BOSTON SUBWAY ARTISTS SEVERELY RESTRICTED

Boston goes after subway artists and tries to paint the T with the aesthetic from a 1950s sit-com (and I'm being charitable).

Read the new regulations here. Highlights include dress restrictions, hours restrictions, instrument restrictions, a registration procedure that requires performers to have a valid government-issued ID and declare whether or not they are a U.S. citizen. I especially like item #11:

11. Each Performer is prohibited from using drums, trumpets or trumpet-like instruments, horn instruments, and electric guitars, or any electric instruments, as they are no longer instruments suitable to the subway environment. Note: the use of a keyboard to simulate these instruments or drum sounds is prohibited. In addition, the use of amplifiers by Performers in the subway system is strictly prohibited.

Sign the online petition here.

My brother sent this information along to me. If you live in Boston or ever plan to go there and want to preserve one of its distinctive charactistics, give Mitt Romney a call. I'm sure he'd love to hear from you. You might want to mention gay marriage while you're on the line as well.

Here is some contact information:

• Governor & Legislature, State House, Boston, MA 02133. 617-722-2828
• Governor's telephone (617) 725-4005 and email: GOffice@state.ma.us

• Citizen's info website to determine your legislator: http://www.state.ma.us/legis/legis.htm

• MBTA Advisory Board, 177 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02111. (617) 426-6054. advbrd@erols.com

• MBTA General Manager Michael Mulhern, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116. gm@mbta.com