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Take a quick look through Flickr, and you'll see that the CTA is one of the most popular subjects for photographers' lenses. Interesting architecture, intriguing people, and a nice dose of urban decay all beg to be photographed. We were similarly inspired last weekend while waiting for a brown line train at the Belmont "L" stop. After taking a photo of the view toward the end of the platform, and two snapshots of a glimpse down Belmont in between train cars, we were approached by a CTA employee who told me that us to stop taking photographs, as they were not allowed. We politely said we would stop, but we believed he was incorrect about the photography policy. His tone turned gruff quite quickly, and he said, "I know the rules. You can't take pictures here. I work for the CTA." We once again politely stated said that we understood, but said I did not believe that was the policy. The employee then said, "I could send you to jail for taking these pictures, so stop arguing with me!"
Although we certainly thought that being sent to the slammer was not part of the CTA photography policy, we begrudgingly decided to keep mum and let it go, not wanting to run our mouth about a policy we couldn't remember word for word. After returning home, we did a little internet investigating, and we were surprised to discover that we could not find the photography policy posted anywhere on the CTA Website. The closest we came was a piece over at the CTA Tattler, where Kevin O'Neil posted an email he received from another disgruntled photographer, and then provided quotes from a follow-up interview he conducted with CTA Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Noelle Gaffney.
As the Tattler's article ran back in 2005, we decided to email Ms. Gaffney ourselves to see what the current policy was, find out where the photography policy has gone to, see if we could, indeed, "go to jail," and get to the bottom of photographer harassment on the "L." When we emailed Ms. Gaffney, she promptly responded, saying that the photography policy is "simple." However, after further discussion, we learned the policy is anything but.
According to Gaffney, the policy is as follows:
The general public is allowed to take snapshots in public areas. Equipment such as lighting, tripods, cables etc. is not allowed – except in instances where commercial and professional photographers enter into contractual agreements with CTA.Photographers are not allowed to enter or photograph non-public areas of CTA stations. (Public areas are the areas where you enter the station, pay your fare, and wait for the trains. Non-public areas are any storage rooms, work areas, ends of platforms that are blocked off to public access (such as in subways), tracks, etc. )
Photographers are prohibited from obstructing transit operations, interfering with customers, and blocking doors or stairs.
CTA personnel may evaluate the actions of photographers on a case by case basis to determine if a photographer is in compliance with the above guidelines. Our goal is to try and be flexible. Instructions given to our personnel make it very clear that they must do their best to distinguish between tourists and people just taking a couple of snapshots compared to professional photographers, production companies or someone who is taking an extended period of time or showing an unusual interest in areas of the station or equipment that would not be of interest to an average customer. In those cases, CTA personnel may ask them to stop --but they are expected to do so politely. The same is true if someone is blocking the flow of traffic at a station, causing a distraction, or getting in the way of customers.
When we told Ms. Gaffney that we were interested in providing a link to the policy but could not locate it, she said that the policy was, indeed, posted on the Website. However, in follow-up correspondence, she admitted that she could not locate it, although she was "confident it had been posted at one point." She stated that as a result of our emails, they would post a link to the policy on the Website soon.
We also asked Gaffney for her recommendations for photographers who encounter harassment while photographing the CTA. She replied that the "customer should ask for a supervisor or contact customer service if the employee does not know the procedures regarding photography. Additionally, if photographers "encounter an employee who is not as well versed in the policy as he or she should be…photographers should report the location, date, time and employee id # (if possible) to CTA customer service so that the employee can be retrained." After hearing of an employee threatening to take a camera from a photographer, we asked if employees would ever have the recourse to seize cameras. Gaffney replied that employees "should not take any cameras," and instead should notify the control center to call the police if there is "suspicious behavior" (so perhaps we could have gone to jail?).
If you think this sounds a trifle confusing, you're not alone. While we applaud the CTA for never proposing a ban on photography, unlike some other major metropolitan transportation services, the policy is extremely vague, left to the subjective views of CTA employees who may not be properly trained on identifying suspicious behavior. Gaffney noted that people "take photographs all the time without incident"; however, the number of people who have had difficulties, nearly all of whom we would venture to guess are merely photography enthusiasts, are not insignificant.
