# You're sitting around mind your own business in a public area... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 22, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664 "2011-03-22T23:54:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kewk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ab992/32.png) [@Kewk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kewk)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/1 "2011-03-22T23:54:47Z")
… and someone comes up to you and politely asks you if you would give him the bird so he could photograph you. Would you do it? What would make you give someone the bird? Not an action but if someone asked you to give them the bird for a photograph. Would you just do it by simply being asked? Would it take some crazy idea? How would you want to be approached? I’m going to be doing a new project and it involves me asking people to flip me off so I can photograph it. Why am I doing this? In short I believe that intentions are greater than words or actions and I want to convey this through the middle finger. Many middle fingers in fact. I want to take a single photograph (minimum) everyday for a year and photoblog it on my website. I would like to describe the conversation that took place to approve the photo to also help with context. Perhaps any stories they may have as well. I am posting about it here to get my feet slightly wet so that I can better understand the scope of what I am getting into. I do not accept failure and want to ensure I can execute on this project flawlessly. Any feedback positive or negative will greatly help me so please share your thoughts! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/2 "2011-03-22T23:57:44Z")
I might look at you weird, but if you said it was for a photo project I wouldn’t think twice about it. ---
**Author:** ![Uber\_the\_Goober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/58956e/32.png) [@Uber\_the\_Goober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uber_the_Goober)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/3 "2011-03-23T00:01:31Z")
I envision a scenario where you are overhead by several people and they all simultaneously flip you the bird for a great group shot. \*BTW, I would totally flip you off if you asked me to, and I’m a good Christian boy. Intentions are everything 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kewk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ab992/32.png) [@Kewk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kewk)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/4 "2011-03-23T03:18:56Z")
> [@echo6160](#): > > I envision a scenario where you are overhead by several people and they all simultaneously flip you the bird for a great group shot. That would be awesome 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/5 "2011-03-23T03:38:46Z")
I would do it if there were assurances that this was simply a personal project and not some odd commercial scheme. If there’s money involved, I want a taste. ---
**Author:** ![Kewk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ab992/32.png) [@Kewk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kewk)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/6 "2011-03-23T03:41:35Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I would do it if there were assurances that this was simply a personal project and not some odd commercial scheme. If there’s money involved, I want a taste. Well I am sort of torn here also. Doing some type of coffee table book of the photo’s might be pretty awesome but that would require me to get each person to sign a model release thus complicating the approval process even further \>\_\< ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/7 "2011-03-23T04:01:24Z")
I’d happily do it no questions asked. ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/8 "2011-03-23T04:04:53Z")
I’d flip you off with smile (I’d ask questions first though) ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/9 "2011-03-23T04:10:52Z")
A girl once asked me to give her the bird. Instead, I gave her two in the bush. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/10 "2011-03-23T04:17:04Z")
Sure, why not? ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/11 "2011-03-23T04:50:51Z")
I’d definitely ask you why, but I’d probably do it after your explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/12 "2011-03-23T04:59:33Z")
I wouldn’ t do it but you’d probably get a lot of takers. You should go do this in downtown areas, preferably touristy spots where people will think you’re affiliated with some kind of TV show. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/13 "2011-03-23T06:44:38Z")
I’m sure you’ll get plenty of middle fingers by asking, just too soon for you to photograph them. ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/14 "2011-03-23T06:47:44Z")
I wouldn’t do it. Only because things like that will wind up on the internet. I don’t want a distasteful (even moderately so) image of myself floating around in cyberspace. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/15 "2011-03-23T06:49:30Z")
I wouldn’t do it. Regardless of what you told me, I’d suspect you were trying to make me look like a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/16 "2011-03-23T06:53:14Z")
I’d show you my [Lark](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_cDxFO3KLU) (youtube) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/17 "2011-03-23T07:02:51Z")
Reflexively. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/18 "2011-03-23T15:03:29Z")
Anybody who would take you up on it and let you photograph them would surely not be in touch with the world and pretty stupid as well. Once those photos are taken they could end up anywhere around the Internet. Potential employers are learning to check blogs, Facebook and so forth to learn about their candidates. Such a photo would reflect badly on the person. Of course, if you are low class and don’t care what people think about you, go for it. ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/19 "2011-03-23T15:13:20Z")
Perhaps it would help if you brought with you some prints or screenshots (on you cellphone/pda/whatever) of previous pictures you took. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/20 "2011-03-23T15:17:21Z")
No. I don’t like having my picture taken by people I know, I’m not going to let someone take one whom I don’t know and I don’t know what they’re going to do with it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664.md?page=2)