Why GA is Dying

"Thomas Borchert" wrote in message
...
Dudley,

You seem to be missing the point.
Even if one assumes there has never been a single incident of someone
taking
a picture at an airport that has led directly to a security issue, which
may
or may not be the case BTW ; the fact remains that taking pictures at
airports has now been placed within the realm of a possible security
issue,
and as such, those taking these pictures at airports are well advised to
conduct themselves accordingly while on airport property.
The fact that this "disturbs" you as an individual, or that some person
you
challenge on Usenet to produce examples has absolutely nothing at all to
do
with the simple fact that taking pictures at airports falls directly into
a
security issue category for those entrusted with these issues.
Your argument is weak and flawed.

Hoho, talk about a dodge! Look, this is simple. You stated:

People who are taking pictures at airports unfortunately are now a
security
issue.

I asked you to back that statement up with fact. You can't. Nowhere in
your
statement do you qualify that "some people" perceive photography at
airports as
an issue. You simply state that it is. Well, it isn't. Not until you prove
otherwise.

See, that wasn't so hard, now, was it?

All right, let's "prove" the obvious for you.

Let me explain for you what's REALLY easy.
:-))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Why don't you stop this useless back and forth here with me and others where
it doesn't matter, and write a simple email to TSA where it does matter, and
ask THEM if the taking of photographs at major airports is, or is not, one
of the issues their security people are specifically trained to consider in
the airport security equation.
If their answer is no, then taking photographs at airports is not a security
issue as you have suggested. If the answer is yes, the issue of photography
at airports can indeed be a security issue as I have stated.

I don't know about the rest of the group, but I'll go with what TSA has to
say on this, as actually, I already know what they will say.
What TSA is going to tell you, just so we all have it straight beforehand,
is that people taking pictures at airports is one of many potential security
issues included on the airport security watch list. This doesn't mean that
all people taking pictures at airports should be or will be approached. It
means that the decision to approach someone taking pictures at airports is
left to the observing officer or officers and is based on criteria
concerning the taking of the pictures.

Now try and digest this if possible .
The MANNER in which a
security officer approaches someone taking pictures at an airport has
absolutely nothing to do with that fact that the taking of pictures can be a
security issue. That is another issue entirely, and I would be in agreement
with you that the system isn't all it could be personnel wise :-) Bit this
has nothing to do with photography being a security issue at airports. You
have to learn to differentiate between the two issues to be accurate, and
you are not being accurate with your argument.
Again, coming back to what we have been discussing here, the correct
response if approached by airport security while taking pictures is one of
polite and immediate cooperation with the approaching officer. Unless there
are extenuating circumstances as observed by the approaching officer, the
result of these "confrontations" is usually positive for the photographer. I
will add however, that responding as Emily and you are endorsing, by railing
on about your "rights", and the fact that you're not in a "restricted area"
is dangerous and can lead to unnecessary peripheral issues that could easily
have been avoided through prudent behavior.
I'll look for your posted answer from TSA.
Thank you
Dudley Henriques