Odd situation observed at Kennywood Park Pittsburgh, thoughts? (promotional, law)

[Summer25]

When visiting Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh this summer, I saw something that was kind of unsettling. There was a man in the corner of the line snapping photos of kids riding the Jack Rabbit. He was zooming in on them before they went down the first hill. Then we got in line for The Kangaroo and a woman was taking photos of the kids on that ride. That didn't sit well with me. At first I thought maybe they were doing some kind of photography project. But there are so many weird people out there. If that were my child getting photos taken by strangers, I would be a bit uncomfortable. Especially with the rise of human trafficking, I feel children should be protected. Does anyone else find this odd?

[PGH423]

Most people nowadays will find it odd though street/candid photography used to be more common and used to be an appreciated form of art. (I’m not implying that I know he was doing that - the possibilities are infinite.) Now it is more controversial. Generally, you have the legal right to take any pictures you want to in public.

[PghYinzer]

What's odd is watching a situation involving children in which you fear for their safety, then waiting 6-7 months to post it on an online forum to see if your hunch is correct. Did you bring this to anyone's attention at the time?

[PGH423]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

What's odd is watching a situation involving children in which you fear for their safety, then waiting 6-7 months to post it on an online forum to see if your hunch is correct. Did you bring this to anyone's attention at the time?

The fact that it was two people makes me think either they're photographers doing what they consider art work or they might work for the park and are doing promotional work. Of course, it could be something malicious but people take Law and Order SVU a bit too seriously sometimes!

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

What's odd is watching a situation involving children in which you fear for their safety, then waiting 6-7 months to post it on an online forum to see if your hunch is correct. Did you bring this to anyone's attention at the time?

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to PghYinzer again.

[8YearsinPittsburgh]

Originally Posted by Summer25

When visiting Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh this summer, I saw something that was kind of unsettling. There was a man in the corner of the line snapping photos of kids riding the Jack Rabbit. He was zooming in on them before they went down the first hill. Then we got in line for The Kangaroo and a woman was taking photos of the kids on that ride. That didn't sit well with me. At first I thought maybe they were doing some kind of photography project. But there are so many weird people out there. If that were my child getting photos taken by strangers, I would be a bit uncomfortable. Especially with the rise of human trafficking, I feel children should be protected. Does anyone else find this odd?

You never know; did you report it to someone? I would have, and have done so in the past. We had our child down at the Regatta a few years ago and someone asked if he could take a picture of our child, I asked for their credentials and they said they didn't have any, I told them to get lost and was ready to move that person along if they didn't take the hint.

[8YearsinPittsburgh]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

What's odd is watching a situation involving children in which you fear for their safety, then waiting 6-7 months to post it on an online forum to see if your hunch is correct. Did you bring this to anyone's attention at the time?

Agreed. I remember someone posting a picture of someone riding through the Squirrel Hill Tunnel on a motorcycle, this past summer. They posted it on WPXI's Facebook page. I responded and asked what they were trying to accomplish by posting that. They responded and said they hoped others had saw this rider, because they were riding recklessly in their opinion. I asked if they contacted law enforcement, and there was no further reply

[PGH423]

Originally Posted by 8YearsinPittsburgh

You never know; did you report it to someone? I would have, and have done so in the past. We had our child down at the Regatta a few years ago and someone asked if he could take a picture of our child, I asked for their credentials and they said they didn't have any, I told them to get lost and was ready to move that person along if they didn't take the hint.

You don’t need any credentials to take a picture! You do have the right to say no if asked but he didn’t have to ask. And legally, he could have taken the picture even after you said no, though it would have been rude. He was going out of his way to be more respectful of your privacy than the law requires him to.

[8YearsinPittsburgh]

Originally Posted by PGH423

You don’t need any credentials to take a picture! You do have the right to say no if asked but he didn’t have to ask. And legally, he could have taken the picture even after you said no, though it would have been rude. He was going out of his way to be more respectful of your privacy than the law requires him to.

Any parent in their right mind isn't going to let any ole person take a picture of their child these days.

[PGH423]

Originally Posted by 8YearsinPittsburgh

Any parent in their right mind isn't going to let any ole person take a picture of their child these days.

Legally, you can’t stop them. By asking, the photographer was extending a courtesy he didn’t have to. The OP’s comfort was more important to him than his legal right to take pictures. The only way to ensure your child’s picture is never taken by a stranger is to never let your child be near a stranger.