NYCT seeks to ban photography in subways

Citing security reasons, New York City Transit (NYCT) last week proposed a ban on unauthorized photography, filming and videotaping on city subways, buses and Staten Island Railway trains. Individuals with permits, such as the press, would be exempt. Other proposed rules of conduct include a tougher rule against turnstile jumping, and rules against walking between subway cars and putting feet on seats. "The world we live in has changed dramatically since 1994, so has our operating environment," said NYCT President Lawrence J. Reuter in a New York Times report. Filming and picture-taking in the subways also banned in the 1930's was repealed in 1994, according to NYCT spokesman Charles F. Seaton. If approved by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the NYCT's parent company, the rules will be subject to a public comment period before they can be implemented next fall.