(m01229) When documenting a trip to the nation’s capital, tourists might enjoy having a few photographs of themselves against the backdrops of the memorials and monuments that fill the city. But if you were thinking of using a selfie stick to get just the right angle while posing in front of the Hope Diamond at the Natural History Museum, you might want to think again. The Washington Business Journal reports that the Smithsonian, which operates 19 museums and galleries in Washington, D.C., Virginia and New York City, as well as the National Zoological Park, updated its security policy to include a ban on the use of selfie sticks. A selfie stick, for those unfamiliar with the phenomenon, is essentially a long pole that holds a smartphone at one end, allowing users to get a better angle when taking self-portraits. According to the updated policy, the ban on selfie sticks was implemented as a “preventive measure to protect visitors and objects, especially during crowded conditions.” As with the institution’s ban on tripods and monopods, if you’re a member of the media and for some reason need to use a selfie stick, you must first get permission from the museum’s Public Affairs Office. Of course the Smithsonian’s ban on selfie sticks isn’t an indication that the museums detest duck face photography.