The Apple Doesn't Want its Picture Taken

So during an interesting visit from my good friend E we went uptown to see the famed Uptown Apple store. I think it opened almost a year ago and is located on 5th Avenue right in front of FAO Schwartz. It's this great glass cube with an apple in it and you actually go downstairs to reach the store. The store is pretty neat, but no more so than most Apple stores. Except it does have the advantage of a 24 hour Genius Bar. So E and I went and talked about Macs and played around on the Macs and didn't buy anything and left. On the way out she said she wanted to take a picture of the cube for this website she works for. I said I would wait around, that was fine.

This particular night they were doing a little construction work but it didn't appear to be anything major or life-altering. Just a little cleaning up around the edges. E took out her camera and prepared to take a photo when suddenly a geeky blond guy showed up right beside us and said "Actually it would be better if you didn't do that."

"What?" E and I both said at the same time, looking at this Mac employee with slight confusion and amusement. It sounded like he had just told her not to take a picture in New York. Which is a very, very rare occurrence, since most of hte city's industry is based on tourism to some degree and -surprise!- tourists take lots of pictures.

"The apple doesn't want to be photographed." We laughed because at first we thought he was kidding. Since the apple is an OBJECT, not PERSON, it's difficult to imagine it being any more offended photographed than prodded at with saws and drills.

"I'm sorry," E said, "Could you repeat yourself?"

Again he told us that he would rather we didn't photograph the Apple tonight, but come bakc in the morning, when all the work was set to be done. E and I said okay, then crossed the streeet where she took a photograph, pointing out that he actually couldn't PREVENT us from taking a photo of the building since there was not an official Apple exec there to stop it and secondly that was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard. I had to agree, but I thought what was most absurd about it was the fact that he had assigned the Apple not only a personality but feelings about having his picture taken. That was crazy. At least it was in my eyes.

It always amuses me how people believe they can tell people what to do in that regard and get away with it. In case you are up here and are taking pictures of buildings (this does not apply to people), you can do that unless the actual owner of the building tells you you cannot. You can take as many pictures as you wish and no one will say a word, most likely. So take a picture of the Apple, even if it is under construction. I promise you won't hurt its feelings.