Marie Antoinette rides the CTA?

I was almost talked out of riding the train on Halloween, but how could I pass it up? Wall-e, zombies, men in drag, Poindexter, Las Vegas showgirls and deposed French queens sat side by side with the usual mix of evening commuters. Truthfully, this holiday is one of the few times I feel comfortable photographing people on public transportation. Folks are deliberately making a spectacle of themselves, so I whip out my camera and catch them in the act.

Any other time, I’m extremely uncomfortable snapping people as they ride on trains or the bus. Since I like to zone out, enjoy the crowded anonymity of traveling with strangers, and sink into the routines of public transportation, I find it hard to disturb that for anyone else. Everyone expects the white noise of the train, murmur of conversation and rustle of newspapers, but other sounds are startling and take people out of the lull. The click-snap of the camera penetrates the environment. I hate to do it.

Except on Halloween. On Halloween, the visual noise elevates everyone out of the tedium, and no one seems too surprised by a large camera singing out to capture the moment. French queens should certainly expect it.