SFist and BoingBoing are running pieces on Muni's tactics to prevent photographers from shooting around the San Francisco municipal system. Rather than bother with the troublesome bureaucratic process of changing the laws (as the MTA experience has shown), they find that there are plenty of existing laws that can be readily and egregiously abused to get whatever results they like, as freelance shooter Steve Malik (shooter.net seems overwhelmed or locked today: try this photo.net link as an alternative for more info) discovered:
Posted February 14, 2005 12:31 PM | TrackBackAfter walking over to the group of Fare Inspectors and BART Police Officers, Officer Ryan returned to speak to me. He expressed his frustration at the situation and me by saying: "Would it have been so difficult for you to just stop taking photographs when these guys told you to stop? If you weren't on your soapbox, I'd be out fighting real crime rather than standing around here dealing with you." He expounded further, "Even if there is no law forbidding photography in the MUNI System, the Fare Inspectors have the right to refuse you service for any reason they choose, including taking photographs. Once they refuse you service they can swear out a citizens arrest for trespassing. I, or other officers, will book you and you'll spend the rest of your weekend in jail. It won't be for taking photographs, so your weekend would be ruined yet you'd never get a chance to argue the matter of taking photographs before a judge."