Another Absurd Prohibition

Another Absurd Prohibition / Fernando Damaso
Posted on September 22, 2014

Wandering around some of the shopping streets in Havana, with the
objective of photographing shop logos embedded in the granite floors of
their entrances, I was shocked at the Fontana store on Neptuno Street
with the absurdity that accompanies us every dat.

When I was taking the picture, after having come to an agreement with
the clerk who was sitting next to one of his dirty shop windows, a
character who said he was the manager came out, angry, and told me it
was forbidden.

On asking him why, he responded to me, upset, that it was an order from
the superior bosses, adding: It is forbidden to photograph the floor,
the store inside and out, the display windows and even the bars.

I smiled and answered him: Tell your superior bosses that it is
forbidden to photograph the ruins that Havana has been turned into,
cannot hide the reality

I've confronted this absurd situation in cafes, restaurants, shops,
offices and other state property. It seems, indeed, to e a government
regulation. Perhaps they think that someone could copy their primitive
sales systems and abuse the public. Anything is possible.

But it's not the case in private establishment, where they're happy when
people take pictures and the employees themselves will push the shutter
for you, because it's free advertising.

Clearly, between the private businesses and the state businesses there
is a lot of difference: the former are pleasant, agreeable with good
service, while the second, although the sell in hard currency, are
dirty, disagreeable and with the worst service.

As a photograph is worth a thousand words, here I show you some that
speak for themselves. The title photo is the sidewalk on Fontana, taken
before the manager came out, the second is Neptuno between Consulado and
Industria.

Source: Another Absurd Prohibition / Fernando Damaso | Translating Cuba
- http://translatingcuba.com/another-absurd-prohibition-fernando-damaso/