Photo by simax105

If a recent report is any indication, Phoenix seems to be even less evolved than Los Angeles when it comes to photography. Today the blog DowntownPhoenixJournal relays an incident where two amateur photographers were harassed and berated by a police officer, who basically told them they weren’t allowed to take photos of pretty much anything in Phoenix.

The photographers made the mistake of photographing the light rail stop Central Station, which sparked the ire of this particular cop, who accused them of taking photos of a federal building (which happened to be in the other direction, but nevermind that). The  list of prohibited subjects, he said, also included the light rail, bus stops, bank buildings, stadiums and street lights. When asked to clarify which statute he was enforcing, the police officer told them to Google it. (Far be it for the police to explain the law — that would be too much work, right?) Their detention was a Homeland Security issue, he said. (And that should be enough for us to just shut up and comply, dammit!)

After running their ID’s and telling them he’d be watching them, the police officer let the photographers go. Phoenix, thankfully, is still safe.

Read the full account here.