6 December 2008

The top secret night club finger print machine?

| johnboy
Join the conversation
47

On the ongoing saga of night club finger printing, PM has posted an account of his efforts to document the process:

    “A few weeks ago I tried to take some photos of the machine and I was asked by a bouncer to stop because it was private property 🙂

    So, appreciating the opportunity to further highlight the irony of the situation, I tried to take a couple of photos of them. It was probably a bad idea, but until that time my friend and I were just being lighthearted.

    They chased me and my friend across the road where we stopped at a police van – no police around, but things calmed down. We figured the police would be nearby, and no bouncer’s going to attack a couple of blokes right next to a police van.

    I was told that if I ever came back they’d bash my f**king head in, or words to that effect.

    I know many bouncers – most are great. But the main bouncer that night was a right cockhead who shouldn’t hold a security license.”

UPDATED: A slideshow of PM’s death defying investigative photography is below:

Join the conversation

47
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

I wasn’t there for long at all.

I was suggesting that maybe someone other then you had been irritating them, and your timing resulted in you copping their wrath. I am not suggesting that that is appropriate behaviour for bouncers in the slightest.

It the machines are on the footpath, then I fail to see the issue at all. Go in with a camera crew, lighting, boom mic operator, etc, and see how they react…

It seems to me that the Club in Question has set up some equipment on public pavement and appear to be impeding pedestrian traffic.

If anyone wants to use Big Brother Equipment, surely it should be within the confines of their leased space?

I wasn’t there for long at all.

After reading about the machines on The Riot Act I was interested in them, so took photos. It that’s stirring the pot, then I’m guilty as charged.

…but looks like the person taking the photos was stirring the pot, and when some people are stirred they get violent.

While this is very true, the people in question are supposed to be trained security professionals, who I would expect to meet a higher standard. That said, you don’t know what fu%&tard had been baiting them for the last three hours…

Next time perhaps hire your own security. Why all the hype over a machine in an awful nightclub?

Im not really a fan of violence but looks like the person taking the photos was stirring the pot, and when some people are stirred they get violent. If they did bash that person then i wouldnt have much sympathy. in my eyes that sorta thing is pretty much the same as picking a fight with someone.
That fella standing infront of the police van looks like that where’s wally fella.

Like most people I would expect not to be physical assaulted regardless of the occupation of the assaulter. There is no legitimate reason to threaten violence other than repulsing violent attack. Bully boys.

Well, the bouncers can come on here and type replies with their sausage-like fingers.

I reckon those fingerprint machines will be responsible for the next pandemic. Everyone who touches them one night will catch one person’s plague, and it will race through Canberra like wildfire, and we’ll all be quarantined with carts to pile the dead on.

Worth having a gander at if you are waving a camera about.

http://www.artslaw.com.au/legalinformation/StreetPhotographersRights.asp

http://www.4020.net/words/photorights.php

Both Australian based.

If you are taking photographs on private property they can ask you to stop, obviously, and the trouble is that the ACT government probably charges them rent on the footpath area outside the club. The line between private and public property may not be so clear cut.

If you are on public land then you are well within your rights to photograph the club etc etc…. as far as I know. But taking photographs of people, even in a public place can be fraught with danger. A lot of people believe they have a right to privacy in public places, the right not to be photographed. They don’t, but I personally believe that people have a right to expect you to stop if they ask, it is just being polite.

Upskirt etc etc is different kettle of fish, that will land you in court and rightly so.

Some bouncers really shouldn’t be bouncers but arguing a point with them is just looking for trouble. You don’t go around poking wasps nests and then wonder why you got stung.

The thing to remember is that the bouncers are at work and like most people we do expect a level of privacy at work, it is a lot different to walking through Civic and having someone take some snaps of you.

I think the bouncers over reacted but you did push it.

Started off interesting – sure as s#!t went downhill fast (even for RA)

dexi said :

Ive got a story about nail clipping’s that keep appearing on the couch. Ive got photos if you want to see them.

Just make sure any pictures you submit are well composed! 🙂

PM said :

dexi said :

I don’t think bouncer should get to beat anyone. Wouldn’t that be assault.

Yeah… I don’t want to be beaten up either, dexi. It hasn’t happened before, so it should be right.

No, no one ever gets beaten up by bouncers – they just have a nasty fall in a stairwell.

Non physical “provocation” is never an excuse for violence. If you can’t contain yourself to verbal responses to verbal provocations, you’ve got anger management issues that should preclude you from working as a door goon.

It has potential violence, potential photo’s, potential finger printing and evil night club bouncers. Not to mention an assault on press freedom.

You could organise a 24hr challenge where rioters hit the town and find unique Canberra stories. They could be given credit for the number of reply post or if the CT prints them. They would lose credit for food references, troll activity, or poor blurry photo’s.

Ive got a story about nail clipping’s that keep appearing on the couch. Ive got photos if you want to see them.

caf said :

DJ: That probably entirely depends on whether PM’s workplace is open to the public, as a nightclub is.

