For reasons murky, my mother bought a copy of the official report on the Watts riot, with each section headed by a news photo taken on the day. The section entitled "Mob Violence" was illustrated by a photo of several cops dragging and hitting a man. I have never forgotten that.

The last non-chipped passports were produced a couple of months ago. I don't know how long it will take DOS to work them through the system, though.

I also have to add that if you had seen the things that people do to their passports just through ordinary abuse, signs of physical damage would not necessarily be a red flag. Just make sure you do something relatively conservative, like run it over with a truck or shoot a bullet through it.

In case anyone is still reading this: Union Station in Washington DC has (just last night!) posted placards with station rules at the entrances.

First of all, I have to give them props for posting signs, at the entrances. My sons and I are skateboarders and it really, er, "irks" me when we get hassled for violating unposted rules or rules that are posted beyond and out of sight of the hassle line.

The photo policy is clear. In the mall part of the station, you are required to get permission in advance to use a tripod. Otherwise, they may forbid photography anywhere, at any time, for any reason. They also post an exception for the space controlled by Amtrak, summarize the Amtrak policy, and describe the borders of Amtrakistan. They do not address photography in the Metro part of the station.

The policy in the Metro and in other transit systems is summarized HERE. (The very short version is "Okay, but no tripods. Please don't get so engrossed that you fall onto the tracks.") The page also has links to official documents.

So, the tourist who videotaped me using the drinking fountain was okay, because that was on the Amtrak side of the line. The tourist who took pictures of me sitting on a bench waiting for the Red Line was golden. The tourist who videotaped me buying socks could have been stopped--according to the policy.

No matter what the law is, in practice the man with the gun gets to make up whatever rules he likes. Skaters have an ever-flowinb spring of stories about that.

Manny

I work in Washington, DC a few blocks from the Capitol building and Union Station. I can say with confidence that people are taking pictures all over the place around here freely.

The Capitol Police lease space in our building and are in and out all the time. They are notoriously Not Amused. (I had one today visibly working out whether I was allowed to skate on the sidewalk next to my building; it's forbidden too close to the Capitol building.) If anyone was going to stop street photographers, it would be them. And yet I have seen them helping tourists take pictures, even posing for them.

Maybe London is special.

MAO