OMG! You Won't Believe Who's Riding Next to You: Public Transit Gone Wild!

3. Photograph – 11

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Nazgul riding the metro. This weird and maybe frightening picture probably depicts a scenario straight out of a fantasy world mismatched in the ordinary backdrop of a subway car. Complete with a black hooded robe and maybe even a prop sword, the picture most likely depicts someone costumed as a Nazgul, the terrible ring-wraiths from J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings." There would be a stunning visual contrast between the unearthly, threatening apparition and the daily background of a subway car. Other passengers may be seen responding with a combination of amusement, uncertainty, and maybe some unease. The situation gains extra amusement from some people who look completely unaware of the dark presence in their midst and buried in their phones or books. This picture offers a lighthearted remark on the junction of dream and reality in our daily life. It might also draw attention to the often strange character of public transit, when individuals from all walks of life—and presumably all spheres of life—come together in close proximity. The picture could start conversations about cosplay culture, the predominance of fantasy in popular media, and the manner in which we include escapism's components into our daily lives.