The U.S. Bank Tower’s Agressive Security Guards Aren’t Agressive Fans of the Law

Discarted fills us in on the aggressive security guards at the U.S. Bank Tower (fka the Library Tower), who have the reputation for aggressively stopping people from taking photos of the building.

The site notes that a group of photographers set out Sunday to see if “we could exercise our constitutional rights and shoot the array of skyscrapers freely and openly. It turns out we couldn’t.

“As we began photographing the US Bank Tower at 633 W. 5th Street, managed by Maguire Properties, we were approached almost immediately by a United Protective Services (UPS) security guard, and soon there were six (6!). We were told they would call the police and we would be arrested, that no pictures were allowed from their “private sidewalk,” that they actually owned the sidewalk, and that we were idiots and jerks who should quit asking questions.”

Check out the video above.

Not Just Any Skyscraper

Nice photo, right? As seen in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times. All fine and dandy, until you read the cutline:

“A skyscraper peeks through the fog layer enshrouding downtown Los Angeles on Saturday morning as viewed from the 134 freeway in Glendale.”

“A skyscraper”?! Uh, guys, that’s “THE skyscraper.” As in the defining presence in Los Angeles’ skyline, the U.S. Bank Tower (formerly known as the Library Tower).

Can you imagine if a New York paper ran a pic of the Empire State Building, and in the cutline said, “A building…”? No! That would be odd.

How about a picture of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa walking down the street, but with a cutline that said, “A man walks down the street.” That would be odd too — why not just say it’s the mayor?

And that’s the same thing here. It’s the tallest building west of the Mississippi. It’s the well-known tower seen in countless movies.

** But perhaps I do know why. And it’s been a subject I’ve brought up from time to time through the years. The U.S. Bank Tower may be the tallest building west of the Mississippi, and the defining feature of our skyline, but no one knows what it’s called.

It doesn’t help that the building has been renamed several times over its 17-year existence.

I ranted about this at length in 2003; read it here.

Why No U.S. Bank Tower Observation Deck?

Over at Blogging.la, Will Campbell reminds us that the annual Ketchum-Downtown YMCA Stair Climb to the Top takes place this weekend.

As Will notes:

It’s not every day one gets the opportunity to climb up the 1,500 stairs of the tallest building between the Mississippi River and New Zealand… although it’s probably pretty much every day you get the opportunity not to or to not want to.

But you should. Not only because it’s rare to gain access to such a landmark in this post 9/11 world, or that it’s quite the feat to do so, but also for the good cause it benefits. The Downtown YMCA’s Stairclimb to the Top will raise your heart rate while getting you to the highest point in the city and raising needed funds that will go to support the facility’s outreach programs. And while online registration is closed, you can still sign-up the day of the event (for teams it’s October 5; individuals October 6).

If you do, plan on arriving at the Y’s courtyard (401 S. Hope Street) to register at least one hour prior to your division start time, and bring the fundraising minimum with you ($100 for indivduals; $500 for teams).

Of course, this brings up a big question: Why doesn’t the Library… er, U.S. Bank (sorry, I still hate the name change) Tower have an observation deck? Particularly now that Downtown Los Angeles is more of a destination, I’d think that people would be willing to pay to take in the view from the 73rd floor.

After all, we already know Maguire Properties loves to whore out the building for cash — witness the decision to rename it U.S. Bank Tower after U.S. Bank signed a 12-year lease in 2003. (Check out my rant back then over the skyscraper’s identity crisis here.)