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Post by nic on Jul 15, 2009 10:43:18 GMT
I adore Le Metro. I spent a couple of hours just riding from station to station, and taking in the sights; rode all the lines except for the 7 bis, too. Aside from the system's efficiency, I find the station names fascinating -- George V, Arts et Metiers, Chateau Rouge, Bir-Hakim, etc. They're named after people, important events, nearby landmarks, the way things aught to be named; hopefully the RATP and Parisians keep it that way. Not so in this part of the globe. Adding to the list of things for sale: Subway stops. According to this article in The New York Times Barclays has agreed to pay some $4-million over a twenty-year period to add their name to the Atlantic Ave. stop in Brooklyn, one of the system's busiest. Thoughts? You can read the article here: www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/nyregion/24naming.html?_r=1 |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2009 0:20:00 GMT
As a native NYer I can safely say that this will only serve to differentiate the tourists which isn't to difficult to do anyway. It will always be known as Atlantic or as the guy said in the piece "call it anything you want as long as it's on time" Reminds me of when they "changed" the name of Charity Hospital here to whatever the f it was. My husband as a Paramedic said that lives were in danger if someone asked to go to whatever they tried calling it or simply just "Charity". Preposterous. (pardon the rant  ) |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2009 4:41:19 GMT
Actually, the Paris metro authority allowed itself to be seduced by money once. The department store Galeries Lafayette paid for a giant painting on the ceiling of the Chaussée d'Antin metro station, which is the station below the store, and the name of the station was changed to Chaussée d'Antin-Lafayette. Technically, there is nothing wrong with this, because Lafayette is the name of the cross street, and there are plenty of metro stations that mention both cross streets in their names (Strasbourg-St. Denis, Barbès-Rochechouart, etc.)
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 16, 2009 14:49:27 GMT
I don't see the problem. First of all, the purchased name will merely be tacked on to the station's original name. Passengers will undoubtedly continue calling the station by whatever version of its official name they're calling it now. Those passengers are also tax payers who will continue to enjoy access to public transit without worrying about it being cut back for lack of funds.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2009 14:54:08 GMT
I see your point and it isn't that it's a problem. It has more to do with resenting big corporate greed and all that goes with it.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 16, 2009 15:00:31 GMT
You mean like the $4 million that will defray costs of running the subway system?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2009 15:43:40 GMT
The reader's comments reflect 99% of my sentiment on the issue.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 16, 2009 16:20:32 GMT
Sentiment is all very fine. Increasing taxes or reducing service is another thing entirely. You live in one of the most dysfunctional cities in the US. Maybe peddling names to corporate entities would replace some of the great old things now gone -- the Tulane Avenue streetcar, for instance.
This comment (I didn't bother reading past page one) is based on logic & common sense:
21.
SC
New York
June 24th, 2009
12:09 am
Good idea especially with the MTA cash strapped. Its either this or less service/higher increase of fares for all of us. Not a bad alternative.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2009 21:55:14 GMT
Good thing there are no stations called Enron, AIG or Pan Am.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2009 23:48:04 GMT
Didn't Barclay have their own mammoth scandal a few years ago? I don't really keep up with them all. Your point is really valid Bixa,. I wish I could be more positive about some of these huge corporations and their abominable track records. Barclay does sound better then Taco Bell  |
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 17, 2009 1:02:25 GMT
The only thing adding those corporate names to the end of the "real" names will do is to give subway users a chuckle & provide revenue. I doubt anyone would ever use them.
All over Mexico towns have names tacked on to the original names to honor some personage or historical happening. The real name of the city of Oaxaca is Oaxaca de Juárez, after Benito Juárez. The nearby town of Cuilapam is Cuilapam de Guerrero, after the hero of the War for Independence, Vicente Guerrero who imprisoned and executed there. Except on official documents, hardly anyone ever refers to towns and cities by their full names.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2009 2:10:18 GMT
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation gave way to allowing the stage names go from the Professor Longhair Stage to the Acura Stage,the Mahalia Jackson Stage to the Nokia Stage.
Initially,they were paying lip service to the original names because of the protestation and then eventually caved and removed the original names completely.
The Foundation threatened to pull Dr. John off the lineup completely because he would not play with the Save the Wetlands Band on the Shell Oil Corp. stage.
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