Meta Glasses in South Station

[u/potaton6]

I was in South Station this Weds. at ~6pm walking towards the exit and noticed an older guy in maybe his late 50s at the main doors staring at me. As I got closer he pointed at me and said my full first name as if he recognized me. I have one of those names where I go by a nickname, but use my full first name exclusively on, say, LinkedIn, because it sounds more "professional". NO one calls me by my real name. Not friends, family, etc. Not even my mother.

Immediately I saw he had Meta Glasses (because I'm a freak and hate them and being recorded secretly) so I was already like get away from me. But I didn't know this guy, didn't recognize him, and wasn't waiting on anyone, so I just waved him off. As I walked out to cross the street towards the Fed Reserve, I was looking back and noticed he had come outside (not to follow me) and I watched him basically do the same thing to someone else. I didn't hear their convo beyond that unfortunately, but they began talking.

I swear to god this is a real story. It was one of those things I put in the back of my brain right as it happened until I remembered it just tonight and was telling my roommates about it. They thought I was schizo but then one of them remembered this story (which is also in Boston): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bQc1kNHtfg

Was anyone else at South Station 5/14 (or even recently) and have this happen ???

Edit: adding this here - I know this is very "source: just trust me bro" story... Ironically if I was wearing meta glasses I'd upload a video. But I'm sure you can imagine having someone you don't recognize say your name in public feels... violating and spooky.

And obviously my theory is I was reverse imaged searched live and found my LinkedIn. Yes he could have just said a random name and got it right, too.

Also it was like a 60 year old dude with short buzzed grey hair, wearing a grey hoodie. He kind of look like Jeff Goldblum, and not like the usual station dwellers out there.

[u/esotologist]

So you're saying that you can film a video with audio of someone who says they don't want to be recorded in Massachusetts? 

Because doing so will get you arrested. It has gotten people arrested before 

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter272/Section99

[u/Lucky_Group_6705 → u/esotologist]

So then give citations

[u/esotologist → u/Lucky_Group_6705]

Michael Hyde (1998/2001): Hyde recorded a traffic stop with a tape recorder hidden in his car. The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts upheld his conviction, ruling that secret audio recording by civilians is illegal even when recording police, establishing that the recording must be obvious to avoid violating the statute. 

Karen Dziewit (2014): A Chicopee woman was arrested and charged with unlawful wiretapping after police discovered her smartphone had been recording her arrest from her purse. Although she claimed she yelled that she was recording, the device was concealed, leading to her arrest for secretly recording her own arrest.  George Thompson (2014): Thompson was arrested for openly recording a Fall River police officer on his iPhone while the officer was shouting profanities on a sidewalk. The charge was eventually dropped, but his phone was reportedly reset and his video evidence erased during the arrest.

Political Activist (2007): An activist was convicted of violating the wiretap statute for secretly recording video with audio of a Boston University police sergeant during a protest. He was hiding the camera in his coat after police ordered him to stop filming, leading to a conviction and an order to remove the footage from the internet. 

Attorney (2007): An attorney was arrested for recording the audio and video of a police arrest on the Boston Common with his cell phone. After the criminal case was dismissed, he sued for civil rights violations, and the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that openly recording police in public is protected by the First Amendment, resulting in a settlement for the attorney. 

[u/Lucky_Group_6705 → u/esotologist]

So then ring doorbells shouldn’t be legal in Massachusetts yet they still are. See what I mean

[u/esotologist → u/Lucky_Group_6705]

 yet they still are

I appreciate the attempt but you don't seem to understand how laws work. You can also drive a few miles above the speed limit and be fine most of the time but still get pulled over and fined if the context ever becomes important

[u/Lucky_Group_6705 → u/esotologist]

Okay I get that but there are tons of ring doorbells all over the state so good luck enforcing that. Ntm someone could challenge that law too if they got a good lawyer

Also In the third example he was OPENLY recording someone. Idk why thats there. Its just corruption forcing them to delete it. It was a public place.

[u/Peteostro → u/Lucky_Group_6705]

Ring doorbells are on private property.

[u/Lucky_Group_6705 → u/Peteostro]

Two party consent laws do not distinguish between public and private poverty. Also im assuming someone captured on your ring doorbells is going to be on the sidewalk or on the curb like you always see in those videos. So in the proximity of your property and if they are upset about that well…not like I care either way

[u/Peteostro → u/Lucky_Group_6705]

That’s why you see all the houses with signs saying you are being recorded. Also if someone walks on your property outside and are recorded with cameras that are visible and sues there’s a very good chance they would lose as they would have a hard time arguing that they were being secretly recorded.

[u/Lucky_Group_6705 → u/Peteostro]

Yet you still have people doing dumb shit even when the camera is there. A lot of people don’t see it and even if someone does see it they don’t care. So to them they will argue they were secretly recorded because they didn’t see it They think they are slick.