As Terror Targets Go, How Does Mayfest Stack Up?
by Pete Wann
Photo of Fort Worth Police Officers at Mayfest 2007 by Stephen Witherden
The one thing that struck me the most about my Mayfest experience (aside from the near-TOTAL lack of environmentalism themed booths and activities), was the heightened security atmosphere. There were uniformed police officers at every step of the entry process, from the road leading into the park all the way through to the ticket booths. And according to my PR escort, there were an equal number of plainclothes officers milling around in the crowd.
I went to Mayfest on press credentials. In my experience and discussions with others, this means one of two things: either you get absolute run of the place (like we did at the Lone Star International Film Festival), or you’re locked down hard so that you only get to see what the event organizers want you to see.
Mayfest was really a lot more like the second scenario above than I would have expected. I was met at the gate by a member of the “marketing team,” who arranged for a golf cart to escort me around the festival while I took pictures. I was told that if I didn’t have a staff escort with me while taking pictures, it was likely that I would be confronted by the police and asked to leave the park. The reason given for this was “security.”
Now, I’m all for making sure that our family-focused festivals don’t become psychopathic killing fields, but seriously? How does preventing someone (especially someone invited to attend as a member of the media) from taking pictures of the attendees and the booths enhance the “security” of the festival?
While we were riding around on the golf cart, we rode by a guy carrying what most would call a “pro-sumer” Nikon camera. (Since I got my current camera, I’ve noticed that a lot of people take me more seriously than they probably should when it comes to pictures, just because it has interchangeable lenses.) He was by himself, but he had his camera out, ready to take pictures, and was also carrying what looked to be a camera kit bag. This combination of circumstances was apparently enough to trigger some kind of buzzer in my escort’s head, because he called back to base with a description of the guy and info about his general location and heading, intending to have a police officer intercept him.
Taking pictures is not a crime. Walking around without a family at Mayfest taking pictures is not a crime, particularly since the event (despite the fact that you have to pay admission) is on public property. Neither of these things are security risks, either. To call them such is to create a distraction for security staff who should be focusing on other things.
Fear == Power. Those who create the fear wield the power. I know I’m not the only one who’s noticed that the various levels of government seem to be selling out our civil liberties, all in the name of increasing our “security.”
I can’t say it any better than FDR, so I’ll leave you with this quote, from his first inaugural address:
So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.
Tags: civil liberties, FDR, festivals, LSIFF, Mayfest, trinity park, Trinity River
3 Comments, Comments or Pings
Ken Kuhl
My wife and I had quite a different experience Saturday at Mayfest.
I shot over 125 photos with my “pro-sumer” Canon camera with a conspicuous 70-300mm telephoto lens and wasn’t stopped by anyone…no one even looked at me funny. I even took several photos of the FW Fire Department’s Swift Water Rescue truck, boat and hovercraft.
As a matter of fact, we had a very pleasant conversation with one of the uniformed policemen seated at the parking lot near Stayton and 7th streets. He was there to limit vehicular traffic past the parking lot to vehicles with passes. We even commented that our chat with him made a warm and pleasant start to our Mayfest experience.
Additionally, we spoke with some Mayfest first-timers who had simply walked into Mayfest without paying. They walked along the perimeter fence and in the main gate without first stopping at the ticket booths. There was a police officer sitting by the entrance at the time, but he was reading something.
We didn’t feel a “heightened security atmosphere” at all. And frankly, with all the children present, we were glad to see some officers milling about.
Is it possible that your “escort” was simply showing off and anxious to use his walkie-talkie to look important and send the police on an ersatz mission that was never followed up on?
Also, you could have chosen one of Stephen Witherden’s other Mayfest photos (also from last year), that shows a very relaxed police officer at Mayfest:
http://flickr.com/photos/swit012/485656620/
Here are a few of my Mayfest photos from this year:
http://flickr.com/photos/kenkuhl/sets/72157604865041160/
May 6th, 2008
Pete Wann
Thanks for your comments, Ken. I’m glad other people didn’t have the same disconcerting experience that I did.
I don’t know if my escort (who was the co-owner of the marketing company hired for the event) was showing off, or possibly just trying to demonstrate that they were serious about the photography thing.
I have no doubt that it would be trivial to get around the “security” at Mayfest. I never suggested that the additional steps taken were effective, only that they were taken.
May 6th, 2008
John Peter Smith
Pete:
My experiences at Mayfest have always been more along what Ken described than what you experienced.
As far as the heavy uniformed presence at the entrance; two thoughts. First, on a nice weekend, that entry gate will handle quite a large sum of cash. Second, I’m reminded of a quote by Sheriff Andy Taylor who once observed “sometimes it’s best to let folks see a badge every now and then.”
As far as the picture-taking. Maybe Ken is right about the PR-person showing off. Or perhaps someone had complained about some creep taking pictures of their kids and they were just sensitive to that when you arrived.
May 6th, 2008
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