The Italian amusement park company that took over what was once Astroland doesn't want anyone taking photos inside the park, according a photographer who was recently hassled by security at the Scream Zone. The amusement park, it should be noted, is located on city-owned property that's being leased to the company, Zamperla. On the Coney Island message board, photographer Harold Kramer vents about his experience:
I was taking pictures and minding my own B I business when this dude wearing a white shirt polo with a corporate Zamperla logo and khaki shorts, sporting a walkie talkie over his shoulder, comes up to me as I'm trying to take a photo of the Steeplechase coaster. What I was trying to do was capture those horses just at moment they take off.
So this dude asks me if I have any relatives on this ride. I tell him no. Then he asks why I am taking so many pictures. I say I love Coney Island, that I have a history here, that my family used to own the Thunderbolt. None of this registered with him. I doubt this dude even knew what the Thunderbolt was.
Anyway, he tells me that I can't take pictures in the park unless I have permission. Really? I grab my last shot, tell him ok, and exit Scream Zone.
It bears repeating that there is no city law prohibiting non-commercial photography on public property such as sidewalks or parks. Of course, try telling that to the cops. And as Kramer puts it, "the bigger side to this story is that Coney Island has entered an age where corporate rule curtails individual freedom."
We're told by a source connected with Zamperla that there's no anti-photo policy: "We encourage visitors to photograph the parks, and love seeing the results. Last year, we even had a photo contest. We do like to encourage media to coordinate shoots in advance so we can provide special access when desired and otherwise make sure any photography or filming doesn't interfere with the visitors' experience."
