Okay, here’s the long story (skip to the last paragraph for the question). We went to take a ferry ride on the Tennessee River. Just a 90 minute sight-seeing trip (oddly, with no real sights). As we’re getting on, they ask my family to stop while they take our picture in front of a tacky backdrop. I politely say I’m not interested in a picture, so please don’t waste your film/time/money. They sternly say they have to, it’s for security reasons, and will I please remove my sunglassess. I ask how the picture is for security, and am rudely told “there was this thing called 9/11when terrorists attacked the US, and the government made this thing called the Department of Homeland Security, and they have a law that says anyone boarding a commercial ship has to have their picture taken.” I’ve worked with HLS quite a bit in emergency management areas and this sounded like a crock of shit, but my wife was giving me the look that says “shut up, don’t push it, just get on the damn boat!” Of course, when we’re on the ferry, they make an announcement that the pictures were for security reasons, but they’re also for sale (big surprise).
Logic tells me it’s just a sales pitch, as they were group shots in front of a souvenir-type backdrop, they didn’t ask for any of our names, and I can’t think of any other way these could add to security (except maybe to identify the bodies when the tub sinks). I’m a little outraged that they would invoke homeland security, terrorism, and the 9/11 incident to sell a tacky picture, but thought I should investigate before I complain. It’s not like I haven’t been wrong before, or that totally nonsensical laws are passed.
So, after all that, is anyone aware of a Homeland Security directive (or any other law for that matter) that requires the taking of your picture before boarding a ferry or other small commercial passenger boat? We’re not talking anything international or long term, just a quick trip up a river. As a side opinion question, would this sales tactic irk you at all? For some reason it just got under my skin.
When boarding a cruise ship, they usually take two photos. One is purely for entertainment purposes; you can avoid it if you like. The other is for your ID card; it’s taken either by security as you enter the ship or at check-in as you pick up your boarding pass. That one is mandatory; it allows you on on or off the ship.
That photo is encoded into the boarding card. Whenever you board or disemebark the ship you slide it into a slot and your picture comes up on a screen so that security can check it. At least that is the procedure on Carnival, Princess, and Holland America.
Usually, I would just forget about this, and let it go, but for some reason it really bothers me the way they tried to pull this off…
Using 9/11 for profit is cynical bullshit, (though its certainly been used as an excuse to make money by many others before, including at much higher levels)
and it sucks that you were subjected to this kind of dishonest ploy.
What also sucks is that there is probably no real chance of you getting any changes made, or even an apology; companies that would engage in this type of scam most likely arent going to be influenced by a complaint by a lone passenger.
Its just one more example of why trust is being eroded all around us.
Just for the record, I’m sure it was pure BS, but the way things work in my world, if I started bitching without checking my facts, someone would show me the Homeland Security Maritime Photo Security Act for Crappy Passenger Ferry Exercursions.
I’m not greatly upset or anything, but I might send off a strong-worded email…that’ll show them! Who knows, maybe a separate company does the photos and works off of a commission and the owners are unaware of the tactic.
To me the 9/11-terrorism security thing is a dumb idea to use just before a happy, fun, 90 minute boat trip. If they would have said “we have to, it’s our job” I would have smiled for the camera and let it be. When people lie to get at my cash, it pisses me off royally!
Why not send an email (or, better yet, a letter) to the ferry company asking them for a cite? If they reply that there is no legal requirement, you might suggest that it’s a bad idea to fraudulently claim that the photo is for security purposes.
I am not familiar with this ferry, but. . .
Is it possible that the ferry operator or the State of Tennessee (if the ferry is state-run) has its own rules about photos being mandatory? I’ve been on a number of ferries in various parts of the country since 9-11, and none of them made a point about photos.
Also, I’ve always assumed that cruise ship passes don’t actually encode the photo on the card, that they just have your account number, and when it’s swiped, your photo is brought up from some server located. . . somewhere else.
I’d suggest contacting the Department of Homeland Security to inform them of this practice. I’m sure either DHS would be happy to tell you the particular law or regulation if indeed one exists, or pay a visit to the ferry operator who may be using non-existent laws to try to sell overpriced photos.
I would be more apt to think there was an actual rule if there was any way these photos could help with security. At no time did anyone take our names or check IDs, which you think they would do before taking a picture. They were group shots, and in front of some tacky backdrop. What’s weird is they did insist I remove my sunglasses (perhaps to give it the slightest bit of realism?), but I was allowed to keep my hat on.
When I have a chance, I’ll email them for a cite just for fun.
The SS Badger, a carferry which crosses Lake Michigan, does not “require” photos… but you can get them. I get irritated with all the fear mongering going on, too. You can never tell what’s real and what’s B.S. with all the nonsense going on. Go on, keep crying wolf…