4 Comments
Invisible to the student’s eye–or at least hard to see
We are constantly being surveilled, which should come as no surprise to you. Even as you stand on the downtown-bound platform at 116 Street – Columbia University (in the City of New York), awaiting the rumbling, forceless approach of the 1 train, you should feel a prickling on your neck. And when you notice the security camera screens above your head, the prickling should intensify.
Ordinarily, such TVs are placed so that people on the platform can view the security footage with relative ease, although few people care to do so. That isn’t the case here; you can’t see the front of the screen without climbing down into the tracks. And the people on the other platform are too far away to catch a glimpse of it—so what’s the point? Who is watching these screens?
We have a few theories:
- Columbia parents who are finding it difficult to let go. As they view the livestream, they wipe away the tears the sight of you has wrought. “Wow,” your parents murmur, gazing upon your club-going gear as you drunkenly pose with the wooden chair on the platform. When you throw up on the yellow line, they reach for their phones and send out a text: “R you okay, honey?? Call back soon.”
- The MTA, as it carefully calculates the best time to delay your train, make you late for your job interview, and derail your entire career.
- Frats and srats, which cross you off their list of prospects as soon as they overhear you’re going to Queens or Staten Island, arguably the least fun (and most mysterious) boroughs.
- U.S. News, which will come up with a new index for schools, ranking them from coolest to lamest. We will predictably come in at the middle of the pack.
- Deantini, just trying to understand the kids. He’s cool and hep, but needs more help being cool and hep!
- CCSC, also just trying to understand the kids.
One question remains: who is watching the watcher?
Orwellian via Bwog Staff
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4 Comments
@Anonymous These aren’t surveillance cameras, you idiots. They’re for the conductors to view the far ends of the platform so they can see what’s going on when they close the doors and confirm passengers are clear of the doors before leaving the station.
@Anonymous It’s for the train conductor, you ignoramus. Do you even ride the subway? They’re on every platform. The conductor needs to make sure the doors are clear and closed before moving again. They point at the screen to show they’re awake too. Google it.
@Anonamoose They’re actually pointing at that black and white bar (called “The Zebra”). It’s a good reference point for the middle of the train since the screens aren’t exactly the same at each station.
@Anonymous You’re dumb. It’s so the conductor can make sure no one is blocking the doors the they close them.