People get crazier by the day.

A woman in Grand Central Terminal walked on a stairwell, fell and broke her ankle because a scary advertisement for the show "Dexter" freaked her out. Ajanaffy Njewadda is suing the MTA and the cable network, with accusations regarding the placement of the ad in a dangerous spot for citizens. The poster was a closeup of Michael C. Hall a.k.a "Dexter" with cellophane covering his face.

Njewadda after the accident.

Subway Etiquette from an Avid Subway Rider

If you want some tips on ideal subway etiquette from a veteran subway rider. New Yorkers have a specific ritual for their everyday subway traveling,  Here are some:

1. If you are someone who hasn't figured out the Metrocard swiping speed, please be wary during rush hour and let others who need to get through, get through.
2. Never stand too close to the platform, for a multitude of reasons. One of them being it is so nasty and filled with rodents, and another being it is pretty easy to fall onto the tracks to your impending doom. DO NOT BECOME A STATISTIC.
3. If you see a fairly empty car during rush hour, use your noggin. There is probably a reason behind it. Unless you are immune to grimy odors or ambivalent to airborne diseases, then choose a different car, seriously. Homeless people roam subway stations and make it their shelters. 
4. If there isn't an empty seat, it is OK to stand in front of the doors. Just be sure, to move out of the way and not block passengers trying to get on.
5. Pay attention to your belongings. While, in most cases you won't get robbed or mugged, things like your wallet and valuables may be very easily picked.
6. Also keep your music or game volume low, tired New Yorkers are coming back from work and other tiring ventures and do not care about your score in Candy Crush or your SADE track.
7. Always offer your seat to a pregnant woman or an elderly individual. That is just self-explanatory.
8. DO NOT STARE. Like, honestly don't. It's seriously creepy. This is a SUBWAY not a bar.
9. For the love of God, please don't hold the subway doors, not only is the sound ridiculously annoying, but people are trying to get places.
10. Do not eat or do makeup on the train. This is not your bathroom, nor is it your kitchen. IT IS A SUBWAY CAR, remember that.

So now you can ride the subway with knowledge and confidence.

Safest and Riskiest Subway Stops in NYC

The Daily News recently conducted an investigation regarding the safest and riskiest subway stations in New York City. Their results were shocking. 62% of the crimes happened on trains and 38% happened in the stations. This is their data:


PROPERTY CRIMES: a category of crime that includes, among other crimes, burglary, larceny, theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, shoplifting, and vandalism.

MOST CRIMES

• 125 Street (4,5,6) - 911 crimes
• Times Square/Port Authority (1,2,3,7,N,Q,R,S,A,C,E) - 677 crimes
• 14 Street/Union Square (L,N,Q,R,4,5,6) - 452 crimes.

HIGHEST CRIME RATE (PER 100,000 TRIPS)

• Broad Channel (A,S)  - 9.05
• Beach 44 Street (A) - 2.68
• Beach 105 Street (A,S) - 2.27

VIOLENT CRIMES - A crime in which the offender uses methods of force or violence.

• Times Square/Port Authority (1,2,3,7,N,Q,R,S,A,C,E) - 183 crimes
• Broadway Junction (A,C,J,Z,L) - 113 crimes
• 14 Street/Union Square (L,N,Q,R,4,5,6) - 111 crimes

HIGHEST CRIME RATE ( PER 100,000 TRIPS)

• Broad Channel (A,S) - 3.42
• Broadway Junction (A,C,J,Z,L) - .79
• 149 Street/Grand Concourse (2,4,5)  - .38

TOTALS FOR ALL CRIME
July '08 - June '13

• Times Square/Port Authority (1,2,3,7,N,Q,R,S,A,C,E) -1791 crimes
• 125 Street (4,5,6) -1643 crimes 
• 14 Street/Union Square (L,N,Q,R,4,5,6) - 1564 crimes

WEAPONS POSSESSION: refers to a class of crime regarding the lawful or unlawful possession of a weapon by a citizen within an established society

• Broadway Junction (A,C,J,Z,L) - 320 crimes
• Times Square/Port Authority (1,2,3,7,N,Q,R,S,A,C,E) - 265 crimes
• 14 Street/Union Square (L,N,Q,R,4,5,6) - 238 crimes

