USA: NEW YORK: "MOLE PEOPLE" SEEKING SHELTER IN RAILWAY TUNNELS скачать в хорошем качестве

USA: NEW YORK: "MOLE PEOPLE" SEEKING SHELTER IN RAILWAY TUNNELS

(14 May 1996) English/Nat For decades homeless people in New York have sought shelter in the maze of railway and subway tunnels that run beneath the city. Their underground existence - one of almost total isolation from the outside world - has become a legend among New Yorkers. Over the years, many have built subterranean homes where they cook, care for pets and work hard to keep out the bitter cold. And they've ignored attempts to shift them. But now, the Amtrack railway company which owns the tunnels has decided it wants the tunnel dwellers out once and for all. Few passers-by ever notice the tunnel dwellers slipping through these gates and descending to their underworld community. New Yorkers know they're there, but few spare them a thought and even fewer have ever encountered them or seen how they live. Down below, the tunnel dwellers have collected the trappings of everyday life. Once underground, a tunnel dweller's biggest worry is watching out for the trains that speed by at 70 miles an hour. (110 kilometres per hour) But that danger aside, some say they prefer living here, away from the chaos of modern society. SOUNDBITE: "I basically simplified this existence. One has to be resourceful and that's the key to it all. Boiling water are the few necessities in this existence. I had ten, 12 people dwelling here for about a two-year time period." SUPER CAPTION: Bernard Isaac, Tunnel Dweller There's a rigorous routine to life underground; although the tunnels provide shelter, they are not warm. Bernard's biggest priority is collecting enough wood each day to keep the fire going. He also gets up in the early hours each day to go out to collect bottles and cans for recycling. That's how he makes money for food and other necessities. The hard grind means there's no time for drugs and alcohol. Bernard and his neighbors are strictly anti-substance abuse and wouldn't welcome addicts into their midst. Many people would find it hard to comprehend why anyone would chose to live underground. But Margaret Morton, a photojournalist who has recently published a book about life in tunnels, has come to understand it. SOUNDBITE: "Homeless people, interestingly enough, have created their own housing, they've created a place for themselves along the street, and they found that, ironically, it creates a situation that's much closer to what one could have in an apartment because they can have their own possessions, they can have their own furniture - a table, a chair, a desk, a bed. They can have pets, which they can't have in a shelter, and they can have a sense of community." SUPER CAPTION: Margaret Morton, Photojournalist Bernard has been in the tunnel for about ten years. But soon he will be leaving, not only because Amtrak is asking him to, but because he feels ready for a new challenge. His former neighboUr, Bob Kalinski, moved out two months ago into housing provided by the city for former homeless people like the tunnel dwellers. He's enjoying his life above ground, but it's been a big adjustment. SOUNDBITE: "Our average was zero to ten below. We were built, we were bundled for it and used to it and so I never had a cold. You know, it's just the idea, it wore on me after a while. The constant getting up... times I didn't want to go out... wasn't feeling good. Then after I had a heart attack it was kind of hard for me, even though we still did it." SUPER CAPTION: Bob Kalinski, Former Tunnel Dweller Bob got moved quickly, but Bernard, one of the first to sign up, is still waiting. SOUNDBITE: Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...