No Puedas Tomar Photos Aqui, Senor*

HERE WE GO AGAIN!

A huge Christmas Tree is in the process of being constructed outside the entrance to one of the large shopping malls near our flat.

I thought I might try and take some photos of it being constructed, but oh no, Mexico's official paranoia towards photography kicked in and I found myself arguing (good-naturedly) in my broken Spanish w/this cop about the sheer stupidity of what he was asking.

*"You can't take photos here, sir"
"Eh! Why?"
"It is not allowed"
"So, you're telling me that when the tree is fully erected, people will be stopped from photographing it?"
"No, but you can't take photos now?"
"Why, am I dangerous? Am I threat to the security of the mall? Are you worried that I might try and build my own tree?!"
"No, sir I don't think you are, but I will have to speak to my superiors about this."
"That's completely loco and pathetic, if you don't mind me saying! Everywhere I go in this city, there is some cop or security guard wagging his finger at me, saying, no, no, no! What are you all afraid of?"

Eventually, I got him to agree that if I took 1 or 2 photos of the tree being built, that he would look the other way, but that he was being observed by CCTV, so couldn't just let me snap away endlessly.

Arggghhhhh.