
Monica defiantly takes a selfie in the Thompson Center after being told by a police officer it's against the law. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
👋 Hey it's Monica: Earlier this month I was reporting on the state of downtown lines these days. As I was shooting photos at the Department of Motor Vehicles in the Thompson Center a police officer told me to stop.
- "It's against the law to take pictures inside any state building," he said.
- I told him I'd never heard such a thing, but complied and left.
- Then I posted about it on Twitter.
Why it matters: I'm not the first person who's been told this about the Thompson Center and the DMV, but the "rule" is total baloney.
What they're saying: "That doesn't make a lot of sense," says Dave Druker, spokesperson for the Illinois Secretary of State's office, which runs the DMV.
- "You can absolutely take a photo in the building," says Anthony Pascente, chief of staff at the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, which runs the Thompson Center.
- "Survey says: wrong," Ald Brendan O'Reilly wrote on Twitter.
The bottom line: I don't know where the cop came up with this rule. But anyone who wants to take a picture in the building before it meets its potential demise should feel perfectly free to do so.
Silver lining: The tweet prompted some good civic discussion and a droll response about the "rule" being the real reason Jimmy Smits' character met his demise in the building at the end of "Running Scared."

Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Chicago.
More Chicago stories
No stories could be found

Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Chicago.