![]() ![]() After climbing onto the pedestrian walkway, solid cement felt luxurious under my feet.Īsked about this sort of unauthorized activity, MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg says, "The best way to appreciate urban infrastructure is from the safe and legal vantage point of public property. Chain link fences appeared to our left and right and I knew that we were safe. Seconds later came the breathy whirr of passing traffic and I understood: we had unknowingly fled out onto the Manhattan Bridge. “It’s the bridge!” Thomas whooped from over my shoulder. “Go!” We ran for minutes that felt like hours, until finally a new shade of rusty orange light appeared on the tracks ahead. As I sprinted along a track that Thomas and I had watched Q trains use only minutes earlier, my attempts at putting Dreispul out of my mind failed. In 1904 Dreispul, a Bronx resident, decided to walk through a subway tunnel on foot just a week after the system first opened-and was struck and killed by a southbound express train near the 137th street IRT station. Now.” We turned and ran like hell the other way.īefore that night I had done research on urban exploration in New York City, and came across an odd name: Leidschmudel Dreispul. “I see somebody down there.” Our flashlights shone against two reflective vests. “We have to-“ his voice cut out and he froze in place. "This was great,” Thomas whispered, walking ahead of me. When you can be that free in your mind, that’s the epitome of being a human being.”Īs we walked farther down the derelict tunnel, he elaborated: "This isn’t something a normal person would do,” he told me “But I just do it for my love of New York."Īfter getting a few photos, we started back toward the platform. “Going somewhere with no limits," he said, "that's the best part about it. Since he quit taking film classes, the 23-year-old Brooklyn native and former skateboarder spends almost all of his free time accessing rooftops, subway tunnels, bridge beams, and abandoned spaces across New York City. "But look-" He kicked the third rail with his sneaker. "They can be loud sometimes, the trains," he grinned. A subway train had rounded a curve and was charging down the span of tracks we had just walked out of. I jumped as a metallic snarl shot from behind me. He carefully unpacked a DSLR camera, spare lens, and tripod, and set them in a neat row amidst the loose timbers and bits of caked rock. I watched him visibly relax, pulling off his soot-covered gloves and sliding his backpack off his shoulders to kneel down in the middle of the track. Thomas ran just a few feet ahead I focused on his footfalls and the beams from the flashlights we'd brought to spot obstacles along the rails that might trip us up.Ī few hundred feet into the tunnel, along a portion of J train track, Thomas led me over the third rail into a different tunnel. My first nervous strides were a blur as my eyes scrambled to adjust in the darkness. A few minutes later we were running down live track. At a set of subway turnstiles we waited for a crowd to exit and swapped Instagram handles. After we exchanged a cold handshake, he asked, "So, you ready to just go?" I nodded and we walked. could be considered trespassing or other violations of local or regional laws, including, but not limited to invasion of privacy, certain broadly interpreted anti-terrorism laws, and disturbing the peace.I met Victor Thomas outside of a noodle restaurant in the Financial District on a recent Monday just before midnight. Many, but not all, of the activities associated with the S.U.E. *The nature of this society presents various risks, including both physical danger and the possibility of arrest and punishment. Highly selective process Reserved for those who demonstrate the desired attributes. will coordinate and manipulate events that showcase the unique talents of its members. With our combined intelligence and skill set, our reach and influence is endless. aspires to be a tight network of creative genius. is an alliance where members are recruited to pursue personal greatness and achieve heightened social/environmental awareness. To explore and infiltrate urban areas, whilst promoting the skills and interests of its members. ![]()
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