This Chicagoist writer has a tendency to be a rule follower to a fault. We generally avoid confrontation like it's the plague. But at the same time, we're not a pushover, and with the heightened paranoia frequently infringing on photographers' rights post-9-11 (yes, clichéd, but very true) we feel more inclined to argue against those who tell us to stop, on those occasions when we know that we are within our rights.
Unfortunately, the vaguely defined policy of the CTA never really lets us know where our rights are. If we were told we could take photographs anywhere but on the platform or anywhere but on a train car or bus, we would be disappointed, but willing to oblige, knowing that's the policy. However, although the policy states that the "general public is allowed to take snapshots in public areas," discretion is nevertheless based on the almighty "suspicious behavior," which, apparently for one CTA employee, meant a young female casually taking three snapshots with a mid-range camera over the course of about 20 seconds. Admittedly, Gaffney stated that the particular employee we encountered seemed to be unclear on the actual policy, and she graciously offered her apology. In addition, as a result of our correspondence and the upcoming tourist season, the Rail Operations department decided "it would be a good time for them to reissue notice to employees regarding the policy."
In the meantime, however, what's a photographer to do? Our recommendations: print out the policy once it is posted to the CTA Website, or print out this article. Although we venture to guess it wouldn't have succeeded with the employee with whom we had the run in, politely reminding employees that you are most likely within the bounds of their policy with backing straight from the CTA can be of assistance. Although we don't do it, many other photographers have also taken to carrying around Burt Krages', The Photographer's Right. Lastly, while we aren't generally a fan of being a snitch, reporting employees as recommended by Gaffney may be a worthwhile step, at least insofar as they can perhaps be reminded of the policy and possibly be taught to better identify suspicious behavior.
To the photographers out there: what has been your experience? Have you had any run-ins with CTA employees regarding your photography?
Photo by Senor Codo
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Taking pictures of trains is hot.
Olivia,
Was the CTA employee who threatened jail time a shitbird?
I hate 96% of the CTA employees. They are worse than the Wicker Park Post Office. They can all go to hell.
I love how when I'm riding my bike every day, I have the bus driver who runs me out out of my lane and nearly kills me, or on the rare occassion that I do drive, they come right into my lane as if they own it. And what happens when you say something? How about a little N.W.A.
I've never been approached when shooting on an L platform—not that I've done it that often. I don't like people seeing me take pictures; I usually do it when no one is looking.
Don't EVER hesitate to contact customer service with complaints or praise about CTA employees! Email customer service [ctahelp@transitchicago.com] and, as Olivia suggests, provide the employee's badge number. These comments are taken seriously by the CTA, and it is usually the only way to communicate specifically and directly to CTA administration about the usually good, and sometimes terrible, customer service.
I've never had any problems taking pictures of CTA buses or the El... but I've nearly been by a bus while on my bike on more than one occasion.
Great article, Olivia!
I've never had any problems taking pictures of CTA buses or the El... but I've nearly been by a bus while on my bike on more than one occasion.
i've taken plenty of cta-related pics, including lights (gasp!). haven't been spoken to once. indeed, it seems up to the (sometimes questionable) discretion of whatever employees happen to be around.
I've had mixed experiences. Although, I often am out taking pictures of transit, and rarely have had problems.
Never use flash in the face of an incoming train--not only does it temporarily screw with the vision of the rail operator, it also really gets under people's skin.
Don't take pictures of employees--I think people get nervous that they'll be seen in a photo somewhere and get in trouble (of course, if you're doing your job, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about). It's a comfort thing, I suppose.
I've been on platforms to be told "Hey, you know you can't take pictures down here."
I've been filmed for CTA Connections (it's done by a contractor) and even they had trouble, despite us being accompanied by a bus manager, when we entered Addison/Red--they called control to verify permission.
I've been on chartered tours and been OK to take pictures, but had an employee express discomfort of me taking close-ups of the turnstiles.
The best thing is definitely to put it away when asked. If someone threatens you or yells at you, though, that's just poor customer service (assuming you're not causing a dangerous situation).
I have the sense that CTA doesn't like it any more than we do, since it hurts the agency's image (it's because of incidents with nasty security contractors that a few of years ago they published the Rail Service Bulletin that specified that personal photography is allowed in the first place--to make sure everyone knew it was not OK to be yelling at tourists who wanted to take a family picture in a real live subway).
