I
interchange42
Guest
i've coughed up Lawrence: www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
and York Mills: www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
enjoy!
42
and York Mills: www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
enjoy!
42
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I
interchange42
Guest
Well, the rest of the Yonge line is up now:
Sheppard www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
North York Centre www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
Finch www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
And now, it's off to the eastern fringes of town...
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Sheppard www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
North York Centre www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
Finch www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
And now, it's off to the eastern fringes of town...
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I
interchange42
Guest
Eastward Ho:
Sherbourne
www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
Castle Frank
www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
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Sherbourne
www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
Castle Frank
www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
42
D
Darkstar416
Guest
Fantastic job again!
Just curious, have you ever had any problems with TTC staff while taking pictures?
Just curious, have you ever had any problems with TTC staff while taking pictures?
I
interchange42
Guest
Hey DS -
Yes! I have been pulled aside. I have to document this at some point anyway, so the detailed history is as follows if you want to read it:
I had no problems photographing on the Spadina line, and while I was not photographing collector's booths, neither was I purposefully avoiding TTC employees.
Bayview was the first station I went to to photograph the Sheppard line. There's art all over that station, including in front of the collector's booth. The collector called me over, asked what I was doing, and I explained it. He told me that he had the authority to grant photograph taking in his station, and that it would be okay with him, as long as I did not photograph the booth. He told me to ask the collector at each station. I did not ask the collector at the other Sheppard line stations, and began to avoid them purposefully, and had no trouble.
Next up for me was the west end of the Bloor line. I did not run into any trouble until Dundas West at the bus platform, where a bus driver stepped out of his bus and told me I was not allowed to take pictures on the system. I was finished up there, so went below to shoot.
On my second or third trip along the lower Yonge line I was just getting a last pic before heading home, photographing the station name "Bloor" when a TTC Special Constable stepped off a train that had just pulled in, and asked me what I was doing. "For personal or commercial purposes?" I explained it was for my own architectural review of the system. He told that there is nothing in the TTC Bylaws that forbid taking pictures for personal use, but that if these were for commerical purposes there would be a $115 fine. (My camera is a tiny Sony compact, so it doesn't have that "destined for commercial purposes" look, despite having a 7.2 megapixel CCD.) The constable told me he had a friend that did the same kind of thing as a hobby, so he understood. I did not ask if the $115 fine was levied on a per-picture-published basis, on a getting-caught-on-a-per-photo-expedition basis, or on a per-published-product basis (such as $115 fine for a book with 400 photos in it). I had not imagined any commerical publication when I started this project, but some people are now encouraging me to publish the pics in some way.
He also told me that some people get nervous when they see photographs being taken in the system since the London bombings and 9/11, and he made it sound like he had been sent to track me down in response to some concerns without saying so specifically. That's when I started to get more cognizant of both the security camera locations in the stations, and crowds of worried looking passengers; two more things to avoid when possible.
After that nothing until photographing Finch. I took photos of an artwork on the wall in full view of the collectors booth with no questions asked, but downstairs along the subway platform a TTC Inspector came up to me and asked me wjhat I was doing shooting down there. I told him, and related what the Special Constable had told me. The Inspector was surprised to hear that the constable said there was no problem with me shooting for personal use - he said that TTC employees are told "no permits - no photographs", and that I needed to call customer relations to get a permit. A subsequent visit I made to a Flickr group discussion thread revealed that another photo-hobbyist had been told that the TTC does not issue permits for personal photography when he called customer relations.
So I haven't called them. Now that this is firmly established as a guerilla operation, I am determined to finished photographing the system without their permission. I'm getting in no one's way, I don't take a tripod, I'm not photographing anything that can't be seen by anyone, anytime. It also all dovetails nicely with the "Photography is not a Crime" movement (see jpgmag.com/issue5.html) which I am a supporter of.
So, there's the long answer. I'll been interested in any comments on similar experiences that anyone might want to relate.
42
P.S. - I'm hoping to get the Prince Edward Viaduct shots processed and uploaded tonight. I am treating it to station status and giving it its own entry in the list. Cheers!
Yes! I have been pulled aside. I have to document this at some point anyway, so the detailed history is as follows if you want to read it:
I had no problems photographing on the Spadina line, and while I was not photographing collector's booths, neither was I purposefully avoiding TTC employees.
Bayview was the first station I went to to photograph the Sheppard line. There's art all over that station, including in front of the collector's booth. The collector called me over, asked what I was doing, and I explained it. He told me that he had the authority to grant photograph taking in his station, and that it would be okay with him, as long as I did not photograph the booth. He told me to ask the collector at each station. I did not ask the collector at the other Sheppard line stations, and began to avoid them purposefully, and had no trouble.
Next up for me was the west end of the Bloor line. I did not run into any trouble until Dundas West at the bus platform, where a bus driver stepped out of his bus and told me I was not allowed to take pictures on the system. I was finished up there, so went below to shoot.
