Miami-Dade Transit Security Assaults Passenger for Taking Picture (2013, rent)

[Coconut1]

Photographer Carlos Miller Roughed Up Yet Again By Metrorail Security Guards - Miami - News - Riptide 2.0

Carlos Miller assaulted by Miami-Dade Transit security guards (technically employees of 50 State Security) for taking pictures of Metrorail track- a publicly owned property.

Video of the encounter:


50 State Security guards attack Carlos Miller for taking photos off Miami-Dade Metrorail platform - YouTube

Photography has already been deemed legal at Metrorail stations and of Metrorail. 50 State was informed of this.

It is time we demand better! Write Miami-Dade Transit director Ysela Llort and tell her if 50 State cannot abide by the law, they better not do business with Miami-Dade!

Her e-mail address can be found at the following page: Miami-Dade County - Biographies - Ysela Llort - Director

[tallrick]

Now I know where the 1/2 cent tax really went.

[Coconut1]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Now I know where the 1/2 cent tax really went.

Pretty much!

[FlyMIA]

The half penny tax was a pathetic joke.

As for this everyone involved is a moron. This Miller guy runs around the city looking for trouble. At the same time this rent a cop wanna be cops who get excited at the chance to use their handcuffs are a joke too. They are not law enforcement officers and have zero power. I don't know too much about Secutiry guard laws in Florida never a topic I researched but I don't think they have much or any more power than the average citizen. A store manager is allowed to detain a shop lifting suspect if they have a good reason to believe a crime has been committed so of course a security guard could do the same.

They certainly don't have the power to kick people out of public areas. And taking pictures of the track is that a joke? It's a track, it's not a security threat at all. They don't even care if people take pictures of airplanes in airports what in the world is a track picture going to do? What a joke. All three of these guys should be fired.

Problem with this is there is no funding to pay for an actual transit police and we don't need to be along officers OT or have on duty officers patrolling metrorail instead of the street. So this is the next best thing I guess. It's good to have some security but these security gaurds need to realize they are not cops and if they want to kick someone out of the station or put someone in handcuffs they need to wait for the real police. I know some people will say the police suck too but just think of this. These rent a cops are the ones who couldn't become police officers.

Again though, the Miller guy is also a moron.

[miami_zed]

I'm not surprised. If you hang out at metrorail stations at midnight waiting for the bus you see big box trucks being escorted by police park in front of the station. Then 3-5 MDT cops come out and stand guard in front of the station with SHOTGUNS. Not on their backs or holstered.....in their hands ready to shoot. One time this guy started questioning the cops about why they made him move from his spot and why the guns were necessary. Of course the cops didn't answer, told him to stay away, and acted like *******s, but I guess that is part of their job? Considering all the stories about trigger happy cops, I was seriously scared. Maybe it's just procedure , but for armored vehicle deliveries I've witnessed I never see that much personnel and firepower on display.

[FlyMIA]

Originally Posted by miami_zed

I'm not surprised. If you hang out at metrorail stations at midnight waiting for the bus you see big box trucks being escorted by police park in front of the station. Then 3-5 MDT cops come out and stand guard in front of the station with SHOTGUNS. Not on their backs or holstered.....in their hands ready to shoot. One time this guy started questioning the cops about why they made him move from his spot and why the guns were necessary. Of course the cops didn't answer, told him to stay away, and acted like *******s, but I guess that is part of their job? Considering all the stories about trigger happy cops, I was seriously scared. Maybe it's just procedure , but for armored vehicle deliveries I've witnessed I never see that much personnel and firepower on display.

Because most armored deliveries dont occur at 12am. I've seen some serious firepower in Europe and the Carribean though. Forget shotguns, I've seen machine guns before.

[WINTERFRONT]

He made a similar video back in 2007/8 when it was probably illegal to take pics.

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by WINTERFRONT

He made a similar video back in 2007/8 when it was probably illegal to take pics.

It was never illegal to take pictures.

[FlyMIA]

If there actually is a law or policy to not take pictures of the track it's nuts. I can take all the pictures I want of the White House or capital building and I can go on google maps and see all the famous landmarks or train tracks I want.

[Coconut1]

Originally Posted by FlyMIA

This Miller guy runs around the city looking for trouble.

Again though, the Miller guy is also a moron.

I don't think so. I think it illustrates that unless you take a stand and make a commotion your rights can be slowly chipped away and even if you are doing something perfectly legal you can be harassed, humiliated and assaulted by the "enforcers."

If nobody stands up and says something pretty soon we all end up living in fear of the Gestapo.

To have had this issue occur a few years prior and STILL be harassed about it shows there's a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

I for one always question why people are so against being filmed in public. If you have nothing to hide and are following the law then what is the issue? I think the real reason is because if it wasn't captured on film and there's no concrete evidence you can make the problem disappear a whole lot easier than if you are shown dragging a man to the ground and choking him like is seen in this video.