Amtrak photo contestant arrested by Amtrak police in NYC’s Penn Station

[RagingInMiami]

By Carlos Miller
Armed with his Canon 5D and his new Lensbaby lens, photographer Duane Kerzic set out to win Amtrak’s annual photo contest this week, hoping to win $1,000 in travel vouchers and have his photo published in Amtrak’s annual calendar.

He ended up getting arrested by Amtrak police; handcuffed to a wall in a holding cell inside New York City’s Penn Station, accused of criminal trespass.

Kerzic says he was hardly trespassing because he was taking photos from the train platform; the same one used by thousands of commuters everyday to step on and off the train.

“The only reason they arrested me was because I refused to delete my images,” Kerzic said in a phone interview with Photography is Not a Crime on Friday.

http://carlosmiller.com/2008/12/27/amtrak-police-arrest-photographer-participating-in-amtrak-photo-contest/#comment-3490

[Why Syzygy]

1. Is he brown too? nt

[RagingInMiami]

2. White conservative republican

[Dennis Donovan]

3. Any bets on whether Kerzic is olive-skinned?

Why do I get the feeling that this is something akin to what happened on Airtran two days ago?:shrug:

[oberliner]

6. I'll take that bet

Pretty positive he's a white guy.

[surrealAmerican]

4. I'm really tired of the idea that taking photographs of ...

... public places is some sort of "terrorist act". Soon you won't even be allowed to look at the world around you.

[Captain Hilts]

10. That's been the policy in NYC for decades. Dept. Stores, etc. nt

[surrealAmerican]

22. They do the same thing in Chicago, and other places too, ...

... but that doesn't make it right.

[baldguy]

5. Duane's websites

his photos

http://photos.duanek.name/

his story

http://www.duanek.name/Amtrak/index.htm

[reechard walker]

23. Thank you baldguy!

Carlos's link died today mysteriously. Thank you so much baldguy for the link to duane's site.

[annabanana]

7. HA!. . ("Left hand?, . . Meet Right Hand")

I mean, how stupid IS this?

[David Ricardo]

8. The only people who do this are "railfans"

Nerdy white guys who majored in urban planning or something like that and worship trains.

[Nay]

9. Actually, Amtrak has a yearly photo contest for images for its calendar. Lots

of ppl, including me, take photos of Amtrak trains for that contest. I like trains, wish there were more of 'em, but I'm not a 'railfan.'

[Captain Hilts]

11. Sounds like someone doesn't live in the Northeast or north of North Carolina. nt

[David Ricardo]

12. Does DC count in that region?

Sorry I'm not a geography major.

/actually I am

[Captain Hilts]

13. ...who doesn't take the train enough. nt

[David Ricardo]

14. Oh spare it

I could take a chinatown bus to New York/Philly/Boston for less time and less price than Amtrak. TAnd yes I know the Aclea exists. I don't have 200 dollars to spend on a trip just to shave off an hour or so.

[Captain Hilts]

16. So you need to insult those who do like trains? Grow up, kid.

And get a real job so you, too, can take the train - the most fuel efficient way to travel.

[David Ricardo]

18. Overpay to sit longer on a train when I can get there quicker and cheaper by bus

or plane for longer distances.

Great logic.

[Captain Hilts]

19. Okay, proof I'm having a battle of wits with an unarmed kid. nt

[cap]

24. try doing that day to day on business like me and my husband do.

Your little butt would be fried. Occasional use of Amtrak makes our commutes bearable. We take New Jersey Transit on a daily basis and boy does it hurt.

[norepubsin08]

21. Notice his low number of posts

could be a freeper hanging around!

[Rebubula]

25. Low post count...

...yeah...good measure of a poster.

Guess I am a freeper....sometimes the hubris of those with 'high post counts' is annoying to those that do not have the luxury of reading the site all day and posting 30000 times.

The aforementioned poster does sound like a kind of a judgmental jerk - but to automatically assume he is a freeper because of his low post count is arrogant.

[norepubsin08]

27. Didn't say he was freeper because of his low post count

I said it is one indicator...calling me a judgemental jerk with out knowing all the facts makes you ignorant!

[High Plains]

30. Could be a Freeper 'cuz he'd rather take the bus than the train?

Give it a rest.

[stop the bleeding]

15. That's keeping an open mind.

•Sarcasm•

[RetroLounge]

17. Thanks for joining DU just to be a dick

:puke:

RL

[Shakespeare]

26. Seconded. n/t

[tomreedtoon]

20. For a moment, I thought he shot a bathroom.

Then I remembered. Amtrak trains don't have bathrooms. They don't even have seats any more. I think they have wooden benches with ropes.

[edbermac]

28. Kinda split on this.

I can understand the police acting this way considering that subways are prime targets of terrorists, such as the London and Madrid bombings a few years back. Maybe he should have received permission first from the Amtrak authorities.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

29. Arresting people for taking photos of trains...

That's the kind of thing Uzbekistan used to do to tourists.