I brought my camera with me to work so I could snap a few pictures of the new Charlie Ticket vending machines on the way in. I wanted to make a write up about the new payment system being put in place. As I was taking my first picture, a large man approached, wearing a heavy MBTA jacket. He said, “You need a permit to take pictures in the station.” Fearing the instant confiscation of my expensive digital camera, I put the lens cap on immediately, apologized and claimed ignorance, not acknowledging that I had already snapped a shot with no flash. I was just waiting for some guy to come out of nowhere, tackle me to the ground and arrest me on suspicion of being a terrorist. Greg [rommate] happened to get there at that time. He must have left the house just after me. He saw what had happened and asked what I was doing. I told him I was just wanted to take a couple pictures of the new machines for the Charlie Ticket for my blog. Greg said he was just waiting for the guy to smile and say he was just kidding, but he never did.
Sometimes I think I felt safer when there was no MBTA police presence at the stations at all.
I’ll make the Charlie Ticket post at a later date using stock pictures from the MBTA website. I really have no desire to be fined or in any type of legal turmoil. Whatever happened to freedom of the press…
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