Fargo Man 86’d from Public Pools After Taking Photos

Kirk Ludwig of Fargo has been banned from the city's public pools after he was caught secretly taking photos of patrons at Island Park Pool on Monday (Jul 13).

Jed Felix, 26, also of Fargo, spotted Ludwig standing on the sidewalk north of the pool, at a window that overlooks the diving boards. As Felix observed from his truck across the street, Ludwig "would look around, act like he was smoking and then snap a photo using a camera with a zoom lens," according to Inforum.com.

Ludwig's behavior upset Felix, who confronted the surreptitious photographer. Ludwig calmly told Felix that he was an artist, was only taking photos, and that there is no law against it.

There truly is no law against taking photos of a public place and its patrons; however, Ludwig's secretive behavior led Felix to notify police, who decided to "trespass" Ludwig, which is the official term for banning a person from a certain establishment.

Ludwig was not charged with any crime for taking the photos, but he was cited for marijuana possession after authorities found a small amount on him, along with paraphernalia.

Despite the lack of a law prohibiting such, it is encouraged that one alert police, should they spot someone taking photos of people in public, particularly if they seem to be keeping themselves hidden. It's a better-safe-than-sorry approach, on the off-chance that that person is a sex offender and/or a danger to children.