Photog stopped by WDW Security @ DTD - Thoughts on this

[wilsonhanks]

I've had the same thing happen to me a few times at WDW (MK, EPCOT, and the Studios, not DtD). I just played it friendly and cooperative and ultimately, I was fine. A couple of the security guards were real jerks about it, though.

yeah, but look at your post picture, you look like a madman :king:

I bet this photographer looked like a priest.

 

[DVCOwner]

I work for a local government and we use private guards where it is not cost effective to post uniformed officers. I do not live in Florida, but our state allows for a private guards to make positive ID on people entering property that we control. If someone does not coorperate with them, the guards will hold the indiviual until the local police arrive. Several of our provate guards have gone to a State training program and do carry side arms. They might not be law enforcement, but when performing there job on the property assigned they can do a lot.

 

[captain marvel1]

i work for publix we have our own private task force but we never ask for id only for acohol or shoplifting we dont go out of our way to get it.

 

[mkt]

I'm no attorney (although that might change with my recent letter of acceptance to UPR law and desire to delay student loan repayments), but I decided to read some Florida statutes. What I've gathered is that security can detain you only as private citizens after witnessing you breach the peace or after committing a felony, and only while they wait for law enforcement that has jurisdiction to arrive. Breaching the peace offers a lot of leeway, and it's their word against yours. That being said, if they're making threats, I'd politely ask if they're detaining you, and if they say no, announce you're leaving.

 

[s8film40]

While attitude is very important it is not always a factor. A friendly and cooperative attitude may do less to provoke a security guard but may also enable them to feel more comfortable in harassing someone. It really is kind of sad that Disney allows some of these employees to get on these huge power trips. I have experienced myself some situations with security guards that were completely uncalled for and always maintained a polite attitude, but if you run into the wrong security guard it doesn't matter.

If it were me and this happened I think I would have walked out to the sidewalk (Public Property) and stayed a few extra hours getting some photos of DTD and maybe the Team Disney building just to mess with them.

 

[s8film40]

That being said, if they're making threats, I'd politely ask if they're detaining you, and if they say no, announce you're leaving.

It sounds like that's exactly what he did.

 

[hypercatmatt04]

Ridiculous.

 

[unkadug]

I think people forget that WDW is private property and they think that they are entitled to do anything and act any way they want. Security is just looking out for suspicious behavior and have every right to call Orange Co. for an issue they can't resolve themselves. I don't know Disney's side of the story but I'm just looking at it from a practicle point of view.

I think you hit the nail on the head.

It's just another case of the "Entitlement Syndrome".

 

[jt04]

I would love to hear the other side of this story. There are certainly security guards out there that have serious attitude problems but most of them will not do anything until provoked. I'll wager that this guy treated this security guard with the "You are a rent a cop. What are you going to do?" attitude which is just asking for problems.

Exactly my reaction. The blog is incredibly one-sided but I got the strong feeling while reading the entire saga that the guy has a chip on his shoulder and they were reacting to his attitude.

I smell shenanigans. I hope Disney ran his plates and found out exactly who he is. The little Universal jab at the end cemented it for me. Dude is a clown. :lol:

 

[s8film40]

Exactly my reaction. The blog is incredibly one-sided but I got the strong feeling while reading the entire saga that the guy has a chip on his shoulder and they were reacting to his attitude.

I wouldn't be so fast to jump to that conclusion, while it certainly is possible that he had an attitude with them I've seen lots of instances where security guards completely overreacted to the politest of guests. In fact that sort of behavior has landed Disney in legal trouble in the past, so it certainly wouldn't be the first time. Also I really don't see how attitude should matter either your breaking a rule or not, if a Disney security guard decides to ask someone to leave property it should be because of a policy violation, not because his ego was bruised and he needs to show his power.

I hope Disney ran his plates and found out exactly who he is.

As has already been stated Disney is a private company, the same laws that allow them to kick people out also keep them from having the authority to run license plates.

 

[unkadug]

As has already been stated Disney is a private company, the same laws that allow them to kick people out also keep them from having the authority to run license plates.

Considering that Disney is also it's own local government, I wouldn't be so sure about that!

