The first apartment I looked at when I moved to Boston was near Porter Square in Cambridge. I remember thinking that the escalator coming out of the bowels of the Porter T-station was the longest one I had ever ridden; I’ve believed that up until my most recent trip to Washington, DC. The escalator at the Woodley Park-Zoo Metro-station is definitely longer. I was a little farther than halfway down by the time I pulled out my camera and snapped this picture.
I find most mechanical things neato, especially when large, dirty and taken apart. Due to this, I happily pulled out my camera and began taking a few pictures of the escalator husk because, hey, why not. Little did I know that I could be abetting… a terrorist.
Fortunately for myself and my nation, the T attendant came out of her box and asked, “Are you supposed to be doing that?”
Feeling a bit like Galileo, I hesitatingly replied, “Umm, no.”
“You can’t be taking pictures of that. There are terrorists and we need to protect the station. You will have to delete those pictures”
Rather than point out that terrorists could still just as easily take the elevator if they were unable or unwilling to take the stairs, I dutifully complied-they were dark and blurry anyway-thus cementing my place as a defender of democracy-ocracy-cracy.
I was down in Back Bay today and snapped this picture of the subway map.
These new maps were put up just a few months ago and as you can see, quite a number of people have placed their finger on the map and said “We’re here…”
