I’m used to being hassled when I take photos in a commercial location without asking first. Large chains, in particular, have well-trained employees who diligently enforce rigid corporate policies against in-store photography, so it’s pointless to ask.
And, sadly, I’m used to being hassled on the street by people who are profoundly ignorant about the right to take photos on public streets.
I left the new Trader Joe’s on Diversey when asked not to take photos in the store. While taking photos outside the store someone, presumably a TJ employee, rushed out and yelled at me that he was “going to call a cop.”
Notes to Trader Joe’s: Train your employees better about photographer rights. Don’t let them waste Chicago police officers’ time educating them on the subject – which they will. And hire a sign painter who knows you’re on Diversey Parkway, not Diversey St.
The TJ’s was larger than other locations I’ve visited, and it was busy mid-afternoon on a weekday. So far, the reviews at Yelp have been almost uniformly positive.