About twelve years ago I did an images research project
for a consortium that was opposing the D.C. Metrorail project to build the
Silver Line as an elevated train going through Tyson’s Corner, eventually to
Dulles Airport and beyond.
My job was to find images of elevated rail transit in
various settings. Naturally, the idea was to find pictures that looked awful,
because the clients were supporting the idea of sending the Silver Line
underground instead of above. But the thing was—it was hard to find anything
that didn’t look nasty and ugly,
because that’s what elevated rail lines look like when imposed on existing
urban settings.
Yesterday, en route from Dulles Airport to downtown D.C.,
the section around Tyson’s was every bit as repulsive as those photos I
gathered all those years ago. Damn. I mean—for a total of less than $12 I saved
myself a $70+ cab fare, but what a complete blight on the landscape.
Really sorry that happened. But there you go—you get what
you pay for.
No comments:
Post a Comment