This striking poster in the Maryland commuter rail system has been getting a lot of attention. The full message:MARC MarshalsThe somewhat ominous message and a style reminiscent of Soviet propaganda have put many people off.
Report any unusual activities or packages to the nearest conductor.
Watch, Ride, and Report
Stygius says he thinks it's a joke, but a good one, pointing out incongruous details like the tie blowing in the wind, and the fact that there are no "MARC Marshals" -- MARC uses the Maryland Transit Administration Police. On the other hand, a commenter suggests that the poster is essentially deputizing all of us as "MARC Marshals." I've seen an anonymous commenter claim at one site that he/she saw at a Metro stop (Rockville) in the DC area; I haven't seen it anywhere yet, but even if I had, that might just mean a particularly clever, multiple poster prank.
Why a prank? Long story short: the site where people are finding this picture, "http://www.mdrails.com", isn't an official Maryland railways (MARC, etcetera) web site.* Instead, it appears to belong to some railroad photography enthusiasts. The home page shows one of the photographers ("the mysterious KC ... fine art printer of long standing") hiding behind a camera in a train compartment with the above poster in the background. A final detail seems to fit the "prank" story as well: the home page photo image file name is kim_sneaky-574x402.jpg.**
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