Taken at the Kastenmeier US District Courthouse in Madison, Wisconsin, May 2011.
I am apparently among the lucky few who haven't gotten hassled while taking a photo of this odd building in downtown Madison. I figure it has something to do with me being female, and at the time the photo was taken, tipsy and laying on the ground that made Big Brother shrug and go back to his crossword puzzle.
John and I have passed by this building hundreds of times on our way to and from the grocery store, State Street, etc. I have always thought it was a hideous purple monstrosity, something a five year old limited to purple Legos might build. The neon light fixture clashes with the deep purple of the building itself, neon suited more for bars and beer signs than courthouses.
I have only been hassled a handful of times when taking photos, as recently as last week. There was only one time where I felt like I was in actual danger, and I didn't feel that until much later, until the shock of what had happened wore off. Fortunately for me I happened to be in a lobby of a police station and the Lieutenant stepped in before anything could escalate. "She's in a public place," he yelled at the guy who had gotten in my face, stepping between us as I stood frozen, too dumbfounded to even spit out one syllable. "This is public record. She can take all the pictures she wants."
I know my rights. That one incident was reason enough for me to educate myself on what they are. I'm polite enough to stop if someone asks me to stop. I didn't see a soul while taking this particular photo. I'm not sure how I would have responded if I had. But just because I didn't see them doesn't mean they didn't see me. :)
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