To be fair, I've also had really pleasant people, where I've asked permission to take photos, including with them in them, who've been more than happy to accommodate--including one CA working on the last night a station was open who was happy to pose for me, laughingly, in the old agent booth. And when Francisco reopened, I went out and the security guard and her supervisor were both happy to let me snap a bunch of photos inside and around the station to document how nice it was.
And, lastly, if you really want to clear yourself, having a pleasant tone and asking permission as though you're wanting the photos for something positive definitely seems to help.
All CTA employees feel they are somehow above the law or parallel to it. It must be something with the uniform. If I can get passed the lazy accent and mouths full of marbles, I might have a little more respect for them. I sometimes think the most polite CTA employees are the ones that don't exist at all.
And I don't meant to pull this one, but was racial favoritsm played? Far too often, I've seen employees take care of their own kind. And just to be fair, half of them are white. Something tells me, if you were the same as them, you could've drained your battery on that platform.
tony - CA? and which station was it?
Damn.
Looks like I'm taking my camera on subway trips from now on.
Gotta document the madness.
Just beacuse Flickr has a ton of pictures tagged or mentioning "CTA" (12,138 as of this writing), doesn't mean that "the CTA is one of the most popular subjects for photographers' lenses." I'm sure it's not even close.
MJK to be fair, state the correct percentage of whites working for the CTA: it's less than 20, if it's even that high.
Well done, Olivia.
You'd think the CTA could use some positive press. Pictures on Flickr that remind people that the rails can be a beautiful thing would be a good start.
Well, you know what they say:
What do you get when you spell Chicago backwards?
FASCISM!
I hope the 2nd poster meant Northwest Airlines. What do you expect with a CTA bus on the streets of Chicago? Happy bike ride, shitbird.
First of all, good article.
Secondly it isn't that complicated at all. Pay your fare and feel free to shoot whatever you'd like. Don't wait on a platform for 2 hours shooting every train that rolls by, and don't hop any fences and you should be within your rights.
The policy was on the CTA website a couple years ago but after a redesign they took it off. I suspect they did that because it would allow them to change the policy at a moments notice and nobody could then claim that they saw something different on the website.
What this issue is really about is the attitude of many city workers abusing their position of authority and overstepping their responsibilities. It happens all the time. People want to feel important in life, and when you have a job like working in the CTA stations you are going to exert whatever small dose of authority you have to feel that you are doing something worthwhile. If it means that you jump all over people taking a family photo then so be it.
Q: What's a photographer to do?
A: Go ahead and take your pictures. If you get bothered again, ignore them and click away.
Many people love to take pictures of trains. It's not a crime, and you won't be going to jail. You just ran across a person with a false sense of authority. This has happened many times in many U.S. cities, especially in the years since 9/11. See numerous relevant threads at flyertalk.com and amtraktrains.com.
Please w/ the dramatics. A single employee out of thousands got his facts wrong while he was trying to do his job. Has that ever happened at your work?
DXO - dramatics? a single employee out of thousands? Which CTA are you using? It's certainly not the one I ride on.
I really would have just insisted I was doing nothing wrong. I've taken photos all the time and never had a problem. I suppose if they threatened sending me to jail, I would ask for the station manager. Clearly CTA employees do not have the right to arrest anyone.
As for people almost getting run over by busses, I suggest considering your size with relation to the bus, and the fact that you probably don't realize you are the one getting in the way of traffic, not the bus getting in your way. I ride my bike every day through all of the busiest bus routes and keep a distance from them and always try to make sure I am not a nuissance, to busses and other drivers.
I am kind of starting to feel like a lot of cyclists take the same attitude as a lot of CTA employees. There's this extreme sense of self-righteousness that somehow the drivers are out to get you. Remember, as a biker, you are probably running a lot of stop signs and red lights, cutting people off, even unintentionally, and generally in the way a lot. I'm not condoning rude drivers, but try not to be a rude, self-important biker in return.
On the other hand, no one on here deserves to be called a "shitbird." There should be a way to flag certain comments. Sorry for the tangent.
A couple years ago, I wanted to take a picture of the fare booth used in the movie "While You Were Sleeping." I asked the employee sitting in it if it was okay. She said it was as long as I didn't use my flash.
Weird.
