Instagram user posting pics of people sleeping on transit
Posted March 4, 2014 11:49 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – If that transit ride is lulling you to sleep, be aware: your next nap may end up on social media. Someone is posting photos of snoozers online, for fun.
Michael, who doesn’t want his last name used, has been posting photos of people sleeping on transit to Instagram for about a month, in part out of boredom, but also as a photography experiment.
He knows some think it’s creepy, but doesn’t believe he’s invading anyone’s privacy. “If you are sleeping in a public area, you are expecting far worse than having your picture taken.”
Transit Police say they would investigate if the photography is sexual or a security threat. They suggest people be aware of their space.
Michael says his Instagram account has gained hundreds of new followers in the last couple of days. He’s found no shortage of sleepers.
“I think once you get to a point where you’re too tired to stay awake, they’ll have no choice but to sleep and I will be there to take a picture of them,” he tells us.
While some people will likely be upset to find photos of themselves snoozing on Instagram, one expert is hoping the popularity of this account can spark worthwhile discussion.
Jesse Miller runs the Internet safety website “Mediated Reality” and thinks this will get people thinking about privacy in public spaces.
“I don’t think a lot of us are really aware of issues like this until it affects us. So, the more that we see these being kind of hyped-up in the media, that’s where we’ll have more people in dialogues around ‘What are our rights in these public spots?'”
“I think we’ve all had that moment where you’re on the SkyTrain and a person starts falling asleep on you. But in today’s sense of life, we look at things at other people’s expense because it’s funny,” he says.
Miller notes taking photos of unwitting strangers is perfectly legal as long as it isn’t sexual or predatory in nature.
Michael of the account says he’ll take the photos down if anyone is upset by them.
