Saturday, May 17, 2008

America: Land Of The Police



Hey Bloggers, what happens when you get a ticket and a summons for playing a musical instrument in the subway? And whatever happened to freedom of speech. So what's up with that New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority. And if you have ever been to New York City you may have heard of them. And these days I find myself thinking of them as the Metropolitan Terrorist Authority with the horror stories I hear from the riders and musicians that ride and play their instruments in their subway system. And that authority seems to have more police in its system underground than riders of its subways and New York City as a whole, and seems to have historically flooded its system with cops, police, and enforcers of policy makers. And New York City seems as if it is a state of police sometimes to me in my travels anyway. And so the stories go, a person who does not pay their fare receives summons that they never paid, that becomes a notice of claim against their income tax refund from the NYCTA New York City Transit Authority Transit Adjudication Bureau years, even decades later. And another story goes Musicians that play as part of their Music Under New York Arts for Transit program at Times Square 42nd Street, 14th Street Union Square, and 34th Street etc; constantly receive tickets and summonses for playing a musical instrument and or hindering traffic or too loud music or anything else one can think of with or without a permit and are shut down on a regular basis. And these musicians are usually told to "Do not ever come back here," by the police. And those musicians that I know of, their horns, drums, trumpets, saxophones, baritones and music rocks, and they make a lot of money down there playing their music sometimes, enough to make me want to ask them if they are hiring. And another story goes another person who does not pay their fare is sent to prison requiring court visits to their court. And another story goes another person received a summons for walking through a subway car, requiring a court visit or payment of ticket. And for what reason does the NYC MTA Transit Adjudication Bureau get its own court anyway. Is it possible that everyone could just not go to their appointed court date for whatever reason, what would that mean? Is another world possible or is that a utopian thought. And that NYCMTA MUNY performance schedule and bookings does not seem to offer or provide any support groups for its traumatized and harassed musicians and performers by the police down there in its system. And those tickets and summons are enough to make a musician want to consider to stop playing in that subway underground, maybe. And since when is art a crime. And then I start to wonder what are the statistics of musicians that are getting arrested for playing their music down there, and does it make any difference anyway if one knew the statistics. And Is it not possible the MTA could free its riders from its subway system and terrorizing and make its fares free and remove all of those millions of police from down their in their space anyway, and end those prerecorded "If you see something say something " messages and random bag checks. People seem to be losing their civil liberties at the speed of light down their underground. Could not the New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority just print up a long list of dos and donts to add to its list of do's and dont's it already has anyway and post these on signs everywhere throughout its system or is that not a good idea. And then there is that 'Can we see some id identification" to use against you for whatever reason down there that one encounters from policy maker enforcers every so often. And what if one does not have I.D.? And it seems as if it is no longer America, land of the free down there in subway land as property of the New York City MTA. It seems as if it has become America, land of the police down there in subwayland as a rider or musician playing an instrument as part of that subway grasp of a system. And then what about subway trains, buses and other transportation systems around the country and world, how are they. And what's up with that social security UPC bar code number, save no man that he may buy or sell except that he have the mark of the beast thing. And there are other stories and atrocities going on in the news today too innumerable to mention that seems never ending in these days and times. And what does this have to do with a No Police State?
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Time to get Mayor Koch reelected and get rid of the rats that run the city!

The city belongs to the people not to the politicians that parade like Peacock, bribed by self serving corporations!

Anonymous said...

To be fair, we have TONS of freedoms we just have to ask the governments permission and then apply and pay for whatever necessary permits and then do your best to avoid pissing off a cop who can throw you in jail.