Faceless, Nameless Bodies: Camouflage and/or assimilation into the urban material culture
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| Mannequins line the showcase at the front of an upscale urban clothing store on Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain |
Urban realities: Mobile bodies
The Commuter Experience
Some
mornings it’s a bit overwhelming… It’s fascinating how we move in formation;
adopt the rhythm of the urban as soon as our feet touch those city streets.
Some assume position instinctively whereas others...not so much.With
my sleep-deprived, sometimes over-caffeinated brain, the objective is to keep
balance whilst walking against the throngs of commuters that “the City’s Gate”
unleashes into the capital. They’ve probably just disembarked from a “Red Band”
and must disperse to their various destinations across the city. My commute to
the university during the peak morning hours is east-bound and so I must trudge against the mainly westward flow of persons
coming into Port-of-Spain for business, work, school...
There
is one general rule when navigating against the herds that converge at the
City’s Gate: Keep momentum! To stop would mean being toppled over and probably
(to add insult to injury), become the recipient of some hard glares or choice cuss
words. For someone like me who sometimes has two-left feet syndrome, moving
against the general flow of the crowd, feet-eye co-ordination is crucial to prevent collision.
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Commuters
at the zebra crossing at the City Gate entrance, Port -of-Spain, Trinidad
Where
have we come from? Many of the persons that traverse the urbane don’t live in
the city themselves. We’ve originated from the surrounding areas- the ‘burbs,
the upscale communities, the country. According to the Google Maps description: City Gate is the main terminal for the buses and maxi-taxis in Port -of-Spain, Trinidad. It is located in the Former Trinidad Government Railway Terminal on South Quay.
I
began to question how much City Gate meant to a society such as Trinidad’s and
on reflection, it was apparent that it is an essential part of urban life as we
know it because it is a transport hub
that services almost the entire of Trinidad. This is evidenced by the uproar
and dishevel that is caused when it doesn’t function smoothly which is usually
due to flooding or strikes by the PTSC (Public Transport Service Corporation). Despite
my grumblings, I would like to congratulate past governments for having the
insight to recognise the necessity of a transport centre like City Gate.
Urban
Primacy
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