Since today was unseasonably warm, we all went out to a park and did some fishing. On the way back, we passed by some dirt hills by the garbage dump west of Waterloo.
These hills have been worn down by rain and furrows show up on them. The furrows make for an interesting pattern lending themselves to photography. So, I stopped the car by the side of the road, and snapped a few pictures. Further down the road, the recent rain formed a pond where lots of geese and ducks flocked. Again, I stopped the car, and took a few pictures.
About 30 minutes later, after we have settled back at home, two police officers knocked on the door. They asked whether I drive a black Ford van. They then asked whether I was taking pictures. It was hard to explain to them that I find the patterns on a dirt hill furrowed by rain. I tried, but found that it sounded weird. So, it was easier for me to pull up the camera and show them the pictures. They said someone reported suspicious activity of someone taking pictures. They took my name and phone number and left. They said my pictures were nice, perhaps out of embarrassment.
The funny (and sad) part is that there is little of interest around these areas, there are no military bases, government buildings,. Maybe because there is a power station close to that area? But I was not facing that way at all. It was always to my back when I took those photos.
Anyway, see for yourself the suspicious photos on Flickr and the Google Map of the area let me know what you think by commenting below.
While I applaud people being vigilant and alert, I wonder how much the scaremongering in the media over the last several media has affected this, and whether my appearance had something to do with it. If it was a white person, would the passerby think it is suspicious? I can't know that for sure.
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