Woman escorted from Florida mall after trying to take unauthorized photo of granddaughter with Santa

[RockaFowler]

http://www.tcoasttalk.com/2010/12/20/woman-escorted-from-florida-mall-after-trying-to-take-unauthorized-photo-of-granddaughter-with-santa/

Security guards were summoned to the scene.

All because Suzie McClinton wanted to take a photo of her 9-month-old granddaughter, Alaina, with Santa Claus.

“You can’t take pictures!” she was told Thursday evening by the manager of a business that “requests” $22.99 (plus tax) for a photo with Santa at the Indian River Mall.

Yes, $22.99.

The ensuing minutes were surreal for McClinton, who was laid off from her job earlier this year. Eventually, she was escorted out of the mall by three security guards.

To deny a grandmother the opportunity to take a photo of her granddaughter with Santa Claus is downright Scrooge-like. (Yes, it’s a commercial enterprise, and I respect that, but this is beyond bad P.R.)

“Where is the real spirit of Christmas?” she said Friday. “How could you commercialize that?”

[Systematic Chaos]

1. Pretty please?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwzaEkxK98I

[hlthe2b]

2. This is the case at nearly all the malls...

I noted that downtown Denver (Laramer Square) had a Santa on most weekends that invited personal photos to be taken. As it should be. But, no, what happened to this grandmother, would likely happen at most US malls. Unfortunately.

[pacalo]

7. I got reprimanded years ago for sketching in a pocket-sized notebook of a craft decoration

at a fair in the mall at Christmas time. I thought I was being discreet but I guess the drooling merchants tend to notice when someone is taking more than a moment looking at one item. I can understand how they feel, but, really, it wasn't like I was stealing his materials, just the overall idea, which he probably got from a wood pattern he bought.

I could have told him I was adding some of his items to my wish list for Christmas gifts. ;)

[Dash87]

3. Wow that's stupid.

[barbtries]

4. $23 for one picture??

ridiculous. and they kicked her out for not having that much money. definitely scrooge-ish.

[BanzaiBonnie]

6. They charge $25 at the local Westfield Shopping Center

There is a small sign that asks for "no personal cameras beyond this point". My daughter stayed outside of that point and began to take a picture. Santa's assistant started to berate her and told her she couldn't take a picture. My daughter pointed out exactly what the sign said and the woman argued that it meant no cameras in the whole area. Daughter told her, "then it should say that". And she took a couple of pictures.

[AngryOldDem]

21. It's been awhile since I've been through this horror....

...and at least in my case, it was a huge waste of money. (Over $10, about nine years ago, so these prices don't surprise me at all.) My kids, especially when they were small, were scared to death of Santa which made for wonderful shots. Just not worth standing in line for, IMO.

[Mika]

5. Santa has become a rapacious profiteer in this NWO.

This post approved by:

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[pnorman]

23. Great image!

[Ilsa]

8. Same at our mall. They even set up scenery to try and block people

outside the staging area from having a clear shot of their tykes on Santa's lap.

I hope someone else does a freebie for the kids and parents.

[Sherman A1]

27. We did Free photos with Santa yesterday at the grocery store where I work.

Have done so for some 25 years. The first store manager started the tradition in 1985 as an opportunity to give back to the community and his reasoning was that not everyone can afford to do the "Santa in the Mall thing". So Santa visits us each year on the Sunday before Christmas. I took over the photo responsibilities about 7 years ago and have tried to upgrade the settings a bit from just a bench in the front of the store and have had some success in doing so. Yesterday we took 400 shots in 3 hours (a lot of duplicates trying to get the ones where the kids are smiling, with mixed results).

We did have problems when the Reindeer got into the Egg Nog one year and made a big ruckus, but that is another story.

Come Easter, the Bunny comes by as well.

[Lance_Boyle]

9. Does she also go to restaurants, barge into the kitchen and try to cook her own food?

The Santa-pic thing is a business. A business that would quickly cease to be if the option to take-yer-own pic was given to would-be paying customers. If the lady wants a pic of the kid with Santa that badly, she should hire her own hoary-bearded wino and go for it.

[Gin]

12. santa comes earlier and earlier each year....this year a mall had him

on display before Thanksgiving....who knows...next year he may be here for Christmas in July....it is a business but escorting her out was a bit much.

[Mika]

28. Security escorting her out is a business too.

Priority #1 = Jobs jobs jobs. The security industry is now hiring. Why do you hate Freedom™? :sarcasm:

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[onenote]

14. the original reason for store santas was to attract shoppers to the store

It benefits all of the merchants and they should be kicking the cost of the santa promotion. If a mall or store wants to offer a "professional" photo option, fine; but its ridiculous that they would block parents from taking their own photos.

Sad state of affairs.

[mrdmk]

26. The real sad truth is even more cynical, which is

That Santa Display pays the mall to be there, it there as a business rather than a promotion. Another words, the mall makes even more money while looking good!

[SoCalDem]

36. nd a clever way for Mom to "overhear" what the kid wants

and then go to the toy department & buy it..

Unfortunately everything is a "business"..

and the $25 is for A picture.. Kids usually have parents (1 pic) & two grands (2 more)..

So $75 for a pic of a kid on Santa's knee..

[pacalo]

16. The grandmother surely didn't have the advantage of a close-up, full-frontal view.

She was taking no money from the merchant since they were obviously going to purchase their photo. What the grandmother intended was a second shot from her point of view.

