The Subterranean People

Cafe Society
#1

I just finished reading John Saul’s novel, The Manhattan Hunt Club in which the action takes place in the tunnels underneath Manhattan.

In his author’s note, Saul asserts that many of the people who choose to live in the tunnels are actually “… productive members of society, holding jobs and attending school, giving false addresses to whatever bureaucracies they come in contact with.”

Is such a thing possible in the wake of 9/11 when those same bureaucracies are supposedly keeping a closer eye on people than ever before?

I know we have many New Yorkers in our MB. Would any of you care to comment on the accuracy of Mr. Saul’s statements?

Thanks

Quasi

#2

…I’d like to give this post of mine a gentle nudge to the top. It had 29 views, but no comments, and I think the subject is worthy of your consideration. If there is no response this time, then I will let it die. It surely won’t be the first thread of mine that had no response! :slight_smile:

Thanks

Quasi

#3

There is an excellent non-fiction book on the people living underground in NYC called The Mole People written by the investigative journalist Jennifer Toth. There certainly are many people down there but they are hardly productive members of society. Many of them are mentally ill or addicted to drugs or runaways or criminals. Some of them never leave the tunnels at all. A few who have tapped into water and power lines lead lives slightly better than your average homeless person but all in all it’s a horrible life and just yet another lost section of society.

Toth spent over a year with the so-called mole people and their stories are fascinating and depressing. It’s a book that is well-worth the read.

#4

…for the link to the book, Arken! I will definitely check it out. I was very skeptical about Saul’s claims that “normal productive” members of society would actually choose to live in the tunnels, and would really like to see some evidence of this claim.

Quasi

#5

No problem.

If you check out that link, it looks like there is another book which is essentially a collection of photos. I’m going to have to pick that up. I think it will make a great companion piece, especially since Ms. Toth talked about the same tunnel and the same people.