I was at Edgewater’s Saddle & Cycle Club this morning for the first time in about 20 years.
After walking around and taking pictures for about 10 minutes I was approached by a man who asked me what I was doing. When I handed him my card and said “taking pictures for a Web site,” he asked me whether I’d seen the “No trespassing” sign as I walked in.
I told him I’d driven in, and hadn’t seen any sign. He asked me to leave, and I did.
He called me several hours later on my cell phone, and told me that his manager had told him to tell me that I couldn’t use any of the photos I’d taken, and asked me to commit to not using them. He also offered to show me the sign in question if I returned to the club. I politely declined both requests. He suggested that they might pursue this with the police, and would sue me if I used any of the photos.
I informed him again that I’d make no commitment and would use the photos if I saw fit. He responded: “In other words, you’re telling me to go f**k myself.” He had the spirit of my response right, and I responded that I had a different view of what my rights were than he did. End of conversation.
I did drive by the Saddle & Cycle later in the day, and took the above photos from Foster Ave. There is a sign on the grounds, off to the right as you drive in. Since I’d entered driving westbound on Foster, and focused on the high-rise view to my left, it was easy to miss the washed-out sign on the right.
More, later. In the meantime, these folks need to get off their high horse, have a chat with their foulmouthed employee, and get some better legal advice.
Note, as a pure aside, that the club isn’t following the national policy of flying the flag at half mast for 30 days following the death of a president.