Forecourt Fountain 1970

Another view forecourt fountain early 1970's

August 14, 2012

August 14, 2012

It feels like it's 1984 all over again.

As I have been doing for years I was on my lunch hour walking around Portland Oregon with a camera.  I thought I'd take a couple of photos of the fountain to compare with a picture I'd taken 42 years ago when the fountain first opened in 1970. I've written before about the South Auditorium Urban Renewal scam that destroyed a neighborhood and replaced it with some sterile condos, strip malls and a couple of fountains. Progressive Portland at its worse. Here is an article from the Oregonian posted on the excellent blog Vintage Portland.  I'd been reading that some local business groups in the area have begun a clean up in order to preserve the artistic integrity of the area and that a Max Line will soon be added. I took a few photographs then went on my walk south along the Pedestrian Path that weaves through Pettygrove and Lovejoy Parks where I've taken frequent pictures that I've posted here.
As I was approaching Harrison Ave. about 5 minutes later  I noticed two police officers approaching me.  They asked  if I had been taking pictures at the fountain.  I told them yes.  They said that wasn't a crime, of course, taking pictures in public places but they were investigating a call they received of someone who seemed suspicious taking pictures at the fountain.  They asked to see my ID, took it and I assume checked to see if I had a criminal record.  The confrontation was awkward for them and embarassing for me but they were business like and efficient about violating my rights. I cooperated wanting to assure them that I was doing nothing wrong.  That I was a good citizen.  One of them asked if they could look at the pictures on my camera and I handed it over to them and showed them how to scroll through the images on the memory card.  While the one looked at every picture the other officer handed me back my ID.  The officer with my camera showed me one of my pictures saying this was their favorite that it would make a nice post card.  I'm not sure if they apologized or even acknowledged that what they were doing was far more suspicious and subversive then anything I have ever done.  To Protect and Serve in the City that Works.  What a load.