I was really lucky the day the “HAND OF DOOM” was painted. It was in the #6 train yard on a Saturday afternoon in the summer of 1980. No trains were blocking the view of the third lane from the street, and I could see the toys watching me through the fence.

Finally, after about 4 hours of painting, -the “HAND OF DOOM” was finished. Just as I was about to begin painting the next car, I noticed the shadows of the toys cast across the side of the train had disappeared for a moment, then replaced by the shadows of the law! The uniformed police had been watching me in awe! But as soon as they realized that I knew they were there, they began to move in on the boys and me. There were police all over. I quickly ran down the tracks. “JV13,” painting a top to bottom that day, was standing on an old, rusty 55-gallon oil drum. As I ran past him, I fell, knocking the drum over, leaving “JV13” hanging from the train door by his fingertips. At the same time, “PJAY” took a break from it, too! Unfortunately, the police caught him. He played it cool, said he was a photographer, and was passing by. The police believed the story and let him go.

Meanwhile, I was making a mad dash across the yard. I had to pause for a moment to admire a whole car that I had painted the night before. With the cops in hot pursuit, I took off again. I ran to the end of the yard, climbed over the fence, and ran home. A half-hour later, “PJAY” called me at home to let me know he had also made it out.

This year is the 44th Anniversary of the “HAND OF DOOM.” It has become one of the world’s most famous subway cars, and although I am very proud of it, I still think it was crudely done.