UnDesign: LA Edition
As a frequent pedestrian, I am a user of the Los Angeles subway. (Ok, it’s called the metro, but this former New York resident cannot make the switch.) Like most every civic structure in LA, the train stations are a masterpiece of design. High ceilings, open spaces, art installations and a different theme at each stop. It’s quite remarkable really and I suggest taking a ride. No one uses it but me it seems, so the view is never obstructed by passengers.
However, one very badly designed element at my local stop, Vermont/Sunset, bothers me each day. Let’s go to the photo and maybe you can guess.
Yes, I am Captain Obvious and it is the placement of the trash cans.
With a spacious passenger area, why would you have people dispose of refuge next to where they are seated? In fact, it’s not next to it’s actually placed along with passengers.
How does this make passengers feel? What is the city saying about them? Or, is this a terrible oversight by the designer?
What do you think?
Am i the only one having problems reading this item? I am not aware what it is.. there is no text, just dots and commas… also the links don’t work. Someone knows how to fix it?
August 28th, 2008 at 3:51 pmIt’s a bug, but it’s in IE browsers. We’re doing the best we can to avoid triggering it, but the surefire way for you to never encounter it again is to use Firefox.
August 28th, 2008 at 5:48 pmI rode the Metro once - back when I was a freshman at CSUN and was enrolled in an urban studies course.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:31 pmOkay…well, I’ll actually address your question, Allis (;
You’re right - that is a very strange placement of the trash can. Maybe they thought people would be lazy and not want go through the trouble of getting up to throw things away. Or perhaps they were having problems with litter at other stations, so they thought that if they put the garbage can right on top of the passengers, it wouldn’t be missed!
Interesting observation.
August 30th, 2008 at 12:25 amBrilliant observation Allis. I’d love to see the architectural drawing of this - showing people cheerfully chucking pistachio shells while sitting inches from the garbage. What a selling point!
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:41 pmThey basically rendered that entire quadrant useless. They should make the architect, along with the city planners sit there as punishment for their idiocy.
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:42 pm