Well, today (as of an hour and a half ago) marked the expiration of the last two weekly unlimited ride MetroCard I’ll ever be able to buy. Unfortunately after my too late night last night I had a relatively mellow day and didn’t leave until two in the afternoon which gave me extremely limited hours due to daylight. First I absentmindedly ended up on the elevator down to the A train at 181 Street I was planning to take the bus. Instead I took the A train down to 145 Street and instead of going the standard route to switch from the downtown A to the uptown D via one of the station’s two mezzanine areas (they were contiguous at one time but a transit police station was built cutting them into two separate areas. Instead I looked down the stairs and noticed a B train terminating on the middle track with doors open to both platforms so I walked down and through the B train using it as a shortcut. I then took a D train to 167 Street where I got off and back on, another uptown D one stop to 170th to use the exit only exit I hadn’t used the day before I then reboarded a downtown D to 167 Street to get the one entrance (the platform level one to McCellan Street) that I wasn’t able to photograph before since the stop has 3 separate fare control areas. I then walked down the hill to the 4 train at its 167 Street station. Next it was onto a tiny bit of the White Plains Road Line. I took the 4 down to 138 Street-Grand Concourse and exited the station briefly as part of my photo essay before reentering the stop and taking an uptown 2 train. At this point and since it was so cloudy that dusk already seemed to be starting to settle and I decided I would save the stained glass art I wanted to photograph at all of these stations for later. Instead some Dyre Avenue Line Stations seemed in order in the dusting of snow. So I took the 5 all the way to Morris Park and as I was doing a photo essay in the wide but thin station house with some New York, Westchester, and Boston Railway ornamentation the token clerk yelled at me say that photography was illegal I could of easily walked away since she was in her plexiglass useless box but decided to see how the conversation would play out with her shouting to me through the microphone.
The confrontation went something like this:
Her: “Hey Sir No pictures, do you want a $500 fine?”
Me: “No but I checked the rules of conduct and thought photography was legal”
Her: “No, not in these times of heightened security.”
Me: “I’m fairly sure photography’s legal. I’m photographic pictures of historical remnants of this station.”
Her: “You can go to the Library on fifth avenue for that.”
Me: “That doesn’t stop me from taking photos of the station from outside”
Her: “If you want to be a wise attic about it”
I decide this conversation is stupid and leave the station. This is definitely not the first time I’ve dealt with an ignorant MTA employee. One time I wanted for the station agent to call her boss about me and was told I was in the right and she was mistaken. My only confrontations with cops have been basically friendly wondering what I’m doing (one time I was told they had to investigate me because of someone calling me in for suspicious activity, they were nice about it although they always seem to ask for ID which I will give if the cops being nice to me). The only other time on MTA property he told me that yes photography was legal according to the MTA’s rules of conduct but not according to New York’s Railroad Law. (I didn’t know what he was talking about but a google proves to me that it exists) The document isn’t in an easily searchable form and I don’t feel like going through it right now but I probably will at some point. I then showed him my Colorado Drivers License (he wrote nothing down) and pretended I was a tourist (I guess my new trick anywhere on the east coast). He then tried to show me in his book of possible summonses where he could fine me but of course he said “it’s in there somewhere and gave up.” I doubt it actually existed. This is what the official rules of conduct say, that I don’t think I violate (I never use a tripod nor even my flash, which I guess according to these rules is technically legal):
“Section 1059-3. Photography, filming or video recording in any facility or conveyance is permitted except that ancillary equipment such as lights, reflectors or tripods may not be used. Members of the press holding valid identification issued by the New York City Police Department are hereby authorized to use necessary ancillary equipment. All photographic activity must be conducted in accordance with the provisions of this Part.” MTA’s NYC Transit Rules of Conduct
I then walked up Esplanade (built over the portion of the NY, W, & B that is underground) and to the odd underground station of Pelham Parkway I continued uptown and got off as dusk was really falling at Baychester Avenue for a photo essay. At this point I had a little bit of time to kill before a dinner engagement and decided that some refresher walks (and notes for my notebook) through confusing major transfer points would be key for getting their descriptions written accurately. So I took the 5 train down to 59 Street and walked around a bit (stayed within fare control) transferred to the Q to 34 St-Herald Square for a long walk of the two transfers to the D train, and took the D uptown to 59 Street where I photographed the funny passageway that uses the middle platform so people trying to get from uptown to downtown 1 trains can skip walking on the crowded regular platforms. I then took the 1 train to 86 Street for another dinner engagement (haven’t eaten in my parents house since Monday). It was the B to 125 Street where the A was trying to pull out of the station and closed its doors on us but got stuck recycling doors in the other section of the train but the conductor didn’t open them for transferees there were quite a few irate passengers screaming about it. A C came in shortly after the B and me and my brother decided we wanted more of a walk and took it to 168 Street and walked home from there.
Well at this conclusion of this trip to New York and my last fortnightly unlimited purchase ever its time for my grand price per ride total this time:
Today: 8
The other 13 days: 12 + 6 + 8 + 10 + 8 + 0 + 6 + 9 + 4 + 8 + 5 + 4 + 2
Total swipes over 14 days: 90! So I paid just (51.50/90) 57¢ per swipe (a lot better than 83¢ per ride, the last time I was in New York)