In the bag

[Warren Toda]

Yesterday, the city of Toronto voted to ban all retail store plastic bags. Today, photographers were out trying to illustrate something that won't actually happen until next year.

I went to 14 grocery stores (yes, fourteen !%#@$ stores) to ask if I could photograph someone bagging groceries. The answers were, in no particular order: no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no and no.

Okay, I'll stand in a shopping mall parking lot and photograph people carrying bags of stuff to their cars.

You know, they can't stop shoplifters, they can't stop graffiti vandals, they can't stop car break-ins and they can't stop illegal parking, but by gosh, shopping mall security can instantly hit defcon 1 when they spot someone taking pictures in the parking lot. Who knew shopping mall security vehicles now have a siren (in addition to the flashing lights)?

Sigh.

When did people become so fearful and suspicious of cameras and photography?

I remember when "I'm with the newspaper" was enough to open almost any door.


On the bright side, I got a free can of Pringles today. 

[Moe Doiron]

Its been my experience that when asked why I can't shoot photos in a particular location, most security and/or public relations personnel cannot answer the question. The default reply is usually that its the "policy" but often you can actually see a cloud over their heads as they wonder to themselves, ya why can't he? They are generally trying to enforce a rule that they don't even understand themselves.

[Francis Vachon]

That's called the 5 monkey in a cage theorie/rule:
http://www.sageconcepts.com/5-monkeys-and-a-cage

[Warren Toda]

re: 5 monkeys - that pretty much explains it.


If anyone cares, here's a spot-on column by The Globe and Mail columnist Margaret Wente about Toronto's plastic bag ban.

[Ken Gigliotti]

It is ironic , a few weeks ago a person was assaulted in a popular  Winnipeg Shopping mall , in order to  walk around inside the mall looking for a  crime scene ,I put my  camera into a plastic shopping bag  and walked around without anyone bothering me. Damned  banned thing.

[Lyle Aspinall]

Try walking into several pharmacies unannounced to illustrate an oxycontin story. Surprisingly, that one only took me six stores, but the reaction on the first five was identical: "Are you out of your mind?" I guess those darned shopping bags are even more risky than addictive drugs.

[Peter Lee]

It's all about "Brand" image.

[Jack Simpson]

It is ironic , a few weeks ago a person was assaulted in a popular  Winnipeg Shopping mall , in order to  walk around inside the mall looking for a  crime scene ,I put my  camera into a plastic shopping bag  and walked around without anyone bothering me. Damned  banned thing.

I do that all the time in Vancouver, albeit mostly outside in the rain, and with
my lens peeking out should I need to take a pic 

Jack