Fictional subways

[avram]

Y’all know what map bunnies are? Also called map traps? Fake streets or other features that map companies put in maps to catch competitors who try to rip them off by copying their maps instead of doing their own research. I’ve joked for a while that the J, M, and Z lines are a map bunny for the NYC subway map.

It’s no joke. Today I spent fifteen minutes wandering through the overheated maze of the Fulton Street subway station looking for the J/M/Z platform. Followed all the little arrows up and down the stairs. Nothing. That shit just plain does not exist. So now you know.

Wound up so late I had to cancel out on seeing Mirrormask, which is only showing at the ludicrously-hard-to-get-to Landmark Sunshine Cinema.

Comments

[drcpunk.livejournal.com]

My sympathies!

[mneme]

Most map companies seem to call them signature streets (and make a point of having them be dead ends and other things that won't mess people up).

My sympathies.

[(Anonymous)]

There was a short story, a while back, set in a "map bunny" town called Sudo. I don't recall much more about it than that.

Hey, maybe the Landmark Sunshine is a Theater Listing Bunny, designed to keep newspapers from stealing other newspapers' showtime listings.

Stefan

But...but...

[(Anonymous)]

I have caught J trains at Fulton Street (what we heathen IND passenger types call Broadway-Nassau). More than once, even. The platforms are hard to find and run in non-intuitive directions, but they are certainly there, approximately midway between the Lex and the 7th Avenue. (The uptown/BroadwayBrooklyn side is closer to the Lex, the downtown/MontagueBrooklyn closer to the 7th Av.)

Although I think the MTA was in the process of simplifying the transfer last time I was in town, which may mean there's matter transmission involved. I will check on this on my next visit and report back. Thanks for bringing it to my attention...

D.