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DANG! The Seekrit Tunnel Tour Got Busted! — Brooklynian

DANG! The Seekrit Tunnel Tour Got Busted!

pitu
pitu
edited November -1 in BoCoCa (Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens)

Okay, it wasn't so secret, and the guy had been conducting the tour for 30 years. He even had permission from the NYC DOT according to this article...

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2010/12/16/2010-12-16_subway_tour_guy_calls_fdny_ban_a_case_of_bad_tunnel_vision.html

NY Daily News wrote: "We've been doing tours for 30 years and have literally had thousands of people down there," said Diamond, who founded the Brooklyn Historic Railway Association after he rediscovered the tunnel in 1981. "We've never had a problem."

The city Department of Transportation renewed a consent form two years ago allowing him to use the tunnel through 2018, Diamond said.

"It's like the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing," said Diamond, who said city officials never worried about emergency exits before.

But he ran into trouble last Friday when FDNY officials, citing safety concerns, canceled a film screening organized by Rooftop Films that had been slated for the weekend.

Dwyer told The News that all future events are nixed too, but said FDNY officials would possibly lift the ban if Diamond made safety improvements in the tunnel.

ridonkulous that the FDNY spokesperson suggests Diamond make improvements to the tunnel...

Comments

  • whyfi
    whyfi

    Surprising, given how long the tours have been going on (though there was a long stretch that no tours took place, if I recall correctly) and how visible the entrance process is... you would think that something would have been said a long time ago, if at all...

    Anywho, ingress and egress doesn't strike me as being very safe for more than a small group - it is quite a bottleneck and one person can effectively plug up the works. Even without a problem, it probably took a good 15 minutes to get out. A film screening does sound pretty stupid.

  • MOD
    MOD

    Having the rooftop films people there with their tons of followers is stupid. I agree.

  • xlizellx
    xlizellx

    I did the tour twice -- it was really cool. I'm glad I did it before it ended.

    That said, the whole egress thing makes me mad. If I went spelunking with a guide would you say "no. It only has one entrance/exit". It should have a legal liability-waiver. It should be at-your-own-risk. It should be said upfront that you must be able to climb up/down a ladder in a small space and duck to get through a small-ish hole.

    I agree that the movie showing was stupid because it isn't a historic tour but using the space like a room - which does need multiple entrances/exits. But to use it as a place to explore I think should be monitored and allowed.

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