On Friday November 21, subway musician Michael Williams was arrested after helping save the life of a passenger having a seizure. Williams was harassed by an MBTA officer, prevented from using the train to return home, and then placed under arrest for ‘trespassing.’ This incident illustrates just how out of touch the MBTA is with what is actually occurring in the subway stations. The MBTA endangers passengers. Drastic restrictions banning amplifications and the use of certain instruments by subway performers do not insure safety. They merely shift blame and help people ignore the real safety hazards – at the expense of passenger well being. Subway musicians are not a threat to national security. They are ordinary people working for a living.
The misconduct of the MBTA officer mirrors the actions taken by his superior officials. The inadequate public address system in the subway and the noise of the trains creates a safety hazard, and it is not the fault of the musicians that they are convenient to blame. New York City allows musicians to use amplification. Is Boston so different, so arrogant, to presume that New York City doesn’t know anything about safety post-September 11th?
The MBTA overreacted. It did so with the policy changes. It did so through the officer who arrested Michael Williams. The subway artists are not overreacting. Their lives and homes are threatened by this situation, but they do not want sweeping change. They want the old system back. They want the system that has worked well, that has proven itself tried and true for 18 years, and that has provided music to appreciative listeners.
Passengers want to be safe. So do the musicians. The ban hurts everyone.
– Justin Knudsen
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