Photo by Ted Eytan.
Right as Monday commuters were beginning to make their way home, Union Station’s Main Hall made folks feel like they were already in someone’s basement.
The Washington Post reports that an advertising screen near the Chipotle entrance started playing pornography.
A video of the incident was posted to social media, and has since been deleted, according to The Post. But here’s how it went down:
The sexually explicit content was immediately noticeable to passersby. Some people stopped, stared and snickered, while others cautiously approached the screen, trying to figure out how to turn it off.
“What the hell is this?” proclaimed one man, pointing at the screen.
“Oh my God!” yelled a woman who watched from afar.
A Roti employee ultimately helped turn off the touch screens, says The Post.
The screens were installed as part of the transportation hub’s renovation, following a long back-and-forth with preservation groups. In addition to broadcasting ads, they provide information to travelers. While the 24/7 screens can be turned on and off by hand, the videos played on the screens are remotely controlled, according to The Post.
Beverly Swaim-Staley, president and CEO of the Union Station Redevelopment Corp., told The Post that she has asked the property manager, Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp., to look into the graphic incident. Until they figure out what happened, the screens will be off.
Rachel Kurzius