Thread: UA says No Pictures can be taken in FY! But wait....

The F/A in this situation was absolutely correct. It's the same reason you are not allowed to take photos of the train cars/tracks at Grand Central Station (It's not the law, but they will ask you to stop, and have you arrested for trespassing if you refuse to obtain the transit police's instructions). It's a security measure to prevent people from using detailed photographs of equipment (trains/planes/automobiles) used in public transporatation (an airline being a commonc carrier, and obviously having been preivously used in a terrorist act certainly falls into this category) to plan any kind of maliscious act (i.e. Let's study the layout of this aircraft to see the least visible place from any angle where we could hide something, etc.)

Whether or not you agree with it/think it's fair, this IS the rule, and the flight attendant was simply informing the passenger of the rule. He/She even went the extra mile to show the passenger the wording of the rule, proving he/she was not simply trying to be difficult.

Also, when I read something that someone said like "I hope you didn't think I was a terrorist", followed by being asked to leave the plane, followed by a claim of discrimination, I highly doubt he said EXACTLY that, and nothing inflammatory whatsoever to the flight crew. Flight crews don't delay flights and open themselves up to potential litigiaton (not to mention lose a business class customer) for no reason. I'm sure there is a LOT being left out about exactly how he responded to being told what he was told. Maybe he left out the part where he asked the flight attendant if she/he "Knew who he was?!" or maybe he said all this a little too loudly whilst on his 3rd cocktail before takeoff...we don't know the circumstances and if they aren't in favor of the blogger, I sincerely doubt we ever will.

Long story short, if you don't want to follow the rules, or the instructions of the flight crew, don't fly. And certainly don't whine about it later.