Should I leave the tripod at home?

Plaza Theater and the Corner Pocket

After seeing a lot of high wispy clouds in the sky today I decided that there should be a good sunset with a lot of pink clouds. I headed back out to the square in Garland but as you can see...no pink clouds. Not much color in the sunset but I got a different composition of the theater which also includes the Corner Pocket, a little sandwich place on the corner across from the theater. I'm starting to like shooting these multiple exposure HDR images. Before the sun went down I took a few photographs at the nearby DART Station. Its getting harder to pull out a big tripod and not get hassled about taking pictures. I hadn't been there 5 minutes and some guy gets out of the train and comes over and asks me if I have a permit from DART. Of course I don't have no stinkin permit from DART and don't plan on getting one. I told the guy I was a fine art photographer and was just out shooting. I think many of these guys are told by their bosses not to allow any commercial photography without a permit. As soon as they see the tripod...here they come. I went through the same BS in San Antonio when I was photographing the missions. I also think since 9/11 there is this paranoia that I may be a terrorist checking the place out. Would I pull out the big tripod and stick out like a sore thumb? No, I would get one of those pocket sized 12 megapixel cameras and they would never know I snapped a single shot. Its all an exersize in futility if you ask me and I think most of the guys that are ordered to come talk to me know it too.
Clark