VICTORIA GARDENS

So I was asked why, on my late night photography outing, I didn't shoot pics at Victoria Gardens. Fact is, Victoria Gardens doesn't allow photographers to shoot pics of the place. If you so much as attempt to position a viewfinder in front of your peeper, security forces in black garb will repel down from silent helicopters hovering overhead and hurl spinning ninja stars into your carcass right before they shock you into submission with tazer-powered cattle-prods. They're touchy like that.

HOWEVER, I actually did make Victoria Gardens my first stop of the evening, even knowing they don't allow pictures, and that I was risking third-degree burns by trying to shoot there. I tried hiding my camera under my coat, but it's so bulky that I must have looked like a terrorist trying to find a place to leave a suitcase bomb. Knowing that shooting pics there was a covert operation, I avoided the streets and positioned myself on the top of the stairs at the multi-level parking structure. I took this photo of the library window from there... right before a security vehicle spotted me from the bottom of the parking structure. I noticed they immediately headed for the top of the structure, but being on the stairs, I was able to scamper down before they could make it to the top. I noticed, as they made their way toward my position on the stairs, that they approached with their yellow lights flashing, with the likely intent to get my attention, implying that I should halt until they reached me. Yeah, as if. So I scurried down the stairway and walked quickly away-- notice that I said I "walked" quickly away. Had I run, I probably would have looked guilty of, well, trying to plant a suitcase bomb or something. Anyway, I ducked between buildings, feeling like ever the fool, because, frankly, I'm too old to be running and maneuvering around buildings, trying to avoid the fuzz.

I made my way to my vehicle via a way that took me right in front of the police/security station--my thought being that, should they notice me, they'd never suspect the person they were chasing to stroll right in front of them while simultaneously trying to avoid them. Anyway, I made my escape having only shot about three pictures. At least one can sleep secure knowing that, should Victoria Gardens ever decide to schedule airline flights from off the roof of their parking structure, they have a vigilant security team.