Tag: Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Next Up For NYC Subway, One Giant Train Car With More Doors?

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NYTimes: For decades, the New York City subway car has been a predictable space. Some have seats; some have benches. Graspable pole options vary only slightly. Mariachi bands play, and self-appointed preachers preach. And if there is no seat, no room, no end to a performance, there is often no escape for a rider — at least until the next stop. That may yet change. Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials are envisioning a subway car of the future that offers New Yorkers an out, ending the era of the captive car population. This month, in a 142-page document outlining needs for the next 20 years, the authority noted the benefits of articulated trains — similar to accordion-style buses — that have no doors between cars, allowing unrestricted flow throughout the length of the subway. The inclusion of articulated train cars in the report, a mild surprise to some transit advocates, does not guarantee that the cars will reach the rails anytime soon, or even at all; it was not clear how the cost of the articulated cars compares with that of nonarticulated cars. But for the first time in the subway system’s modern history, the authority appears poised to seriously consider a model adopted in cities like Berlin, Paris and Toronto.

Imagine this? No more smushing into trains like the Chinese or standing with an armpit in your face in the morning rush. Sounds great in a perfect world but it’ll never happen. It would probably mean subway cards costing $10 per swipe. How about we get the 2nd Ave line up and running first (that no one will use since it will only run about 40 city blocks for the first few years). Baby steps MTA, baby steps. You’re still fixing the subway from Sandy and you’re talking about accordion trains of the future. Love the idea but just sounds like a wet dream.

Subway Train Takes Off With All The Doors Open

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Imagine this shit happening in NYC during rush hour? Holy shit talk about a free-for-all. This would be the best opportunity to throw every mariachi band, annoying talker, loud music listener right off the train. Whoops! Wasn’t my fault you fucks forgot to close the doors!

Side note: I don’t know what country this is in but the fact that they get padded seats is insane. See how long those would last in the NYC subway!

NYC Rat Finds A New Home Up Woman’s Pant Leg

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DailyMail: A woman was forced to drop her trousers in the middle of a packed rush hour subway train when a rat ran up her trouser leg. Ana Vargas, 40, was sitting in the train at 7.50am as it approached New York’s Columbus Circle station when the terrifying rodent suddenly crawled up her leg. The hotel supervisor said she initially thought it was her trousers moving until she realised she was being attacked. Despite violently shaking her trousers, the large rodent still didn’t drop out. ‘I said, “Oh, my God — it’s an animal on my leg”‘ , she told New York Daily News. ‘I was shaking, but nothing was coming out . . . I had to pull my pants down in front of everyone on the train.’ Thankfully, Mrs Vargas’ blushes were saved when three men tried to shield her from flashing people in the carriage. ‘I grabbed his head, because he was scratching me, she said. ‘I didn’t want it to bite.’ As the train stopped, Mrs Vargas – who works at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel – dropped the rat and ran for help in a state of shock. She describes being extremely nervous and was shaking and shivering following the incident on Friday. Police officers were called to the scene along with paramedics who took her to the Roosevelt Hospital. She was treated by doctors for scratches to her thigh and leg. She also described feeling a burning sensation. Mrs Vargas was given a Tetanus shot before being released from the hospital. The rat could not be found after the incident, which has left Mrs Vargas traumatised and fearful about using the subway to get to work every day. Following the rat attack, extra inspections have been carried out on the subway network. MTA – which manages the subways – said it regularly cleaned subway cars and platforms which could attract rodents. The agency also said passengers can help by not eating food in the subways and throwing litter in rubbish bins.

 

Fuckin’ NYC rats! Arguably the most fearless, disease ridden creatures in the world. Don’t blame Ana Vargas for one second here. One of these fuckers runs up my pants and they can keep’em. Don’t even want them back. Yea, I’ll walk home in my underwear cause that’s nothing compared to what I’d contract from a rat gnawing on my leg. You know what that burning sensation is on your leg, Ana? Probably some rare, untreatable disease that that rat had from chewing on a dead homeless man’s body. No thanks!

 

People I Try To Avoid On The Subway

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Look at CSC gettin’ shoutouts on the subway…A true city subway creature indeed! Another day on the subway, another crazy/paranoid asshole having a conversation with his reflection in the window. I’d love to know what’s going on in this dude’s head. If I had to guess I would say it’s something like that J-Lo movie ‘The Cell’. Just crazy, fucked up creatures whispering sweet nothings into this guy’s conscience. When people like this stand next to me I like to switch train cars.

