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So the MTA in New York is again proposing a photo ban in the city's subway. According to Gothamist, photobloggers are pissed off, perplexed as why their amateur photographic activities are being directly tied to terrorist threats. They even held a protest at Grand Central Terminal. We're a little surprised that WMATA hasn't seriously considered a photo ban in the metrorail system, but perhaps they're all too busy enforcing candy bar bans.
But be fortunate D.C. Our sort-of-futuristic metrorail system was designed to eliminate dark and mysterious corners and instead has curves and open layouts. Like a round barn designed to prevent the devil from lurking in the corners, metrorail stations don't have many corners for evil to hide in. Therefore, suspicious packages are easy to spot, assuming passengers are alert enough to report them.
So what do you think? Are tourists armed with cameras in the metrorail system a threat to security? If WMATA would pursue a photo ban, would there be much of a public backlash?
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Actually station managers already enforce an unofficial ban. Several times I've been asked to stop taking photos. One encounter in particular took place at West Falls Church station. After I asked the manager why I cannot take photos, he said, "I am the manager and I say you cannot". Of course I continued when he was not looking.
I, too, was stopped from taking pictures at the Vienna station. They have some neat, old service trains out there, presumably used for maintenance (since it's at the end of the Orange Line) that I was taking pictures of. The manager (or metro cop, I can't remember) said I couldn't take pictures. I asked why and he said, "After 9/11, you know..." That was all I got for an explanation. That's all you ever get for an explanation these days.
I've yet to have anyone stop me from taking photos in a metro station, which is pretty surprising considering how often I've been photographing the area metro stations this year.
I've seen Metro workers and station managers tell other folks to stop taking pictures occasionally, but other times they don't seem to notice or care. I can't recall ever being told myself. Personally, I wouldn't stop unless I was threatened with arrest, and even then I'd want to know what law (or even what Metro regulation) I was violating.