This is a terrible "bah, humbug" Christmas memory for both the child & the grandmother.

[AngryOldDem]

20. True.

Also, this is somewhat of a copyright issue. You can't stand there and take a photo that a professional has posed and arranged. (Note I use the word "professional" in this case very loosely, but still they are being paid to do this, as you pointed out.

[onenote]

24. not really a copyright issue. just an issue of the mall controlling what happens on its property

There is no copyright interest in a child sitting on Santa's lap. There is a copyright interest in a photo of such. Same thing with sporting events. The owner of a stadium or venue can prohibit individuals from photographing or video-ing an event, but they can't claim to have a copyright interest in the event.

[MichaelHarris]

31. great

response!

[JVS]

38. Gotta agree. Santa and his helpers aren't wearing those ridiculous costumes for fun.

[Canuckistanian]

45. Damn right. She should have been charged with THEFT

She should have been slammed to the ground and tased repeatedly.

Imagine THE NERVE of her expecting to get an "unofficial" shot of her own grandkid with Santa.

I don't know what's happening to this country.

[Lyric]

10. And this is why LyricKid hasn't gone to see Santa in years.

The last time we were there, they were charging a ridiculous price for a badly-lighted photograph and forbidding all private photos. Frankly, it made me sick. I could understand charging a $5 "sitting fee" that, once paid, allows you to take a few private photos of your kid with Santa. I do realize that the mall Santas are working, and need to be paid. But the quality of the "professional" photography STINKS, to be honest. I'd rather just remove the middle man with the camera and pay Santa directly to take a picture with my kid. It would be cheaper and the pictures would be better.

[flvegan]

11. Not paying Santa is simply union busting. Think of the UEW!

The United Elf Workers won't stand for it.

[Brickbat]

22. When my son was old enough to ask about Santa,

he asked if the elves were union.

[Crankie Avalon]

13. Is Bush Jr. making appearances as a Santa, now?

"No one comes near Santa until they've signed the loyalty oath and donated $22.99!"

[pacalo]

19. Oh, he would have had Ma "Babs" Barker behind the camera & charged $59.99.

[Still a Democrat]

15. Photo of the incident

[Control-Z]

17. I'd like to see the community there

come out in support of McClinton by not buying a single Santa Photo and stating why.

Of course, that won't happen. Oh, well.

[Ian David]

18. Some places will let you take your own photos if you are also paying for their photos.

Let's keep the Capitalism in Christmas!

[qb]

25. The greedy fucks could show little class. Macy's in Minneapolis has allowed

people to take their own Santa pictures since the time when they were called "Daytons"

[WiffenPoof]

29. I'm Amazed At...

...the few here that support the actions of the mall. Unbelievable. It means that they don't get it. How much you wanna bet they are a part of the "new" dems.

-PLA

[eppur_se_muova]

30. They were trying to cover up the fact that Santa doesn't show up in photos ...

because he's a VAMPIRE !!

(dedicated to Gahan Wilson)

[SoCalDem]

32. Solution? Cell Phone...then walk away

:evilgrin:

[Kievan Rus]

33. I can't wait for Christmas to be over, honestly

This time of year is nothing but commercialism. Hell, I've even heard songs on the radio (and they're actual songs released by recording studios and sold on CD albums and at the iTunes music store, not parodies by radio stations) that abandon all pretense and basically go on and on about great greed and consumerism at Christmas is. Not to mention that traffic outside any shopping area resembles traffic seen in Manhattan at rush hour, TV commercials advertising Christmas that now come so early as to air during broadcasts of MLB baseball games, having to see ignorant Teabagger relatives, and wingnuts going on and on about "the war on Christmas."

Most wonderful time of the year? Yeah right.

[HEyHEY]

34. This world sucks. When I was a kid the photos with Santa were free

As part of the mall promotion, according to my Mom.

[SoCalDem]

37. At our mall, you were encouraged to take our own..

which is why we have lousy polaroids:rofl:

[JVS]

39. That's back before you mom was able to order all the gifts at amazon.com

back when people shopped in person, getting them into the store was worth the promotion.

[HEyHEY]

40. My mom can't even operate a calculator, let alone the computer.

[leftstreet]

35. Malls should offer Christmas Photos with Jesus

Someone is missing a money making opportunity here

[lefty2000]

41. In America, You Have a Right

to be an asshole.

[MilesColtrane]

42. "Hey lady, those elves don't work for free."

"Little bastards are unionized."

Ho Ho Ho

[democracy1st]

43. classic LOL

[tomm2thumbs]

44. she should take them to court - more good PR for the mall

This was handled poorly, no matter how you look at it. If they are 'requesting' it is likely not legally considered a requirement. I am not a lawyer there so cannot judge. The article notes:

'Rosenquist says there is no cost for kids to visit with Santa, but the company does “request” that you make a “minimum purchase” ($22.99, plus tax) if you take a photo with your own camera. She says McClinton brought in a different grandchild the week before and was allowed to take a photo without charge.'

If they allowed her to do it before, she should have expected to be allowed again given that it was considered okay the earlier time. I bet they did not tell her 'oh, by the way, this is the only time you can do this, so don't come back and expect to be able to take a picture again'. My guess is a good lawyer will be dragging Santa and his elves into court, just for the squirm factor of the mall to reach into their pockets to make it go away.