# Photos on the subway 1981



## stacey_ (Sep 8, 2014)

I thought I would share this link of photos taken on the subway in the early 80s.

http://tipolog.livejournal.com/153201.html

It has changed a lot now of course but still seems a bit dated when compared to all the modernisation the tube in London has seen. 

Apparently the Guardian Angels are still going.


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## weltweit (Sep 8, 2014)

Way too much graffiti for my liking.


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## editor (Sep 8, 2014)

Blimey, NY sure was fucked up in the 80s!


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## 19sixtysix (Sep 8, 2014)

Grim.


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## Voley (Sep 8, 2014)

Ace photos. This immediately jumped into my head looking at them:


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## Indeliblelink (Sep 8, 2014)

Love the shot of the end of Dondi's Zoro wholecar from Wildstyle.


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## not-bono-ever (Sep 8, 2014)

great pics - I sorta miss late 80s NYC- used to get the Jamaica train to work - utterly shit and semi scarey


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## davesgcr (Sep 9, 2014)

Deeply depressing - note how the adverts and the car numbers / destiaation blinds are the only untagged items - (and the conductors etc. still turned out smart in uniforms) - lowest point in all respects - but recovery was on the way. Much like that in 1984 when I first ventured on the system - deserted - even in mid town after about 2000 hrs - very offputting , despite the "NY was great with graff" school. Fascinating - but not good really for the average Joe. Contrast to last time in NY in 2008 - you ahd to stand on the Lex local at 2300 hrs - and people had no qualm in using mobiles / laptops etc....Transit musuem blanks any pix of the bad years - yet it was there from 1970 to around 1988 when the last massively tagged car went to the breakers....


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## Favelado (Sep 14, 2014)

editor said:


> Blimey, NY sure was fucked up in the 80s!



Better than being a Sex and the City theme park.


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## Favelado (Sep 14, 2014)

davesgcr said:


> Deeply depressing - note how the adverts and the car numbers / destiaation blinds are the only untagged items - (and the conductors etc. still turned out smart in uniforms) - lowest point in all respects - but recovery was on the way. Much like that in 1984 when I first ventured on the system - deserted - even in mid town after about 2000 hrs - very offputting , despite the "NY was great with graff" school. Fascinating - but not good really for the average Joe. Contrast to last time in NY in 2008 - you ahd to stand on the Lex local at 2300 hrs - and people had no qualm in using mobiles / laptops etc....Transit musuem blanks any pix of the bad years - yet it was there from 1970 to around 1988 when the last massively tagged car went to the breakers....



There's an issue with balance though isn't there? I think murders peaked in NYC in 1993 and it's great that it's much safer now, but I can't help but get the feeling it's very sterile compared to how it was in the past. A city where anything went is now a city where they have big crackdowns on skateboarders and the like.

Couldn't they have got crime down without rinsing it of its spirit and gentrifying the life out of it?


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## MikeMcc (Sep 16, 2014)

Having walked about for the last few weeks I'd disagree that there was a crackdown on folks that prevented them getting on with their lives and expressing themselves.  This has included skateboarders, street performers, etc.  Maybe it's because I've been in largely tourist areas (South Ferry up to the National History Museum, though right across Manhattan from Intrepid to the UN.  Been some pretty weird folks about, though always above ground.  The Subway definitely feels a lot safer than it used to.  One thing that I notice now compared to 8 or so years ago is that the Nation of Islam folks have vanished.  Haven't seen any of them on this trip.


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## davesgcr (Sep 16, 2014)

You still see some beggars - and a guy on the 2 Express was carrying a bunch of tagged and clearly snatched from a shop shirts on my last venture there in 2008 - but overall , clean , blander and much busier....


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