explode and you get impaled by a flying orange traffic cone.

Thanks Karl. And btw I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all you do for this community. I have seen scores of your videos and I never tire of seeing whats going on in BH through your eyes. Thanks for all your efforts in documenting this beautiful neighborhood.