I was on deadline, trying to make get a shot of the police camera which can be viewed nicely from the Morse el platform. It was about 8:00pm and waaay below zero outside so I was trying to move quickly. Like I said, it was night time so I had to use a tripod to get a decent shot. This guy driving the train got out (surprising because it was so cold), and told me I couldn’t shoot. I replied that I paid my fair and was basically in a public area. He got upset at my resistance and also threatened to have me arrested. I would have waited for the police to come, but it was cold, the CTA guy had a trainload of people waiting, and I WASN”T SURE WHO WAS RIGHT. During our back and forth he did blurt “no tripods” like it came from a list of forbidden objects he was required to learn.
Ignorance provides no protection from the law. Rules and regs not clearly posted or available compound the burden. The CTA employee I dealt with upset me because he didn’t try to ask or inform, he just threatened me with arrest. I must have upset him because I didn’t immediately comply without question.
Don’t try and be a badass and play a game you don’t know the rules to. Do your homework and learn the CTA rules and regs.
If they ever post them..
What a bunch of snotty remarks about CTA people trying to take care of business. Have you heard of Madrid and train bombings? Stop dumping on everyone that doesn't realize how 'special' you are. What does the color of the personel have to do with anything. They have been told to "be on the lookout" for a list of activities. You should be glad they are doing their job. Creating problems where none exist does not help the situation for other photographers.
Just a few shots for me. Never run into any problems, but then again I'm not on the platforms in plain view of CTA employees when I decided to snap some shots. There seems to be heightened CTA presence due to construction, though.
shortBus: You can take pictures but most of the time you aren't allowed to use tripods based on 2 sets of rules. The first and more relevant is that using a tripod takes up space and creates a hazard for other commuters around you. This is also why you can't just setup a rig on the sidewalk on Michigan Ave. It can create a nuisance and in the case of a crowed train platform a real danger.
The second reason the rule exists is because the average joe doesn't shoot with tripods. A tripod is indicative of somebody who is serious about their photography and that means that the individual has a pretty decent chance of being a professional. If you are going to sell those pics of the CTA they want their cut which is why they will issue licenses to shoot. This one is all about dollars. Again, this policy is prevalent all over the place from museums to churches.
To be honest both reasons are extremely valid even though I wish they didn't exist.
Tangential Anecdote: Many, many years ago a friend was shooting a wraparound for another friend's demo reel and wanted to have a shot of her getting on the train at the Chicago stop. Seeing as they couldn't afford all the dough for permits and the requisite CPD officer one needed to do it legitimately, he set up his camera in the stairway window of a nearby building and communicated with the actors and the PA (me) via walkie-talkie. We were able to get a nice sequence on the platform without having to pay anything and nobody from the CTA was the wiser (of course this was back in the late 80's when you would have had to do some pretty drastic shit to even get a CTA employee's attention, much less draw their ire).
The CTA document is CTA Rail Service Bulletin R146-03. If you email them they will send you a copy, but it doesnt seem to be available online.
Here's the policy...
http://www.transitchicago.com/news/whatsnew2.wu?action=displaynewspostingdetail&articleid=120073
I have never had a problem, I always try to stay out of the way. I understand how people can be about photographers sometimes. One of the only places I've had an issue was a few years ago when a friend of mine and I were taking a picture of the "Bat" in front of the Social Security office downtown, and the security guard came out, but was nice and said we could take a picture of the "Bat" as long as we had our backs to the building and it wasn't in the photos. Other than that just crazy people who don't seen to understand what rights photographers have on public streets and sidewalks.
I'm glad you posted this. I always wanted to know but was too lazy to dig plus it was not on their site. I have had numerous run ins with CTA employees over the past 3 years. I for the most part just ignore them but now that I know this I may be printing it out and handing it to them.
I always point out that if it was illegal they would post signs since they post them for everything else they don't want you to do including eating and drinking on the train. I have never had anybody call me out for those activities though. Additionally if you were doing reconnaissance for your terrorist mission you might be a little less conspicuous. This just falls into the area called lack of training. Something the CTA is pretty good at.
I did not know you could not take photos of the "bat" either. Too bad I have a lot of them from the 90's. You just need to do what you have to do, be respectful of others and when challenged make them think they are in power. it's all about manipulation and control.