LTVSquad

Category: Legal

  • Just doing it for the cause…

    Just doing it for the cause…

    Look, I want to make this perfectly clear, I’m only going to say this once so pay attention, take notes, and tape said notes to your forehead for future reference.

    We here at LTV are not interested in your TV shows, Merchandising Schemes, or desires to make a fast buck off ‘urban exploring’. We don’t explore for the fame, the money or the attention. We do it because we love to do it.

    I think I can speak for must of us when I say we’ve got jobs, plenty of dates (for the single folks, plenty of us are happily married), and if we want fame, yeah we’ll take that too on our own terms. TV? Been there done that. Interviews in major news outlets? Been there done that too. We’ll talk to the press on occasion, but more often than not we turn down the interview offers.

    Occasionally we put out our own products, mostly books, a few prints at gallery shows, nothing major – though you’ll probably see a lot more of this in the future. We control the process though. Why should we hand over control of the process to anyone else, especially to media companies and corporations that just want to rape the lifestyle, make a fast buck, and move on? No thanks.

    So in a nutshell, don’t come knocking unless you’re willing to split the profits 80/20 (80 for us, that is) and realize that no, you don’t own us, and you never will.

  • Ripping people off with fake NYCTA lanterns

    Ripping people off with fake NYCTA lanterns

    This is amazing. Some company is selling what some claim are NYCTA lanterns for the ridiculous price of $150. The only thing is they look very little like actual NYC MTA safety lanterns.

    Here is what they are selling: Note the rubber handle and non-MTA logo.

    Now here is a real MTA lantern (photo provided by one of our trackworker friends). Note the plastic handle, and embossed ‘NYCTA’ lettering along the side.

    These lanterns are not sold to the public (though you can occasionally find them on ebay, craigslist, etc).


    See that lantern on the far right – it’s the type that contractors use, which is the same model as the one this company is selling, only it has no weird logo on it.

    The lantern these guys are selling can be found online for a mere 50 bucks. I guess that logo on there warrants a huge mark up? That’s like taking a honda, sticking a ferrari-esque logo on it, and selling it for 3 times the price to unsuspecting consumers who don’t know better.

    Hey I’m all for people making money, but consumer deception is lame.

    Gizmodo says you can look like a real MTA engineer with one of these fake lanterns. Uhm… No. If you really want to look like an MTA employee, this is the gear you need:

    And if you want a real original set of MTA work lanterns, you’ll have to contact the infamous Caveman and make a seriously good offer, though really, I don’t think money can buy these.

    I’m going to drop the same knowledge my first boss ever gave me: ‘Don’t take any wooden nickels‘. If it ain’t real it’s nonsense.

    (Thanks to The Don, MW, Axe and Caveman for much of the fodder in this post)

  • Jailbreak

    Jailbreak

    For all those on the inside, hope you break out soon.

  • Underbelly Arrest Roundup, Demands to Open it to Public

    Underbelly Arrest Roundup, Demands to Open it to Public

    Gothamist continues to cover the Underbelly story in depth. Today they have a roundup of stories from some of those who have been arrested. Our original estimate of a dozen or so people having been arrested has continued to trend upward, with sources stating that the tally at the moment is closer to 30.

    NY Times Art Beat has similar coverage, with quotes from the MTA stating they have no intent to paint the abandoned station shell.

    If the comments within the NY Times article are any indication, the public really wants to see this art installation. Some are clearly willing to risk arrest just to see it. Let me state this again: The MTA should throw some lights down there and open the space to the public. Charge a high admission fee. This is great, low cost potential revenue stream for the MTA. The only argument I’ve heard against this has been that it would cost too much to create a viable entrance that is safe to the public. This is simply not true. We have it from sources within the MTA that the station shell is accessible behind locked doors, and the only work that would be needed would be the installation of a temporary staircase (the structure of which is already in place).

    There is a huge market for this. 8 years ago, nearly on this exact date, a line stretching at least 5 blocks long formed as art lovers and tunnel foamers eagerly waited for chance to crawl down a manhole and view artwork from yours truly, Margaret Morton, Revs, Julia Solis, and many others. Barely 1/4th of the people on the line that day got to see the installation, and the one day only event was never repeated.

    There is a huge market for this type of art show. Each visitor paid $10 to enter – and that was to see a tunnel and works by perhaps a dozen artists. This station includes art from over 100 artists. A black tie opening with an entrance fee of $100 would sell out. The public at large would probably pay 15 to 20 a pop to see this project. The MTA is sitting on a gold mine. They should do what a real public authority would do: Open it to the public and make us some money!

