[PRCo] Re: Brilliance in Transit Management

[Bob Rathke]

This proposed rule is not new.  I recall seeing signs in New York City
subway stations in the early 1960's warning that photography on NYCTA
property was forbidden.  In 1958, a friend sneaked a photo of a train
approaching an elevated platform in Queens, but it was the only photo that
he attempted to take on TA property.

Also in  the1950s, a policeman in the PRR station in Pittsburgh stopped me
from taken a photo of a train there.  The B&O station across town was always
more railfan friendly.

Such paranoia about photography seemed to ease by the 1980's, but...

- In the 1980's, Chicago sports fans were still not allowed to take photos
at Cubs baseball and Blackhawks hockey games.  If I took my camera to a
game, I had to hand it in at the "Guest Relations" office, and reclaim it
after the game.  By the early 1990's they relaxed the rule, and you could
take a camera into the stadium, but you first had to sign a form that stated
that your photos would be for personal use only.

- And after 150 years of photography being an acceptable practice, there are
still people out there who never want to have their photos taken.  Maybe
they're doing something illegal, but I have numerous photos of street scenes
that depict people hiding their faces from the camera.

Bob 1/8/05
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Schneider" <fschnei at supernet.com>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>; "Richard Allman"
<AllmanR at einstein.edu>
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 7:15 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Brilliance in Transit Management


> Todays New York Times contains a nice piece on the TA's proposed rule
> that will make it illegal to photograph any of their equipment.  I'm
> waiting for the first tourist to be arrested for photographing Times
> Square (with a bus in it) or a picture of his family in the subway.
> What a great way to make an international incident out of stupidity.
>
> And today's Washington Post contains a method by which WMATA wishes to
> increase the capacity of its rail system ... remove the seats from the
> cars.  They would leave two pairs of seats, those which cover vital
> electrical equipment and thus can't be removed.
>
> I've read that in every group of people, half are below average.   Do
> they always move to New York, Washington and Boston?
>
> That ought to get a response out of someone on the list.  And no, I'm
> not kidding about the newspapers.  Look for yourself.
>
>
>