No 'Rapture' Allowed on Metro?

Photo by Jeffrey Lewis from ArmsControlWonk, snapped on the Red line this morning around 9:30 a.m. while traveling between the Woodley Park and Dupont Circle stations. Used by permission.

National security and nuclear arms control blogger Jeffrey Lewis of ArmsControlWonk was on the Red line this morning when he noticed a rather odd new sign prohibiting certain behavior on Metro. Next to the usual diagrams picturing how you must not block, crowd around or lean on Metro doors, someone had affixed another warning: No "Rapture," with a little businessman about float up to Heaven, and the universal symbol for "don't do it," the red circle with a line through it.

"I think it is a hometown effort to keep the dance punk field clear of competition in case Q and Not U decide to get back together," Lewis joked in an email, referring to the New York band The Rapture (and in his blog post also the song by Blondie).

Of course, who ever is behind the vandalism (or transit art, depending on your point of view) is more likely making a religious reference, perhaps also alluding to the widespread popularity of the Left Behind series and the theological debate among Christians over whether The Rapture is Biblical. And, you know, just trying to be funny.

For Metro's part, WMATA spokesperson Angela Gates told us that Metro was unaware of this particular signage switcheroo, but that they take reports of vandalism seriously.

"When we know which rail car has been vandalized, we take it out of service immediately and make the necessary repairs to get it back into service within a day," Gates said in an email.

Lewis didn't know the car number he was in this morning, and seems unlikely to help Metro locate it.

"I blanche at 'vandalism,'" he said. "I am calling it street art."