Because I know some of you have never seen a train before. Yeah well I'm short on content, ok? Here's the graffiti that inspired me to start taking pictures of this stuff.
Looks like someone is against the T's plans to put cell phone reception throughout the tunnels. And, on that topic, the T is broker than broke, how are they going to pay for that? Anyway. Moving on.
The first graffiti was in a nice bold sharpie, but this one is harder to see in regular ballpoint pen. Let's try to gimp it. (Gimp = free photoshop-like program, if you are interested. Yay linux.)
This one is a little bit fascinating. The numbers are Texas area codes. 210=San Antonio, 409=Galveston, 713=Houston, 281=Houston suburbs. So why write down four Texas area codes on the T? I should have added some. Dang hindsight. And Lone Starter state? Starter? What is that? Only Mr. Cholo knows. What is that thing at the bottom? SA, TX for San Antonio? SAM TX? Who is Sam? Sam Houston? Sam Cholo? Or is it SA TX with a treasure map in the middle? Fascinating, I tell you. The texans are everywhere. They're drawing treasure maps and noting area codes on the Boston T. Maybe in case they lose there way on the treasure hunt, they can call home. Or at least they can call an unknown person from their town of 2.5 million+ people.
(I have had phone numbers that began with 3 of the 4 graffitied area codes, in case some random internet people are reading this. I began life with a 713 and when I was a kid they switched us to a 281. I went to college in a 210. I spent a lot of time sunning myself in the 409. Explains my fascination.)
I'll be on the lookout for any more interesting T graffiti. Any good installments from other public transit systems?
4 comments:
Sheesh, I leave town and now suddenly Boston is overrun with secret treasure-hunting Texans!! That is fascinating, was it a pack from all different area codes, or a Lone Graffitan? I love that you found that.
Regarding the cell phone graffiti, here in DC you *can* use the phone in most Metro tunnels (except around the Pentagon. Creepy) and there is a Metro ad that reads "We all REALLY want to know what your having for dinner" with a real-life man who looks much like the blue sharpie guy. I'll try to take a photo en route home today.
I will also look for comparative graffiti, but I must say that the Metro system in your nation's capitol is extremely clean.
And unfortunately, all of the stations look exactly the same so one never really knows where one is if one is out of view of a sign.
Also, you're not allowed to eat on the Metro. At all. Not even have coffee. It's sad.
The area codes appear to be the work of a lone Garffitian. That is an impressive-looking metro station. How much does it cost to ride the metro? I wonder why the T has no money. The stations are in bad shape here.
Yes, the stations are impressively big and dark and concretey.
The Boston stations ARE in bad shape, it's true. What is up with Arlington?? I feel really bad for tourists. Part of it is that the tunnels are ancient. But the lack of money... perhaps it all got corrupted away with the rest of the Commonwealth's budget.
Boston's system is the oldest in the country, hence the variation among lines and such. But DC's was mostly built at once, and because it's Domestic And International Tourist Central, they try hard to keep it all uniform.
The DC Metro prices depend on how far you're going, which is kind of smart. For me, from Braddock (in the suburb of Alexandria) to Capitol South (on the Hill), it's $2.65 at rush hour, but $1.35 the rest of the time. I'd say the analogous distance is Alewife to Boylston. I have a color change downtown. To just get from one end of the Mall to another, like say Boylston to Copley, it's ~ $1.45 at rush hour.
I agree, the lack of money must be corruption, mismanagement, something like that. They do weird things, like they just redid all the signs at Alewife, but there are all these holes in the roof, and whenever it rains, there are multiple places where there is a waterfall inside the station. And the only 'down' escalator is broken, and there is a sign on it saying it will be out for over a month. ???
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