If you come from a large city, you may have seen or heard of us. We carry cameras on the streets and point them at buses and trains. We not only ride public transit, but we find entertainment and artistic value in it. And because of that, we have become some of the most misunderstood people in modern society. We are surrounded by dangerous and not-so-dangerous misconceptions, many of which make pursuing our hobby more difficult than it should be. But in most ways, we are just like everyone else. We are NOT terrorists, criminals, or the underdogs of society.
We are terrorists (or help terrorists)
There is a common misconception that taking photos of public transit vehicles or stations is against the law due to security concerns after 9/11. Although many transit agencies did try to enact photography bans in the early 2000s, most of them ultimately did not pass due to opposition from civil liberties groups. Some people also worry that we are really just terrorists in disguise or knowingly help terrorists.
The simple answer to this concern is WE DO NOT. No transit buffs have ever been arrested for aiding a terrorist attack or organization. We care about the safety of our fellow riders more than anything. We know exactly what's routine and what's suspicious. If we see something, we really will say something. So if you see us around, please know that you are in safe hands.
We are criminals/trespassers
There are people called "conquestors" who claim to be transit enthusiasts but commit crimes on transit property, such as breaking into out-of-service trains and buses, trespassing into tunnels or abandoned stations, and vandalism. However, the transit buff community unequivocally condemns any kind of illegal activity, especially inside transit systems.
Again, we seek to enjoy the simple and hidden beauty of transit in a legal and courteous way. We will not desecrate transit property in any way whatsoever. We respect our fellow transit riders and hope we can encourage them to appreciate transit, too. In summary, we believe transit is something to be enjoyed and cherished-legally.
We are autistic
It can be hard to understand why a small group of people is fascinated by something almost everyone takes for granted. But in most ways, we are just like anyone else. We have both transit buff and non-transit buff friends. Even when we ride transit, we talk about many different topics—some transit-related, some not.
We are un-artistic and boring
Everyone has their own hobbies and interests—some play sports, others sing or play a musical instrument, and we ride and photograph public transit. To us, the photos and videos we create are art. We do not simply take photos of every train station and every bus that rolls by. We also take into consideration the background, time of day, lighting, etc. of each shot. In fact, many transit buffs are extremely skilled photographers—they often excel in non-transit photography as well. Moral of the story: photography is art. And so is transit photography.
We have no friends or community
New Urbanist Memes for Transit-Oriented Teens (NUMTOT) has over 150,000 members worldwide and even its own Wikipedia page.
We flunked out of school
There is a public transit club in NYC's most selective high school (which has an acceptance rate of under 3 percent). There is a transit lab at MIT. NUMTOT was founded at UChicago. Many top universities conduct extensive research into civil engineering and urban planning.
We are socialists/communists
The notion that public transit equals socialism is gaining traction among conservatives. But come on, just because something is public doesn't mean it's un-American or evil. If public transit is socialist then public restrooms are also socialist. And I will bet you anything you use them every single day without even thinking about it.
It's easy to understand why transit buffs are so frequently misunderstood. We recognize that very few people are fascinated by public transit, and we know that we are a niche group in society. Despite our abnormal interest, however, we are still normal people. We simply choose to make transit our interest. We understand that everyone needs a hobby—we simply ask for your understanding.