-Thanks to Alex and Jesse for this. If you have a photo or video of something weird or crazy from the subway send it our way. (subwaycreatures@gmail.com)

MTA Plans To Rid Subway Of Trash Cans To Solve Rat Problem, Wait What?

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amny.com

It seems ironic: to cut down on trash on subway platforms, the MTA is considering trashing garbage cans. The cash-strapped agency may remove all the cans from some platforms if everything goes well with a test-run underway at two stations. The MTA is banking on riders to take their trash with them, or simply bring less of it. If the pilot program — which began two weeks ago at the 8th Street N/R station and Flushing/Main Street No. 7 station — is successful over the next two months, it could roll out to other stations. “It’s just an experiment to see how much we can reduce the amount of refuse that we pick up,” said John Gaito, the MTA’s vice president and chief officer for subways. “We expect people to bring garbage, but we’d like them to bring less food. … Food attracts rodents.” The test is being done in response to the agency’s difficulty picking up the approximately 8,820 garbage bags each day across the system, Gaito said during Monday’s transit committee meeting. Eight trains and six trucks haul away trash each day at an annual cost of approximately $32 million, but refuse trains still miss one-in-three scheduled stops because they’re filled up or running late. The station cleaner at the 8th Street station likes the lack of trash bins, Gaito noted, but the cleaner at Main Street isn’t a fan because he has to personally tidy up after straphangers. “We don’t mind picking up things like newspapers,” Gaito said, adding they account for nearly half of all garbage collected. “We’d prefer papers instead of food.” Transit advocates and straphangers were left scratching their heads when they were told about the experiment.

I was never great at math in school but someone please correct me if I’m wrong. Garbage cans + subway = rat problem. No garbage cans + subway = no rat problem? But where does the garbage go then? Oh, on the tracks and on the actual subway cars themselves. Got it. Here is the line that you gotta love if you are a daily commuter: “The MTA is banking on riders to take their trash with them, or simply bring less of it.” Sometimes I’m just not sure if the people of MTA have ever actually been in the subway. On what planet do you think we live on that NYers will bring less trash into the subway because they are thinking ‘oh there’s no garbage cans down there I probably shouldn’t bring this with me.’ I’d love to see the result of your little experiment on 8th St. when people are being overrun and attacked by rats like those Cloverfield aliens.

And seriously MTA, if you’re so ‘cash strapped’ why the hell are you trying to install internet in the subways right now? Probably at the bottom of the list of things to do right now.

NYC Idiot Subway Surfs Outside Of The J Train, A MUST SEE!!!

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WTSP.com:

One man’s thrill-seeking antics on a subway train are sparking a crackdown on what’s known as “subway surfing.” And as CBS 2’s Kathryn Brown reports, it was all caught on video. They were some of the luckiest moments of a man’s life – the day he decided to try what’s known as “subway surfing” … and live to tell about it. Stunned straphangers riding the J train captured the stunt on their cell phonesand later posted it to YouTube. Some were concerned it was an emergency until they saw the man interacting with them. He’s seen grinning and putting his fingers to his lips. The man’s high-speed antics are part of a recent underground trend where thrill-seekers latch onto the outside of moving trains – risking their own lives as well as others. “I think it’s stupid and crazy,” subway rider Brandon Santori told Brown. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority agrees, calling the man’s actions both stupid and dangerous in a statement: “We have referred it to the transit bureau of the NYPD for investigation.” However, this incident was far from being an isolated incident. The fad is growing in popularity. The MTA has launched a campaign warning riders not to try this – something, you might think, would be common sense. Police confirmed Tuesday night people have been killed attempting these kinds of dangerous stunts, but neither the MTA nor NYPD keep track of those statistics.

 

Finally! A true subway creature! I blogged about subway surfing a while back but this takes it to another level. What do you possibly have to be on to think this is a great idea. To be honest, I agree with this guy recording, I kinda like this dude. If I die, I die! Just riding the outside of that train like he’s in a new Lethal Weapon movie. And then the little subway rat jumps into a doorway and starts running around the inside of the wall. Who is this guy? Hell yea I wanna Facebook him!