On my second or third trip along the lower Yonge line I was just getting a last pic before heading home, photographing the station name "Bloor" when a TTC Special Constable stepped off a train that had just pulled in, and asked me what I was doing. "For personal or commercial purposes?" I explained it was for my own architectural review of the system. He told that there is nothing in the TTC Bylaws that forbid taking pictures for personal use, but that if these were for commerical purposes there would be a $115 fine. (My camera is a tiny Sony compact, so it doesn't have that "destined for commercial purposes" look, despite having a 7.2 megapixel CCD.) The constable told me he had a friend that did the same kind of thing as a hobby, so he understood. I did not ask if the $115 fine was levied on a per-picture-published basis, on a getting-caught-on-a-per-photo-expedition basis, or on a per-published-product basis (such as $115 fine for a book with 400 photos in it). I had not imagined any commerical publication when I started this project, but some people are now encouraging me to publish the pics in some way.
He also told me that some people get nervous when they see photographs being taken in the system since the London bombings and 9/11, and he made it sound like he had been sent to track me down in response to some concerns without saying so specifically. That's when I started to get more cognizant of both the security camera locations in the stations, and crowds of worried looking passengers; two more things to avoid when possible.
After that nothing until photographing Finch. I took photos of an artwork on the wall in full view of the collectors booth with no questions asked, but downstairs along the subway platform a TTC Inspector came up to me and asked me wjhat I was doing shooting down there. I told him, and related what the Special Constable had told me. The Inspector was surprised to hear that the constable said there was no problem with me shooting for personal use - he said that TTC employees are told "no permits - no photographs", and that I needed to call customer relations to get a permit. A subsequent visit I made to a Flickr group discussion thread revealed that another photo-hobbyist had been told that the TTC does not issue permits for personal photography when he called customer relations.
So I haven't called them. Now that this is firmly established as a guerilla operation, I am determined to finished photographing the system without their permission. I'm getting in no one's way, I don't take a tripod, I'm not photographing anything that can't be seen by anyone, anytime. It also all dovetails nicely with the "Photography is not a Crime" movement (see jpgmag.com/issue5.html) which I am a supporter of.
So, there's the long answer. I'll been interested in any comments on similar experiences that anyone might want to relate.
42
P.S. - I'm hoping to get the Prince Edward Viaduct shots processed and uploaded tonight. I am treating it to station status and giving it its own entry in the list. Cheers!
D
Darkstar416
Guest
Thanks for that Interchange! It sucks that the TTC's response to photography on the system is so inconsistent.
I have no personal experience, but I had a friend yelled at once at Wilson for taking pictures. The TTC operator said "absolutely no photography is allowed on TTC property" which we all know is a crock.
I have no personal experience, but I had a friend yelled at once at Wilson for taking pictures. The TTC operator said "absolutely no photography is allowed on TTC property" which we all know is a crock.
J
jayomatic
Guest
One of my favourite stories was when a workmate of mine was taking photos on a day where the subway was going haywire. Platforms packed with people, etc.
My friend was in the subway car taking video out the doors onto the platform. Then this ttc guy came walking by just as the doors were closing and the ttc guy was running alongside the car banging on the window trying to get my friend to stop shooting and then he couldnt keep up with the subway and everyone in the subway car was laughing at him.
My friend was in the subway car taking video out the doors onto the platform. Then this ttc guy came walking by just as the doors were closing and the ttc guy was running alongside the car banging on the window trying to get my friend to stop shooting and then he couldnt keep up with the subway and everyone in the subway car was laughing at him.
I
interchange42
Guest
Hmm... no one else has any TTC photo stories? Thanks for those two in any case, they both add to the stew.
Meanwhile, I've added a couple of "stations".
I thought that the Prince Edward Viaduct should get its due, so I went out a bunch of times and put this section together: Here are the 12 best representatives of 90 photos:
www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
And then of course comes Broadview:
www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
Cheers!
42
Meanwhile, I've added a couple of "stations".
I thought that the Prince Edward Viaduct should get its due, so I went out a bunch of times and put this section together: Here are the 12 best representatives of 90 photos:
www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
And then of course comes Broadview:
www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/
Cheers!
42
I
interchange42
Guest
I have put up the next four stations, each with only 8 pictures, because frankly, the Danforth line is mostly terribly dull, and getting interesting pictures out of it is like those last drips that elicit from a washcloth you have wrung out to the nth degree. (Likely that's not a surprise for anyone.)
Nevertheless, you can check out Chester, Pape, Donlands, and Greenwood now. The url for the set is www.flickr.com/photos/cas...s/1169190/ and you can click on any station you're interested in from the list there.
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Nevertheless, you can check out Chester, Pape, Donlands, and Greenwood now. The url for the set is www.flickr.com/photos/cas...s/1169190/ and you can click on any station you're interested in from the list there.
