I’ve you’ve ever traveled on DC’s Metro system, you know that it’s an aesthetic marvel. A feast for the eyes. A perfectly charming, senses-soothing delight.
And the WMATA intends to keep it that way, despite the meddling of any “garden artists.” Columnist Robert McCartney at WaPo writes:
Two weeks ago, I wrote that the transit system would look silly if it let perish 1,000 flowers planted secretly at the Dupont Circle station by local garden artist Henry Docter, the self-described Phantom Planter.
I feared that Metro would merely neglect the flowers. Instead, last Sunday, it sent workmen to yank them out.
The transit system regularly pleads poverty, yet employees devoted supposedly valuable time to remove more than 1,000 morning glories, cardinal flowers and cypress vines that Docter donated to the city — albeit without permission. The plants would have bloomed from August to October in a patriotic display of red, white and blue.
What’s patriotic about a private citizen ruining the public’s enjoyment of the Metro’s soul-fortifying brutalist architecture? Why litter it up with a bunch of stupid flowers? If I wanted to see red, white, and blue, I certainly wouldn’t have come to Washington.
Not to mention that this meddler, this horticultural terrorist, has distracted WMATA employees from their most important job: making sure all escalators, at all times, are being repaired.
Stop trying to improve on the government, people. They got this.