BurlingtonDerailed.com

A couple of weeks ago, I was scanning through old film rolls from The Hawk Eye, looking for specific articles.  I ran into a Letter to the Editor from around 2004, talking about the website BurlingtonDerailed.com.  The author of the letter sounded disgusted about the way it talked about the City of Burlington and continued rambling about it.

Personally, the website has a right, like any American citizen, of speaking freely.  That's why I organized this blog to speak a mix of opinion, personal experience, and facts.  The letter the author made had just as much of a right to speak against it as the website does for the entire city.

DrumminBoy and Alexjohnson16

Earlier today, I ran into more hate toward the website.  This time, this particular individual in a forum thread about wanting to know more information about the website.  The one thing that he requested that stood about the most was wanting the site owner's name.  http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=1477850

Three days after the thread and post was made, another user asks for the same thing.  http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=1479976

Why would some anonymous individuals on a computer tech thread want to look for the name of the site owner?  The answer is unclear, but it could be a number of different things.  What these members posting of the thread realize now is that the guy who owns the website has his name completely blocked from access.

Its good that his name was blocked off from anonymous amateurs who could think of ways to identifying who it is exactly.   I'm curious of who these two users are who made the threads and posted requests in the first place.  It would most likely be somewhere in town, perhaps even West Burlington.  It may be some people who works for the city or even random individuals.  We don't know, but all we can do is assume who they could be.

Speaking of who it could be, one of the users who wished in finding the identity of the website owner expressed that the other user who requested the same bit of information is the son of the head honcho of The Hawk Eye.  http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=1064179&page=2

The same user spills some beans about his personal experiences in Burlington.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=1411952

The other user spills the beans further about his personal life.  Both of them have openly admitted in a few thread discussions that they both live in Burlington.  However, this particular user did admit of moving to Cedar Rapids earlier in March 2004.  He also mentioned moving to Florida in 2005.  He then mentioned that he moved to California in 2008.  Its unclear where the hell he is exactly.  http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=1354693&page=5

The posts that I found from this particular user is very unusual and not really intelligent.  I found things like threads asking people that if can sneak vodka into his checked luggage, leaving a car door unlocked in a crime-infested neighborhood and having things robbed out of it, hardly knowing anything about buying some stranger's car from Ebay without checking online for research and only asking for advice on a tech forum, and even asking everyone in a thread post if it was stupid for him for calling the police on a girl who left a vague message that sounded like a suicide threat.

I do feel that these couple of morons are looking for someone, who owns a website to express his opinion, and finding out his name.  Personally, this user and the previous user would be idiotic enough to not only express enough detail of their personalities through idiotic posts and Q/A threads, they leave their accounts open for everyone to see and nitpick their shortcomings.

The Burlington Derail

I do have a possibility of knowing who the site owner is.  However, I feel that he shouldn't have his name plastered for everyone criminal, potential criminal, and crazy nuts who would be willing to do something stupid against him just because his opinions and facts are more different than theirs.

The other guys looking for his name, on the other hand, is an exception.  It doesn't have their full names plastered, but there is enough information that shows that both DrumminBoy and Alexjohnson16 are both idiots when it comes to spilling the beans too much.

I did try to email him for the past two days, but I wasn't able to get through to him.  Apparently his email mailbox is full, according to the reply email that I had received.

I did try to contact a radio broadcasting company that sponsors his website on their website, but replied that they don't know who he is and that they don't know how else to communicate with him.

I would like to communicate to him to help him with fixing possible information of his identity, as well as make a small request in promoting something.

Burlington Steamboat Days doesn't allow cameras; isn't technically correct

I attended the Burlington Steamboat days for the first time in several years.  What I have never done before was to take pictures of the event.  I brought my camera with me and went down to the main gate.

When I was entering through the gate, I was stopped by a very large man who helped staff the event.  He asked me if I was from The Hawk Eye newspaper.  I told him no.  When I gave him the answer, I was told not to take any photos on the grounds because cameras aren't allowed.  He let me go into the area with my entire DSLR in hand.

About 20 minutes later, I noticed one of their staff members taking photos of a band stage right next to the gate entrance.  He was wielding a DSLR with a long-lens attachment.  It angered me of how even though cameras weren't allowed on the property, but staff members from BSD and The Hawk Eye were allowed special treatment to take such photographs and video.

I then began looking online to see what information I can pull up.  To my surprise, there is much irony set forth for the events and that this 'oral' and 'written rule' was both manipulated and accepted into a new false ruling.


Cameras are allowed on the grounds:


I contacted The Hawk Eye and asked about the policy BSD had with not allowing photographs and videos to be taken.

To my surprise, the phone operator of the The Hawk Eye told me that for years she was taking photos inside of the area.  She also said that they knew that she had a camera and that she was allowed to take photos.  She explained to me that she has been doing this for years.

Shortly before I made the phone call, I came across to this particular piece on the website.  The Hawk Eye was encouraging the public to submit photos from the Steamboat Days event, as well as other events.  http://www.thehawkeye.com/ss/bsd/#viewer


Ironically, in the special section of The Hawk Eye newspaper, there was an indicated note suggesting that no recording or photography equipment is allowed at Steamboat Days.

I then contacted the Burlington Steamboat Days hot line and was put in touch with a young woman who works for the establishment.  She told me that cameras are allowed on the grounds, except for cameras with interchangeable lenses.  I proceeded to ask her why these types of cameras aren't allowed on the grounds.  She replied that she doesn't know why, but is willing to contact the supervisor and get back to me with the answer.

UPDATE: I called back the next day and was put in touch with another person.  Supposedly, there is some kind of a "contract agreement" that some concert performs sign for in order to prevent such cameras from being used.  When asked which ones, she then says something different, which was that all of them signed it.

Proof of contact will be uploaded once the supervisor or a staff member gets back to me on the answer.


BSD attempts to stretch their power over property space:


Now that it is clear that the BSD does allow most cameras into the facility, I can now talk about the overgeneralized stress one photographer had with the BSD security and staff.

Photos and information by Iowapix.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/iowapix/

A photographer was taking pictures of a concert last year that was being held inside the event area.  He was outside of the area, taking photos from within a gap space.  A security staff from the faculty was harassing the individual, telling him that he isn't allowed to take photographs.  The problem was that the area the photographer was taking these photos were on a public road and sidewalk route.  The security staff was told by someone to call the police if he wish to pursue this complaint further.

The photographer was then contacted from the Iowa ACLU and was told that:
It is unlikely that a concert promoter can enforce any private right in a public place. In the absence of a law enforcement action or arrest which did not happen , there is not much more that can be done. 


He then received a letter from the City Manager before he retired.

  























However, the restrictions the manager was giving was not authorized to restrict access to the public of sidewalks and curbs.  Photos are allowed at these specific areas. When the letter was sent out, the photographer had his lawyer involved, as well as the National Press Photographers Association.

Two nights ago, he received a similar harassment from one of the staff members, but this time asking if he had credentials.  He replied that he is standing on a public sidewalk and don't need credentials or permissions.

Information in regards to property space being leased with the City of Burlington can be obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.