It happened a few weeks ago. So far, I have not been dragged out of my home to face an angry Los Angeles County judge like heiress/celebrity Paris Hilton nor forced to do time behind bars. I am glad to say, my encounter has not escalated to the Paris extreme level, however, it did leave me with some serious concerns.

It began with good intentions. I wanted to indulge a long running passion of mine for the movie matinee; to smell the theater popcorn in the lobby, to slip down into one of those cushy seats, and watch a flick on a humongous screen surrounded by a booming sound system. No big crowds, no hassles. Well, it almost worked out that way.

On Thursday, May 24 --- shortly before the long Memorial Day weekend --- I bought a $9 ticket to see Spider-Man sling his web, romance his ladylove, and take down the freaky bad guys in his latest movie sequel at the AMC Burbank 16 Theatres. Spider-Man 3 turned out to be a disappointment. The movie had plenty of action, but the story lacked the heart and wit of the previous Spidey films.

Nevertheless, I was still pumped on the matinee experience when I strolled out of the auditorium and into the lobby. I decided to take some photos with my small 35mm camera for my next blog entry.

I pointed the lens at the concession stand and was struck by how quickly the smiles switched to scowls on the faces of the young workers. Then, several employees approached and tersely informed me that I could not take pictures inside the theater.

I explained I was a blogger taking the snapshots for a piece I was writing about going to the movies. A positive story. An employee, who appeared older than the rest and could have been a supervisor or manager but refused to identify himself, said it was okay to take my photos as long as I did not show the faces of the AMC associates. I agreed.

I clicked off a few more shots, but I was distracted by the glares of disapproval from some of the staff. So I left, hoping I had enough photos for my story. No such luck. After my film was developed, I realized I needed some shots of ticket buyers and moviegoers.

So a couple of days later, on Saturday afternoon, I stood on the walkway in front of the AMC Burbank 16 Theatres focusing my camera on ticket lines and the movie fans. I took my time and got several shots from different angles. I was about to leave when two security guards walked up to me.

The tall male was wearing a shirt that had 'Private Security' printed on it. The stocky woman with dark hair was buttoned up real tight in an all black security guard uniform. Both were young, but wore very serious expressions. The woman stated bluntly, "You can't take pictures of the building."

Also, she told me I was standing on private property. She said the walkway, which stretches from San Fernando Boulevard to First Street, was owned by AMC. Now that was confusing to me. Before the construction and opening of the AMC megaplex in 2003, the walkway was a public road, a part of Palm Avenue. In fact, the address for the AMC 16 Theatres is 125 E. Palm Ave.

At this point, I really didn't need to take more pictures, but now my story was moving in a new direction and that required more questions. So I expressed my doubts about the private property claim and asked to speak with a supervisor who could give me a quote about the matter.

The female security guard snapped, "I'm telling you." And you guessed it; she didn't give her name. I repeated my request to speak with a supervisor. The now irate female security guard whipped out her phone and declared she was calling the police. So I waited for Burbank P.D. to show up while the security guard gabbed intensely on the phone. Also, another young male security guard joined us. Perhaps, a call had gone out for reinforcements to deal with the situation.

We stood there for several minutes. After a long conversation, the female security guard got off the phone. She refused to answer any of my questions just turned her back to me. The other two young security guards gave me their backs as well. A short time later, I decided the standoff had gone on long enough and headed for home.

On that following Monday, May 28, Memorial Day, Americans paid tribute to those who died fighting for our country and the freedoms we hold most dear. On this day, I felt a need to take some action -- even a symbolic one. I went back downtown with my camera and took several shots of the outside of the AMC Burbank 16 Theatres complex from various sites on public sidewalks. A small gesture I know, but a statement nonetheless about something that seemed pretty obvious to me. If you build a large structure in the middle of downtown --- you really cannot stop folks from taking pictures of the exterior, someway, somehow.

On June 12, I began an investigation into the AMC matter and soon discovered the female security guard was right and wrong. I sought answers from several officials and executives. First, I spoke with George Ortega in engineering at the Burbank Public Works Department and he told me AMC Entertainment does not own the entire walkway. AMC owns three-quarters of the walkway from First Street up to the alley behind the A & S Bargain Books building. The city of Burbank owns the other one-quarter from the alley to San Fernando Boulevard.

