Anto Kamarian Cigars by Chivas 58 S De Lacey Ave Pasadena, CA 91105 (626) 395-7475 I spent the weekend down in Los Angeles, most of it shooting neon signs at night. One of the high density spots for neon right now is in Pasadena's Old Town. Anto Kamarian, owner of Cigars by Chivas in Old Town Pasadena (Asshole): Are you a reporter? Me: No. Kamarian: Well then you're not allowed to take pictures of my store. Me: Ummm... actually I can take photos of whatever I want from a public street. Kamarian: I'm going to have to ask you to stop taking pictures of my store. Me: And I'm going to keep taking pictures of your store. Kamarian: You want me to call the cops and have you arrested. Me: Yes, please, that would be great. Kamarian: (storms back into the store) Kamarian: (returns) I thought I told you to stop taking pictures of my store. Me: And I thought you were going to call the police. What happened? Come on now, what happened with that? I thought you were calling the police. Now go back inside and call the police please. Kamarian: Oh yeah? I've got a cop right in the store now. Me: Great, bring him out. Kamarian: (returns with a Pasadena police officer): Now stop taking pictures of my store. Me: (snaps photo of asshole, see photo above) Kamarian: (Makes a jump at me trying to grab my camera from my hands, hits my arm but I pull the camera out of his reach. Steps on my foot). You can't take a picture of me! Me: Actually I can, you're on a public street. And if you touch me again I'll have you arrested for assault. Cop: Hey Anto, he can take photos outside, he just can't take them inside your store. Kamarian: You, you, you, can't take my photo or photos of my store. Me: Umm, again, actually I can, this is America. Cop: He can't take them inside, he can take them out here. Kamarian: You'd better not take photos from out here inside my store. Me: I'll take pictures of whatever I want from the street. This is America. You should learn the laws of America. Kamarian: You can't take my picture. Me: Actually I can. This is America. (crowd gathering at this point) Kamarian: I know this is America I live here. Me: Why don't you go back in your store (cop is trying to talk some sense into the asshole at this point and pulling him back into the store). Fade out. Scene ends. I finish up shooting this asshole's store and the neon and head off to the next subject. Some people ask me why I make such a big deal about a photographer's right to shoot from public streets. Because I shoot nearly every day I run into asshole's like this Chivas Cigar guy all the time. They are not used to confrontation. They are used to bullying photographers and having phtographers wimp out and say, &quot