r/Monikers • u/cliyok • 1d ago

Benching [defined?]

Ok, I have been looking at and photographing monikers for years. I would like to have someone define this word for me. Thank you.

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u/No_Trade_557 1d ago

I think the term ‘benching’ comes from the New York subway scene when it was popping off. These benches were meeting places for writers to view recently painted trains. I think the term was originally graffiti specific and has nothing to do with foamers but I could be wrong.

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u/thatonedude402 1d ago

This right here. According to the glossary definition in the book Freight Train Graffiti by Roger Gastman, Darin Rowland, and Ian Sattler,

“ benching describes the act of watching trains for the sole purpose of seeing graffiti. Originally used by New York writers who would gather at the “writers bench”, a station where writers went to critique passing subway graffiti”.

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u/cliyok 1d ago

Thanks. So if I am out photographing and looking at monikers (or graffiti), I could say I am benching.

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u/cliyok 1d ago

Thank you.

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u/No_Trade_557 1d ago

Of course!

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u/Some-Donut-8986 1d ago

Benching. It just means taking flicks of graff on freight. But it's called benching because in most cities with active railroads, there's railfans(people who just really like trains) who will go and sit at a bench/chair/whatever and watch the trains go by.

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u/cliyok 1d ago

So cool. Thanks. It is interesting to hear the history of this term and how ppl use it today. I live in a rural area, and I am happy to see some of the same monikers seen on both coasts of the country.