Eye on the Station
Decatur Metro | March 25, 2011
Five Points MARTA Station, Atlanta GA (pic submitted by Stephanie)
Five Points MARTA Station, Atlanta GA (pic submitted by Stephanie)
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“Nothing to see here. Move along…BEFORE I KILL YOU.”
What a very negative, judgmental thing to say about a total stranger who happens to be in this photo. If I had your attitude, I would not feel good about myself.
jeez. lighten up, chira.
If I had been the person in the photograph, I wonder what Lump’s photo line would have been? Since I am an elderly German-looking woman and would probably be carrying my trusty shopping bag, maybe he could think of some way to comment on my potential criminality too. If anyone needs to lighten up, I think it is Lump.
mispel- You’re calling out Chira?! Seriously?! Betcha even Lump’s wishing he had a do over!
Ditto. It’s the facial expression that causes such joke, nothing else. I thought the same thing. That, and the man thinking What the Hell? Lighten up, Decatur.
Thank you, Not Susan. In all honesty, I think any one of us is capable of displaying this expression, so the suggestion that I was in some way attempting to disparage this person in particular (or their race, gender, whatever) is ridiculous. I’d probably scowl as well if some random stranger just decided to snap my photo in an empty MARTA station. This gentleman may love puppies and rainbows and foot rubs, but at this particular moment he looks PISSED OFF. To ignore that and suggest that my comment was somehow manufactured from whole cloth smacks of false outrage.
Some of you folks could stand to live in New York for a few years, where an expression like this can seriously decrease the likelihood of mugging.
Hrumph! No cookies for you!
Apart from whether or not we should be taking this guy’s picture and commenting on it, there IS a recommended style for riding the New York Subway. You want to sit slack-jawed, with no expression whatsoever on your face, never meeting anyone’s eyes, attracting no attention whatsoever but with your fists clenched so that it’s clear that you will make a lot of noise and commotion if anyone violates your personal space. This is a recommended style for daytime, mandatory for night time or less than full trains. Sitting in a car with a NYPD or transit police is recommended but does not obviate the necessity of the above measures.
Yes, when I lived in NYC, and rode subway from UWS to World Trade Center (yes, I’m that old), I was told to not make eye contact (I still use this tactic with my own children and dogs), that the Dominican women will tear yo a$$ up, and know where you’re going. What happened to me first week? Made eye contact with crazy person who took my pizza right from me and ate it. And he looked a little friendlier than MARTA guy above.
Or maybe he’s thinking, “Dag! Sure wish Lump would hurry up and get here! These chocolate chip cookies I baked for him smell soooooo gooood… must.not.eat.one. …”
LOL, before I even read the comments, on which I will not further comment, my initial reaction was that the guy must have been thinking “Why the he!! is this crazy woman taking my picture?!?”
That old building in the background is all that remains of an historic architectural landmark that was once on the site of the 5 points station. MARTA saved the façade. What you cannot see in this photo is the cool sculpture of a woman with naked breasts up on the cornice of the facade. Several years ago some (anti something, anti art?) group tried to get MARTA to cover the exposed breast with a shroud.
Sounds like former Attorney General John Ashcroft. He did the required “Lady Justice” (with naked breasts) to be shrouded.
As a MARTA rider every week day and user of that very platform, I never knew what that wall was. Any idea what building it used to be? I see it so often that I guess I took it for granted that it was just part of MARTA’s design. Was it part of the old train terminal building? Had no idea–thanks!
The facade is from the Eiseman Building.
http://www.atlantatimemachine.com/downtown/eiseman.htm
Your link presents the very interesting history of the building that was demolished in creating Five Points Station – thanks! Walking in the Underground and buying some fresh-made candy in one of the shops are two of my favorite things when I have extra time to spend downtown. I always take visitors there, and treat them to dinner at the Sun Dial in the evening if their schedule allows. Then if they can stay longer than one day, yeah, I bring them out to Decatur.
So very cool–thanks for the link AMB! I’ll never look at that the same.
Is he the keeper of the underworld?
That wall always makes me feel like I’m in Grand Central Station. Except with four tracks, instead of 400.
I love transferring trains at 5 Points Station, all of the hustle-bustle of the place, and the nice
benches for waiting if you need to sit. And people on MARTA are so polite to each other too,
and helpful to strangers in town who need to ask questions. I can not really understand anyone having a negative attitude from the git-go about MARTA.
When I was on Marta last week, a blind man entered the car and had trouble orienting himself on the crowded train. Numerous people kindly helped him. I don’t understand the negative attitude either.
I love MARTA. I don’t understand the hate either.
100+ for deanne, J-T, jj, and karass. I was on a MARTA bus from Howell Mill Road to Midtown Station last year just before Christmas with a woman carrying about 6 bags of heavy shopping, whose destination was Bankhead. When we got to Midtown Station, a couple of people helped her carry her bags to the train. When she transferred at 5P to the Bankhead train, several more people helped her carry her bags to that train. I was caught up in this little drama by then and went along with her to recruit new helpers on the way to Bankhead. We all made it to Bankhead and helped her on her bus there. It was the most wonderful “Christmas” feeling that I had last year — she was soooo appreciative of our help. All the way back to 5P and to my airport destination, I felt like I had been blessed to witness the kindness people gave to her so spontaneously. I have witnessed many helpful incidents like this on MARTA buses and trains since I moved to Georgia in 2006, and give MARTA and its riders lots of love. I haven’t had a car of my own since 1998 — don’t need one.
Here is my MARTA story from last week. A map on the train from Buckhead to 5-points is in a wheel chair carrying a guitar case. He asked if I minded if he played the Blues. I said no, and he pulled out a harmonica and played and sang a hot blues song. He had the whole car taping our feet, banging on the seats, and smiling. He got an ovation when we got to 5-points and he exited. And he never asked money. It was one of the best rides I ever had on MARTA.
That should be a man on MARTA, not a map!
Everybody knows that maps don’t play the blues.
Love your MARTA story! I have LOTS of Marta stories, but I will save them up for future use… to me, riding Marta is a “slice of real life,” and people have time and inclination to interact and talk.