In the realm of urban transportation, few systems are as iconic and influential as the New York City (NYC) subway. Since its inception, it has served as a lifeline for millions of commuters, shaping the city’s landscape and fostering a unique relationship between the subway and its riders. In a thought-provoking research article titled “The Politics of the Third Rail,” Garrett Ziegler (2004) delves into this relationship, exploring how individuals have resisted the subway’s discourse and advocating for their own personal agency within the organized machinery of mass transit.
What is the Relationship Between the NYC Subway and Its Riders?
The NYC subway system is far more than a mere means of transportation. It represents a complex web of interactions and power dynamics between the urban planners, city officials, and the individual riders. Ziegler’s research highlights how the subway is not only a physical structure but also embodies an organizing and totalizing discourse. The subway system, through its design, attempts to produce a sense of anonymous subjectivity sought after by the city officials.
However, the NYC subway is not a passive entity in this relationship. It inspires a resistance from its riders, who inject rhetorics of individuation into the industriocom- corporate machinery. By infusing their own personal agency and tactics into the subway’s space, the riders challenge the production of faceless subjectivity envisioned by urban planners.
How Have the Riders Resisted the Subway’s Discourse?
Drawing inspiration from Michel de Certeau’s theories on urban tactics and strategies presented in “The Practice of Everyday Life,” Ziegler unveils the various ways in which riders of the NYC subway have resisted the dominant discourse imposed upon them. De Certeau argues that individual resistance to systems of power can be articulated through pedestrian activity and everyday practices.
Applying this framework to the subway context, Ziegler demonstrates how riders utilize tactics such as navigating through spaces, creating their own paths, and engaging in personal activities within the subway. These tactics subtly challenge the organizational strategies of the subway system, disrupting the intended flow and imposing a sense of agency onto the riders themselves. By exercising their individual will and making the subway their own, riders resist the depersonalizing mechanisms of mass transit.
What are the Three Stages of Popular Reaction to the Subway?
The popular reaction to the NYC subway has evolved over time, shaped by historical and societal factors. Ziegler outlines three notable stages of this reaction:
1. The Early Years (1910-1945): Exodus of the Technological Sublime
In its early years, the subway was embraced as a marvel of technology and progress. The conceptualization of the subway as a manifestation of the technological sublime captivated the public imagination. The subway’s ability to transport individuals quickly and efficiently evoked a sense of awe and wonder, leading to an initial positive response from the riders.
2. The Middle Period (1945-1970): Urban Fear and City Inhabitants’ Exodus
The middle period marked a shift in public perception. As city inhabitants started draining off into the freshly built suburban areas, urban fear began to emerge. The sight of individuals leaving the city on the subway instilled a sense of uncertainty and insecurity. This period was defined by an increasing unease in the face of urban transformation.
3. The Later Years (1970s-1980s): The Recognizable Aftermath of the Urban
In the later years, the aftermath of urbanization became more evident, and the structuralizing power of the subway was overtly challenged. As city dwellers confronted the consequences of urban development, such as overcrowding and social inequality, they began to view the subway through a critical lens. This period witnessed a growing dissatisfaction with the organized machinery of mass transit, further fueling the resistance of individual riders.
How Do Michel de Certeau’s Ideas Apply to Individuals in Mass Transit?
Michel de Certeau’s theories on everyday resistance find resonance with individuals caught up in the impersonal mechanics of mass transit. While his work primarily focused on pedestrian activities, Ziegler expands this framework to encompass the experiences of subway riders.
The subway system can be seen as a highly rationalized and depersonalizing entity, where individuals are reduced to faceless passengers. However, as de Certeau argues, even within these systems of power, individuals retain the capacity for agency through their everyday practices.
Riding the subway becomes an opportunity for individuals to exercise their autonomy, utilizing tactics such as finding personal space, engaging in specific activities, or even taking alternative routes. These subtle acts of resistance challenge the dominant discourse of the subway, offering a glimpse of the complex and varied identities hidden within the machinery of mass transit.
By reframing the subway experience through de Certeau’s lens, Ziegler opens up a broader dialogue on the relationship between individuals and systems of power. Subway riders are not passive subjects but active agents who resist the standardized discourse imposed upon them, embracing their own forms of expression and agency.
As we navigate the complexities of urban life and transportation, it becomes essential to recognize and value the resistance embedded within everyday practices. The subway, rather than a monolithic entity, becomes a space of negotiation, creativity, and personal assertion.
Takeaways
In “The Politics of the Third Rail,” Garrett Ziegler presents a compelling analysis of the relationship between the NYC subway and its riders. By employing Michel de Certeau’s theories of urban tactics and strategies, Ziegler unveils the resistance embedded within the daily experiences of subway riders.
The three stages of popular reaction to the subway demonstrate the evolving perceptions and challenges faced by individuals in the face of urbanization. The subway’s discourse, geared towards creating anonymous subjectivity, is met with individual resistance as riders assert their own agency within the system.
Through this research, we gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of urban transportation and the potential for individual expression and resistance within mass transit. The subway, far from being a mere conduit, becomes a lens through which we can explore the vibrant interplay between power, identity, and everyday practices.
Source Article: The Politics of the Third Rail – Garrett Ziegler, 2004
Leave a Reply