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In the map of New York’s most forsaken places, it would be hard to top the Freeman Street stop on the No. 2 line in the Bronx, late on a February afternoon. Around 4:30 last Thursday, Robert Taylor stood on the station’s elevated platform, taking a picture of a train.

“A few buildings in place,” he noted. “Nice little cloud cover overhead. I usually use them as wallpaper on my computer.”

Finished with his camera, Mr. Taylor, 30, was about to board the train when a police officer called to him. He stepped back from the train.

“The cop wanted my ID, and I showed it to him,” Mr. Taylor said. “He told me I couldn’t take the pictures. I told him that’s not true, that the rules permitted it. He said I was wrong. I said, ‘I’m willing to bet your paycheck.’ ”

The cops whacked Robert with not one, but three summonses: One for "taking photos" even though photography is actually allowed. The second for "disobeying lawful order/impeding traffic." And a third for "unreasonable noise."

We asked Robert if he was being a jerk to these cops.

"No I wasn't being a jerk, but I was standing firm," Robert says. "I didn't curse at them or anything. I just said 'Well these are what the rules say.' If anything he was being unreasonable to me. He put his hands on me and he shoves me through the door."

Eventually, all three summonses were dismissed, and the NYPD admitted that the summons for taking pictures was issued in error.

But Robert didn't drop it there, he hired lawyer Gerald Cohen and he sued the city. In the end, the city settled and the boneheaded move by the "picture police" cost taxpayers $30,000.

"I think these particular officers said, 'Who is this wise guy telling us what to do?' and they slapped him with a violation of a law that he was clearly not violating," says attorney Gerald Cohen, "and then added the disorderly conduct 'cause that's just like kind of the 'boilerplate' everything, and of course the case was dismissed because it was just nonsense."

AndersNilsson skrev:Total amerikansk paranoia. Detta drabbar även de som fotograferar flygplan i USA.