It’s been a long day of classes in the Loop, you’re utterly exhausted and all you want is to do retreat back to your apartment. You look up to count how many stops remain on the interminable commute, and…all you see is an empty frame. Shards of paper are all that remain of the one sense of direction you had.
This is just one of many inconveniences caused by DePaul students’ penchants for swiping “L” maps to sell, adorn their walls, or even give as gifts. This trend began at the beginning of the year but seems to have gained momentum recently, judging from the vacant map frames strewn among “L” cars.
One man’s map is another man’s poster. At least that’s the sentiment among DePaul students. Dorm and apartment walls are often decorated with a collection of stolen maps. It seems to be our take on last generation’s abstract portrait hanging over the fireplace.
But what’s the appeal of a map? It seems so mundane; it’s just too easy to snatch. Freshman Joe Lanzerotti equates the trend to a popular childhood game, “DePaul students steal “L” maps for the sport of it. It’s like catching PokéMon in real life almost. It’s fun to try and collect them