42
C
cancsis
Guest
Interchange:
First off you have some brillant shots! Really enjoy your album.
I witnessed 'picture trouble' on the weekend three weeks ago at Bayview Station (you did an awesome job with the artwork shots - better than real life).
The Westbound pulled in, which I boarded. The guard got off and approached a guy who had a camera in his hand. The guy put it away after the guard spoke to him. Thought it was odd the guard actually left the train.
The Special Constable is quite correct - the bylaw only speaks to needing authorisation for commercial pics, but there's obviously a lot of differing opinions.
First off you have some brillant shots! Really enjoy your album.
I witnessed 'picture trouble' on the weekend three weeks ago at Bayview Station (you did an awesome job with the artwork shots - better than real life).
The Westbound pulled in, which I boarded. The guard got off and approached a guy who had a camera in his hand. The guy put it away after the guard spoke to him. Thought it was odd the guard actually left the train.
The Special Constable is quite correct - the bylaw only speaks to needing authorisation for commercial pics, but there's obviously a lot of differing opinions.
W
wyliepoon
Guest
Interesting, yet a bit worrisome, that some TTC staff are negative about transit photography.
I guess I'm lucky that I've never been told to stop taking photos/videos in the transit system. One time I was at the front of the train on the Yonge Subway near Rosedale taking photos, and the operator started asking me questions about my digital camera in a nice way.
These days I am careful not to get in trouble, or cause inconvenience to other passengers when taking photos or videos on the TTC. Almost all the subway shots I take are from the back of the train.
I guess I'm lucky that I've never been told to stop taking photos/videos in the transit system. One time I was at the front of the train on the Yonge Subway near Rosedale taking photos, and the operator started asking me questions about my digital camera in a nice way.
These days I am careful not to get in trouble, or cause inconvenience to other passengers when taking photos or videos on the TTC. Almost all the subway shots I take are from the back of the train.
C
Canuck 36
Guest
Great pictures interchange42, and also nice to know the TTC hasn't thrown you in jail for your criminal activities (taking pictures?!... TO JAIL WITH HIM!!!)
I
interchange42
Guest
...and on that note, I took a picture at the wrong time last night. I was at Victoria Park, and had just finished a taking the shot, when a janitor saw me lowering my camera. I started to walk to the next spot I wanted a shot from, and he came running after me, asked me what I was doing, and told me to wait because he was calling in security. I told him about TTC bylaw 16b which I am now armed with: No person shall operate for commercial purposes any camera, video recording device, movie camera, or any similar device upon any vehicle or premises of the Commission without authorization.
We went over to the collector's both, I told him that 16b allows me to take pics for my own purposes, and he stepped out to read the bylaw posted by the front door of the station. He turned out to be a very friendly guy, and agreed with me, and said I should be able to continue, or leave if I wanted to. The janitor was not happy about that, and the transit cops were on their way anyway.
So I waited about 20 minutes for security to arrive, yacked it up with the collector for a while, and explained what I was doing to the officers when they arrived. One of them thinks that using these pictures for a possible lecture to the Toronto Society of Architects is commercial, and again advised me to contact marketing to get a letter of permission. We had a reasonable, respectful conversation. I was not asked, this time, to fork over any ID.
After 5 or 10 minutes with them, I headed home.
I would still like to finish my project without getting a letter of permission, because the bylaw (from any reasonable interpretation of it) does not prohibit what I am doing, but these time consuming run-ins tend to weaken my resolve in that regard.
We'll see.
(Thanks for the kind words in regard to the photos!)
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We went over to the collector's both, I told him that 16b allows me to take pics for my own purposes, and he stepped out to read the bylaw posted by the front door of the station. He turned out to be a very friendly guy, and agreed with me, and said I should be able to continue, or leave if I wanted to. The janitor was not happy about that, and the transit cops were on their way anyway.
So I waited about 20 minutes for security to arrive, yacked it up with the collector for a while, and explained what I was doing to the officers when they arrived. One of them thinks that using these pictures for a possible lecture to the Toronto Society of Architects is commercial, and again advised me to contact marketing to get a letter of permission. We had a reasonable, respectful conversation. I was not asked, this time, to fork over any ID.
After 5 or 10 minutes with them, I headed home.
I would still like to finish my project without getting a letter of permission, because the bylaw (from any reasonable interpretation of it) does not prohibit what I am doing, but these time consuming run-ins tend to weaken my resolve in that regard.
We'll see.
(Thanks for the kind words in regard to the photos!)
42
B
building babel
Guest
A wise decision, to set aside 30 minutes to sort it all out. If you'd fled, we'd all be seeing grainy images of you, plucked from security cameras, plastered all over thet system:
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN?
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN?
W
wyliepoon
Guest
Maybe we can get Spacing to make some buttons or T-shirts with TTC bylaw 16c emblazoned on it. We can wear it while taking photos in the subway, and rub it in the face of any suspicious TTC staff telling us to stop.