Metrophile

A metrophile is a person who has as a hobby the study of metro (subway, underground) systems.

Such people may indulge their hobbies by

• travelling and visiting as many metro systems as they can;
• attempting to find out about and/or visit hidden nooks and crannies of a metro system;
• learning about the technology, architecture, and history of various metro systems;
• collecting material related to metro systems, such as maps, plans, transfers, tickets, and the like, often from many cities around the world;
• publicizing their metro systems (some metrophile websites contain more information about the system than the transit company's own);
• designing expanded metro networks for various cities;
• discussing their findings with others;
• and in general writing, learning, teaching, photographing, and thinking about metros.

Some metrophiles even manage to attract attention, approval, help, and even employment from transit companies.

One metrophile, a mentally ill New Yorker named Darius McCollum, impersonated a range of New York City subway personnel for some time; he was so technically proficient at driving trains, helping repair crews, fixing trains, and even dealing with emergency situations, that he served with some distinction (and a certain amount of complicity from actual personnel). Unfortunately, this was quite illegal and he was repeatedly arrested and, despite a plea to have him treated for Asperger's Syndrome, was finally imprisoned. Harper's Magazine[?] published an article on him in May 2002.

See trainspotting.

External links

• metroPlanet (http://www.metropla.net/)
• Summary of Harper's article on Darius McCollum (http://www.laboratorium.net/SicTransitGloriaMTA.html)
• Complete Harper's article on Darius McCollum (http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m1111/1824_304/85882845/p1/article.jhtml?term=subway)