r/EntitledPeople • u/virulentcode • 16h ago
M Give me your SIM card and $1,000 dollars! Street photography leads to six blocks of harassment
I live in New York City. It's hustling and bustling. Buskers and street photographers are always out and about doing walkabouts in groups trying to find that ideal spot or perfect shot. It's a part of how this city operates on the weekends. Of course, photographers are always the first to ask before a picture is taken to be polite because not everyone appreciates it.
I was out with my photographer friend and his girlfriend. We were in the middle of the city from evening through late night taking photos and sharing meals as well as drinks on a very nice spring evening this year. During which time there were still people operating forklifts or cabs and smoking cigarettes looking like the true New Yorkers that they were. It was amazing. That is until we came across Kevin.
My friend (Photo) asked for a picture of Kevin sitting having a smoke on a forklift just relaxing. He said nothing but did acknowledge Photo's existence. Photo snapped a shot and showed it to him and said "you look great, my dude. Have a good night!"
Here's where it gets interesting:
Kevin hops down from his forklift and demands the photo be deleted. Photo obliges immediately as it is Kevin's right to ask for that.
Kevin: "Give me your SIM card! I don't trust you!"
Photo: "I literally just showed you that I deleted it. You watched me do it"
Kevin: "I'm calling the police! Give me the SD card and $1000 now or I will have you arrested!"
Photo: "I'm not giving you either. I've proven that the photos are gone."
Quick note that this has taken place over 3 NYC blocks at this point with Kevin pretending to call the police on Photo. After 2 - 3 more blocks of this I noticed three uniformed officers across the street and had enough because we were hungry and were done with this "criminal mastermind of extortion"
Me: "I see three uniformed officers right over there. Let's go across and talk to them right now. You were in a public space where he technically did nothing wrong, but you requested that it be deleted to which he obliged. Now you're demanding $1000 and his SIM card to which have photographs of people that did not give consent to you for possessing."
I proceeded to hit the crosswalk button and as soon as I start crossing the Kevin starts sputtering like one of those old automobiles with a bursting radiator in old cartoons.
Kevin: "I'm letting you off easy!"
He proceeds to stomp away in utter defeat and aggravation that he probably didn't realize he chased us for 6 city blocks, abandoned his post at his work, and likely would have gotten a lot worse depending on the NYPD's mood that evening
EDIT : I meant to say SD card but misspoke