 

[s8film40]

Considering that Disney is also it's own local government, I wouldn't be so sure about that!

Disney isn't it's own local government. While they have a close relationship with their local governments it is a separate entity. That mentality however is one of the things that has lead Disney security to overstep it's power even violating laws themselves and reinforces the power trip some of the security guards are on. Most of the guards are very nice and understand their positions purpose but there certainly are some that think being a Disney security guard gives them more power than a police officer.

 

[unkadug]

Disney isn't it's own local government. While they have a close relationship with their local governments it is a separate entity. That mentality however is one of the things that has lead Disney security to overstep it's power even violating laws themselves and reinforces the power trip some of the security guards are on. Most of the guards are very nice and understand their positions purpose but there certainly are some that think being a Disney security guard gives them more power than a police officer.

I'm not arguing that there aren't guards that overstep their authority.

But RCID might quite possibly have the authority to run license plate checks. :shrug:

I still think there is more to this story than we have heard.

 

[s8film40]

I'm not arguing that there aren't guards that overstep their authority.

But RCID might quite possibly have the authority to run license plate checks. :shrug:

I still think there is more to this story than we have heard.

Yes RCID very well may have that authority but sharing that information with Disney is very likely not legal.

Yes I agree there very well could be more to the story, but based on past incidents and my own personal experience I wouldn't be surprised at all if every word of this guy's account was a perfectly accurate representation of the events that occurred.

 

[unkadug]

Yes RCID very well may have that authority but sharing that information with Disney is very likely not legal.

Yes I agree there very well could be more to the story, but based on past incidents and my own personal experience I wouldn't be surprised at all if every word of this guy's account was a perfectly accurate representation of the events that occurred.

But RCID is Disney. :lookaroun

 

[Wilt Dasney]

But RCID is Disney. :lookaroun

That's always been my understanding too. The state legislature allowed Disney to form its own government on property as an enticement to get WDW built.

 

[s8film40]

But RCID is Disney. :lookaroun

Haha yeah I think that belief is part of the problem.
Disney has the same relationship with their government as any other individual or private company does with their local government, the only difference is Disney is just the only citizen in theirs.

 

[unkadug]

Haha yeah I think that belief is part of the problem.
Disney has the same relationship with their government as any other individual or private company does with their local government, the only difference is Disney is just the only citizen in theirs.

Exactly, so the right hand isn't SUPPOSE to know what the left hand is doing, but the problem is that they are still connected by a brain.

(excuse the analogy)

 

[s8film40]

Exactly, so the right hand isn't SUPPOSE to know what the left hand is doing, but the problem is that they are still connected by a brain.

(excuse the analogy)

Yes the analogy is perfect. Sometimes the people working for RCID talk to the people working at WDW and those things do happen, but it is more disconnected than most people think. There is a very good reason why. Lets say for example an overzealous security guard decided to call up someone at RCID and ask them to run a license plate of a guest who was taking photos so that they could record their information and follow up on that guest if he returned. Now lets say that guest was arrested for trespassing when he came back and later filed a suit against Disney and then somewhere in the whole ordeal it comes out that Disney had this information. It's likely that at this point you might read a headline in the Sentinel like this "Is Disney's government an abuse of power?" or "Should Disney be allowed to have it's own government?". Then after a few similar incidents and enough pressure on the state legislature they could wind up losing RCID and a ton of money. It's just not worth jeopardizing their "Special Taxing District" situation to empower a "mall cop" security guard.

 

[Mouse Detective]

What makes you all think that Disney Security cannot legally run tag (license plate) numbers to identify people? I think they most certainly can and the information is easily available from multiple databases. They would have to maintain records of any MVR searches they make and document the need for the information, but certainly they can justify it and get it.

If it were me and this happened I think I would have walked out to the sidewalk (Public Property) and stayed a few extra hours getting some photos of DTD and maybe the Team Disney building just to mess with them.

You apparently are not familiar with DTD. There is no public sidewalk. Everything is on Disney property. The nearest public sidewalk is adjacent that Welcome to Disney World sign along SR 535, across from Crossroads.