I would also be interested to hear what you think PM could have said and not reported here that would, in your view, have justified threats of violence.

Please remember that I am not a fan of nightclub security…

Provication or even intimidation (PM??)… even the most sedate gorilla can eventually be goaded into action. Regardless if the provication justifies physical action or not if you put the bait out sometimes you get a nibble or a bite despite your intentions or because of them. Is it right? Probably not but in most cases you read of here the provication seems to be forgotten and it’s just a case of “there I was innocently walking by when….”

barking toad5:29 pm 05 Dec 08

#13 HINGO – Ahh, the story of “I was overcharged for a pizza”.

“Where can I buy a coffee” pales in comparison.

So they’ll match the nightclub, then?

will the machines self clean? they’d have to get grubby later on in the night.. kababs, chips, semen, etc.

dexi said :

I don’t think bouncer should get to beat anyone. Wouldn’t that be assault.

Yeah… I don’t want to be beaten up either, dexi. It hasn’t happened before, so it should be right.

I don’t think bouncer should get to beat anyone. Wouldn’t that be assault.

If you are in a public place, i.e in the street or on the footpath,you can film whatever or who ever you want. They (the bouncers)may beat the living shit out of you, but you have done nothing wrong legally.

Can’t wait to see the photos. So exciting. It’s just like the start of a John Grisham novel where perky yet pesky naive lover of freedom hassles low life Russian mafia outside entrance to sleezy girlie nightclub. I should note that this character is usually dispatched pretty quickly in the first few pages, sparking the investigation into their ‘disappearance’ or alternatively, appearance of headless corpse in Gorky Park. Sorry PM.

DJ: That probably entirely depends on whether PM’s workplace is open to the public, as a nightclub is.

I would also be interested to hear what you think PM could have said and not reported here that would, in your view, have justified threats of violence.

DJ, I wouldn’t normally do it but for the fact they ask their patrons to be fingerprinted and possibly photographed – not sure about the latter.

It does sound one-sided because, well, admittedly I’m only one side of the story.

I might have to get the helmet cam out and mount it on my head before going for a drink…

Disclaimer: I am not a bouncer and generally don’t have the highest opinion of most of them but….

Good luck PM, but make sure that if you video them and they get angry that you catch all your conversation with them because this all sounds very one sided.

Not to defend the alleged actions of the security but, do people come into your workplace taking video or images of you while half cut, or even lighthearted?

It always amazes me that people whip out their mobile phone cameras or video when a fight has finished and Police or others are there but never before to catch the why and who started it (youtube excepted).

We are the people’s paparazzi!

Jonathon Reynolds said :

Another slow news day?

Just giving CAP what they deserve.

PBO said :

I propose a challenge, see who can get the best and most photo’s of the offending machine. Extra points for the bouncers next to the machine. Even more points if you have the machine and the bouncer in the photo whilst being chased. Bouncers should not overstep their boundaries.

Time to try out my new video camera… 🙂

Jonathon Reynolds1:56 pm 05 Dec 08

Another slow news day?

I propose a challenge, see who can get the best and most photo’s of the offending machine. Extra points for the bouncers next to the machine. Even more points if you have the machine and the bouncer in the photo whilst being chased. Bouncers should not overstep their boundaries.

Luther,

Its how the place works. Find something intersting about Canberra that deserves sharing, link to it, write what you think, sit back and watch the vitriol!

luther_bendross said :

why are 13 of the 15 posts on the main board copies of info found elsewhere on the interweb?

Because to create interesting news it seems you need to place oneself in harm’s way 🙂

True Luther, has anyone got any stories? Maybe you were overcharged for a pizza? Tell us!

Sidenote is not on topic (much as I’d like to say how very wrong you are and apparently unable to count.)

luther_bendross12:57 pm 05 Dec 08

PM, you’ve been rorted mate, although I’m not surprised by the reactions of the gorillas dressed as people guarding their lair.

SIDENOTE: why are 13 of the 15 posts on the main board copies of info found elsewhere on the interweb? I stick my neck out here because I’m a little concerned that the ideas of other RiotACT members are becoming buried at the bottom of the page. I’d suggest that most RiotACTers also read the Canberra Times and probably don’t need their website replicated here. Should I now kiss my membership goodbye?

That’s how I told it, so I’m sticking to it.

Is that the incident where teh rider hurled himself off his bike to avoid a car?!

Tell me about it. I also didn’t use a box or helmet when I played cricket at the one-dayer between the Pot Belly and the Woodduck Inn on Sunday too. I have a deathwish or something.

Speaking of the bike ride, where’s my bike?

Fair’s fair. if they can take pictures of your fingers, surely you can take pictures of the machine?

Didn’t you know? Bouncer = cockhead

Pm,

you are having a bad month. Nearly run over on the bike ride and now picking fights with bouncers… you need a job playing rugby league

It was at night, and I was trying not to have my camera smashed. I’m not a great photographer at the best of times, but I’ll find them and send them in anyways.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy12:43 pm 05 Dec 08

Put the photos up at least.

Name and shame…………

Still got the photos?

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.