Friday February 12, 2016 from 5:45-6:30pm I was able to observe Five Points Marta Station in Downtown Atlanta, which is the transfer station for every train in Atlanta. Due to this fact, this train station is a very populated and fast pace area. During the first half of my observation I sat across the street in front of the station on some near by bricks. While sitting there I spent some time recording my digital documentations of the front of the train station, recorded some audio of my surroundings, and also shot a video of a few people conversing with one another.

During the second half of my observation I positioned myself on top of the railing next to the ramp leading inside the station due to the fact that there was nowhere to sit down. I believe this was purposely done to control the amount of loiterers in front of the station. While sitting on the railing I focused on the visual aspects of my site. I noticed that the outside surrounding area of the station was not very up kept. There were cigarette butts, plastic bags, bottles, and even an occasional rat or two. I also noticed that there was only one handicap entrance into the the boarding area of the train station and it was all the way at the end, however there is a wide ramp leaning to the entrance making it easily accessible.

            The station had various sounds and aromas that grabbed my attention. For example, I could hear trash blowing in the wind, individuals buying and selling cigarettes, heavy traffic, and panhandlers begging for change. I caught some of these aspects in my digital records. The smells associated with the station were also interesting. I smelled cigarette smoke, car exhaust, must, and food. These smells aren’t necessarily welcoming. However, the individuals who use the train don’t seem to be bothered by the aroma. I noted that 60 percent of the people where working class people from restaurants, construction sites, and a few students. I also noted the 90 percent of the population of the entire area were African Americans, however there were also people from different countries whom spoke different languages who were traveling and or shopping in the area.

            Throughout my observation I was privileged to be accompanied by my boyfriend otherwise I would have been very uncomfortable sitting there alone. There were officers patrolling the area, however the ratio of officers to loiterers and panhandlers was not equal. The area was not very welcoming to visitors and individuals who are not familiar with the area.