check your camera: you might be a terrorist
from the village voice, news of a proposal to ban photography of new york transit things… and a photo contest to go with it (contest info at the bottom of the voice article).
The MTA isn’t slated to vote on the measure until at least mid June, when a 45-day public comment period ends. Also included in regulation 21 NYCRR 1050.9c are stiffer penalties for hopping turnstiles, walking between cars, and using seats as footrests. Ostensibly designed to counter terrorist attacks, the new rules clearly extend to ordinary—and artistic—activity.
the actual proposal is:
In order to further enhance passenger security and safety, photography and videotaping would be prohibited except for members of the press holding valid identification cards issued by the New York City Police Department or where written authorization has been provided by NYCT. [Section 1050.9(c)]
so, we’re in the public-comment period, and that means it’s time to comment. neat thing about blogs – you can link up those forms real quick-like. i dug around enough to find you the page, now all you have to do is use it.
oh, the sweet irony… just a couple months ago, the mta put this out….
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority today unveiled a special centennial photo exhibit titled, The New York Subway: A Centennial Celebration. The photographic exhibit of images selected from the archives of the prestigious photographic agency Magnum Photos is located in the window-shaped lightboxes at the Lower Level Dining Concourse of Grand Central Terminal and is part of the MTA Arts for Transit Lightbox Project.
The New York Subway photo exhibit offers a peek into the lives of New Yorkers throughout the decades, from quiet moments reading on a crowded train to grandstanding youths on an elevated platform. The 16 images included in the exhibit were captured by renowned photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson, Bruce Davidson, Elliott Erwitt, Leonard Freed, Bruce Gilden, Thomas Hoepker, Constantine Manos, Inge Morath, Lise Sarfati, and Ferdinando Scianna.
The Photography Lightbox Project provides quality photography exhibits to a broad audience of mass transit users and is one of the many visual and performing arts programs administered by MTA Arts for Transit to increase the attractiveness of transit facilities for customers. Other Lightbox locations can be found at the 42nd Street subway station at Sixth Avenue and the Atlantic Avenue subway complex in Brooklyn. The Lightbox project is made possible through the generous support of Modernage.
MTA New York City Transit operates the largest subway system in North America, moving over 4.5 million customers each day.
a couple calls-to-action….
Photographer’s Rights Protest, June 6, 1pm
nycsubway.org
and here are a couple terrorist photos from my personal collection…
this is an empty subway platform, showing the location, spacing, type and assembly of structural members used to support the 86th street station:
this is a highly secret piece of equipment, known by the code name “vaktrak” – rarely seen even by native new yorkers. it was captured photographically on one of my previous reconaissance excursions to the big apple:
i wonder how they plan to tell all the new york tourists about this one…
[via boingboing]