Saturday, November 17, 2007

A close call

So for my "experience book" in studio (make a book! about your experience! with a camera! oh okay), I wrote an essay about this internship I did in Durham when I was a senior in high school. For the internship, I got to take photos of the American Tobacco District with a really nice camera and design a brochure using the photos. So my studio prof suggested going back to the ATD and taking similar photos to use for THIS project. Simple enough, right? Go back to dtown, take some pics, hang out.

Well.

I get to the American Tobacco District (it's like a big courtyard complete with waterfalls, bridges, a watertower, and businesses/restaurants/bars on either side) and start taking photos near the Mellow Mushroom. As I'm walking around snapping photos of this big overhanging, I hear "HEY YOUNG LADY!," so I turn around and see this large Middle Eastern security guard striding towards me. The conversation:
Security Guard: "What exactly do you think you're doing, young lady?"
Helen: "Um...taking some photos for a project."
SG: "Photos are forbidden here. You have to leave, now."
H: "Look, it's for a class! I'm a design student at NC State, and I'm trying to do a project based on an experience I had while interning at McKinney when I was in high school" [point to where the agency is]
SG: "I'm sorry, but photos are not allowed. Come with me."
So, panic stricken, I follow this guy inside the Crowe building, thinking he's going to chop me up into little pieces or something.
H: "But I don't understand. Why aren't photos allowed? Why exactly?" (sounding like a petulant six year old)
SG: "Well, after 9/11, they started to get a lot stricter. You know, since you look like a terrorist and all."
H: "Ha...ha."
So we go inside and talk to "Merv" at "The Desk." After I re-explain how I just want to do this for a design class, and no I CANT come back because i LIVE in RALEIGH and DONT have a car, Merv tells me to talk to the "folks at Management" on Monday. Whenever I talk to grown-ups that I don't know, I tend to get stressed, so I started to get all choked and sputtering and started to cry.
H: "But look! My professor is the only one who will see my photos! I'm not selling them!"
Merv: "I'm sorry. I can't make an exception for you. You have to leave now."
H: "Well, I'm sorry you can't give me a good reason. Thanks for nothing."
So I walk away and am almost at the parking deck when I hear "HEY MISSY!" It's the security guard again
SG: "Hey. I'm going to go take a walk. Be discreet, and be quick. When I come back, I don't want to see you."
H: "Yes sir. Thank you sir!"
YESSSSSSSSSSSS. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. I didn't take as many photos as I would have liked, but still. Thanks, nice blue dress. Thanks, ability to cry all the damn time. Thanks, sympathetic security guard!

2 comments:

Alison said...

HAHAHAHAHA. HE REALLY WENT ON A WALK? HELEN THAT IS AMAZING. SO SO AMAZING.

MagAttacksYou said...

more like
H: thanks for nothing, asshole. you better watch out or i'll eat your babies!!