In this Metro guest column, Morningside Heights documentary filmmaker Eric Norcross reveals what he says happened when he tried to film MTA buses.
Filming buses and trains is an act of terrorism?
That’s what the MTA Police told me on Nov. 2, when I was shooting footage titled “New York Waking Up” that was going to be included in a short “fairy tale” film I had been working on over the last few months. My idea was to honor the city by portraying our most common modes of transportation, how New Yorkers get around.
Heading south on Riverside Drive, I stumbled across a line of buses parked along the street and filmed them. Over on Broadway at 133rd Street (near a bus depot) I found another line of buses and began to film them as well, but as I did a white SUV with an MTA logo pulled up with yellow lights flashing. A uniformed MTA Police Officer stepped out and three plainclothes officers also quickly appeared — in effect, surrounding me.
The uniformed officer told me I was committing a “terrorist act” and that filming buses, subways and any MTA property would not only get me arrested, but would also put me on a terrorist watch list.
When he suggested I erase the footage I was very polite, thinking he was joking. He wasn’t. I offered my business card and ID, which they didn’t accept. I assured him I would stop filming buses and quickly packed up my equipment, insisting on my ignorance and continued to head south.
I can’t get my mind wrapped around the absurdity.
Why would a bus driver call in a security threat for something like this? The filming of buses cannot be illegal, it just can’t be. Neither can the filming of trains. Especially filming from public property.
When I called the MTA it was suggested that I could get permission to film for a fee. A fee. I suppose that’s what this is about: not security, not terrorism, but monetary compensation to the MTA.
I thought this was about the threat of terrorism. Anyone?
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