    In completely unrelated news, we now have a second batch of photos from underbelly available for your viewing pleasure. With I like about this batch are some of the small detail shots. It seems some artists put added touches in the tunnel space. Smaller and less obvious than the large works, these small bits give the space much more personality.

  • Multiple Underbelly-related Arrests

    Multiple Underbelly-related Arrests

    It didn’t take long for people to start getting arrested in their attempts to view the underbelly project.

    Apparently in the last few days a group of 6 people tried to access the abandoned station and were greeted by the NYPD. The result of course was 24 hours going through the system.

    A separate rumor is going around the newsroom that a crew of foreign journalist attempted to access the location and were also arrested, DCPI press passes be damned.

    I say it very often on this blog, and I’ll say it again: Don’t go into NYC subway tunnels. It’s bad idea. Tunnels are confined spaces where injury and death are readily possible. The photos of this project are all over the internet. People continue to send us these photos. They are not hard to find. If you want to see the art, do so from your own home.

    You’re also wasting the NYPD’s time. There’s few of them on patrol these days and I’d imagine they don’t want to waste time on dumb trespassers. Give them patrol guys a break. I’m sure the last thing they want to be doing is sitting in some dark dirty tunnel waiting for you to show up.

  • Response to Underbelly, from MTA and the public.

    Response to Underbelly, from MTA and the public.

    First, let’s look at what the MTA has to say about this situation – from the second ave subway saga blog

    MTA Response:

    I asked the authority about their official response to the so-called exhibition, and it was as you might expect. “NYC Transit is working with the NYPD in the investigation and follow-up on this matter,” MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said. “Further inspections will be made to this and other similar locations throughout the system to better secure these areas. We remind the public that any such incursions into unauthorized areas of the transit system is considered trespassing and is punishable by law not to mention, dark and dangerous.”

    Meanwhile, I learned this morning as well that an MTA work crew went into the old South 4th Street station to explore the site. They were spotted entering the shell at the northbound end of the Broadway stop on the G train, and Donovan told me that the authority’s crews are working to identify potential access points and to seal up these abandoned areas. “New York City Transit staff were on site today to assess the station’s security and make some adjustments to make it more secure,” Donovan said.

    Next, let’s see what the public has to say about this art project:

    PUBLIC RESPONSE:

    Second ave subway comments:

    #
    Tsuyoshi says:
    November 2, 2010 at 7:30 pm

    They should open it up and charge admission.
    #
    Andreas says:
    November 2, 2010 at 8:53 pm

    I knew it was there..! The site is accessible without crossing the crosstown tracks, it’s just a few feet North of the SB platform at the Broadway Station. My guess is that this area would be the vertical circulation to the never to be station… I saw construction workers a couple of times over there… I wish i had the opportunity to visit this art space!

    Gizmodo comments-

    Either this is one cool art space or the biggest urban legend ever to be invented that will probably cause art loving adventure seekers life, limb or an entry into their newly minted criminal record if they’ve committed none thus far. Having said that, crap, I might try to find the damn thing.

    Gothamist comments:

    [1] | RJ Rushmore

    I went down to see The Underbelly Project, and it was one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen. Just the sheer amount of art they were able to get down there. And the space is so unique…

    4] | BoozeParty

    Good stuff. I should do a little tunneling and check some of this out.

    Conclusions:

    I think the MTA’s opinion is clear. Going in tunnels to do anything while not being an MTA employee or contractor is ILLEGAL and FROWNED UPON. There’s good reason for that. Dozens of people die in the subway tunnels every year. They’re not ‘people friendly’.

    The public, on the other hand, seems to fall into 3 groups:
    1) People who will pay money to go there
    2) People who would willing to be blindfolded and lead around in circles for hours then get to see it – these people would probably pay triple the price.
    3) Artists who are hating on it for various reasons.

    My sources tell me you don’t need to go into a subway tunnel to access – that there is at least one hidden doorways to it that are safe for MTA employees to gain entry. Given that public safety could very likely be accommodated, it is my position that the MTA should give the people what they want: Open this to the public. Charge admission. People will come from around the world to see it. If it can’t be opened day to day, Let the transit museum give tours once every month or two. Again: Charge a lot of money. The MTA could make a decent clip off this project over time.

    Yes, apparently it was created illegally, but when you overlook that fact and instead look what we’re left with: A station full of art where one never existed – this is quite the potential win story for NYC and the MTA as a whole. A huge collection of artwork, given to the MTA for free, by masters of their trade!
    If you agree, write to the MTA and let them know what already seems pretty clear: The people want in. The people will pay money. You have nothing to fear but fear itself!