During an Internet search, I found documents indicating the Burbank City Council had passed resolutions to vacate or terminate most public access rights to a large section of Palm Avenue in 1999 and 2002 --- that section became the three-quarters of the walkway owned by AMC. Jack Lynch, Burbank senior redevelopment project manager, believes private ownership of most of the AMC walkway is good for the city because it reduces the cost of maintenance and liability.

A company called CB Richard Ellis maintains and manages the AMC section of the walkway and the other exterior areas of the AMC Entertainment Plaza. During a phone conversation with the management firm's Michele Mckinnie, I learned the AMC section of the walkway has decreased! Apparently AMC sold off a portion of the walkway with the parcel next door where "The Collection" , a mixed-use $80 million residential and retail project, is under construction. Jennifer Mack, Burbank redevelopment project manager, confirmed part of the walkway now belongs to "The Collection" . Despite all the changes, Mack insists the right of pedestrians to travel the entire walkway 24/7 remains intact. I think the right of anyone to take photos on the walkway 24/7 should be included as well.

Meanwhile, it took several days and quite a bit of effort to get someone from AMC Entertainment to go on the record and respond to my questions. On the AMC Theatres Web site there are three choices given for compliments and complaints. Surprisingly, number one is ask to see a theater manager. I tried that and it didn't work. Therefore, I went down to number two, which instructs you to call guest service for questions and concerns, so I did.

The woman I spoke with gave her first name, but then begged me not to use it because she would get in trouble. She corroborated what I had been told about the AMC policy of no photo taking anywhere inside the theater and no photos of the outside of the building. She says the reason behind the policy is to protect the company's brand and strategy. I told her I needed to speak with someone who would allow me to use his or her name. She suggested I call corporate communications at AMC headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri.

I began calling corporate communications on Wednesday, June 20. After several long distance phone calls and leaving a couple of messages, I finally got to speak with Sun Dee Larson in corporate communications on Friday, June 23.

Larson clarified the company policy as no photos inside the theater "without approval" from corporate communications. Employees at the AMC Theatres have the "authority" to stop anyone from taking photos. The employees are instructed to call corporate communications for permission if anyone wants to take pictures at AMC.

Also, Larson backed up what I had heard about the no taking of photos of the outside of the AMC building policy. When I told her about my confrontation with security guards, Larson explained "a professional looking camera" sounds an alarm to AMC security. Hmm, my film camera is a low budget Canon used more often by tourists and amateurs than serious professional photogs.

On the AMC Theatres Web site, the company boasts of having more than 238 million moviegoers visit its approximately 382 theaters worldwide in 2006. I don't think it is much of a stretch to say that thousands, no probably millions of those visitors to AMC were packing camera phones or those nifty pocketsize digital cameras. Snapping photos has become part of our everyday culture especially here in Southern California. The do not take pictures or videos of a movie on the big screen is a well-known rule at all theaters and is a no-brainer. That's not what is at issue here. The question is how can the AMC fairly enforce its no photo policy in the non-screening areas of its theaters? Whatever the policy, should it not be posted in the theaters for all to see?

And what about the restrictions on taking pictures of the outside of the AMC building? I wonder about the realistic application of this policy too. Are we going to see security guards chasing down kids with camera phones or accosting foreign tourists taking family shots on the steps of the AMC Burbank 16 Theatres? I hope not, that would be bad PR for AMC and the city of Burbank.

Clearly, AMC needs to review and update its no-photo policy to reflect the high-tech camera gadgets being carried by the movie going public. This should not be too much to expect from a company that claims to be an innovator and on the cutting edge of new technology.

Also, AMC has 30 movie screens in Downtown Burbank and they attract some of the biggest crowds in the country. Frequently, the AMC Burbank Theatres rank in the top five nationally with sales comparable to the AMC Empire 25 in New York City's Times Square, according to the Web site run by the Downtown Burbank Partnership --- an organization of property and business owners.

We are rolling through the long, hot days of summer; the movie industry's biggest season for blockbuster films, packed theaters, and major moolah at the box office. The AMC walkway is a vital path for those heading to the Burbank 16 Theatres. Also, the walkway is a gathering place for special entertainment events and an important thoroughfare for many who live, work, or visit Downtown Burbank.

Bottom line, the AMC walkway should not be managed in a capricious manner with arbitrary or hard to enforce rules and policies. I believe Burbank city officials need to take a close look at the AMC walkway with the goal of making sure that it is managed in the best interest of residents and visitors as well as local businesses. Perhaps, the only way to insure that this happens is for the city to take full control of the entire AMC walkway.