HIGHEST CRIME RATE (PER 100,000 TRIPS) 

• Broad Chanel (A,S) - 3.67
• Broadway Junction (A,C,J,Z,L)  -2.24
• Chauncey Street (J,Z)  - .73

LEAST CRIME

July '08 - June '13

• Aqueduct Racetrack (A) - 1 crime
• 77 Street (R) - 7 crimes
• Hunters Point Ave (7) - 9 crimes

MISDEMEANOR SEX CRIMES : is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems 

• 42 Street/Grand Central ( 4,5,6,7,S) - 369 crimes
• 14 Street/Union Square (L,N,Q,R,4,5,6) - 172 crimes
• Times Square/Port Authority (1,2,3,7,N,Q,R,S,A,C,E) - 109 crimes

HIGHEST CRIME RATE (PER 100,000 TRIPS)

• Broad Channel (A,S) - .98
• Beach 105 Street (A,S) - .57
• Forest Hills/ 71 avenue (E,F,M,R) - .25

HIGHEST CRIME RATE TOTAL (PER 100,000 TRIPS)

• Broad Chanel (A,S) - 27.38
• Broadway Junction (A,C,J,Z,L) - 5.76
• Beach 105 street (A,S) - 4.27

DRUG CRIMES - To possess, manufacture, or distribute drugs classified as having a potential for abuse.

• Times Square/Port Authority (1,2,3,7,N,Q,R,S,A,C,E) - 155 crimes
• 116 Street (B,C) - 84 crimes
• 14 Street/Union Square (L,N,Q,R,4,5,6) - 79 crimes

HIGHEST CRIME RATE (PER 100,000 trips)

• Broad Channel (A,S) - 1.22
• 116 Street (B,C) - .86
• 110 Street/Cathedral Parkway (B,C) - .69

LOWEST CRIME RATE (PER 100,000 TRIPS)

• Wall Street (2,3) - .04
• Wall Street (4,5) - .08
• 77 Street (R)-. 09

The most common crime was larceny, with about 13,000 instances of petty and grand larceny through a five-year period.

Please stand by for the closing doors.

WHOA CHECK THESE NEW BAD BOYS OUT.

Holy Macaroni! What on earth is this? I was entering Grand Central Station and trying to find a cool place to stand in and to my excitement, I find this! New York calls them their touchscreen subway maps. These futuristic information kiosks are going to rock the socks of native NYC subway goers and tourists. Wow! You go MTA!

What's on my train playlist?

Most people on the train get through 3-10 songs or more depending on their train, if they are listening to their mp3 players. Well, here's the top 10 that are on my train playlist.

Just some suggestions for the avid train rider.

P.S: I am totally testing out my new Fonts app tell me what y'all think.

Why Union workers need to stop being so demanding.

So, basically union workers are creating a hassle for all LIRR passengers. They are leaving the MTA board no choice but to provide coach buses for the possibility of a strike. The coach buses, being a good idea for LIRR commuters who do not have other means of transportation, will delay passengers because they are still on the road and have to deal with things like traffic. The LIRR Wikipedia change has not been edited since 2008 and quite frankly neglected by the public. Here's said Wikipedia page mentioning LIRR issues that do not represent current changes.

The LIRR has a long history of rocky relations with its passengers,[20] especially daily commuters.[21] Various commuter advocacy groups have been formed to try to represent those interests, in addition to the state mandated LIRR Commuters Council.[22] One criticism of the LIRR is that it has not improved service to the "east end" of Long Island as the twin forks continue to grow in popularity as a year round tourist and residential destination. Demand is evidenced by flourishing for-profit bus services such as the Hampton Jitney and the Hampton Luxury Liner and the early formative stages of a new East End Transportation Authority.[23] Local politicians have joined the public outcry for the LIRR to either improve the frequency of east end services, or turn the operation over to a local transportation authority. Critics claim that the on-time performance (OTP) calculated by the LIRR is manipulated to be artificially high. Because the LIRR does not release any raw timing data nor does it have independent (non-MTA) audits it is impossible to verify this claim, or the accuracy of the current On Time Performance measurement. The "percentage" measure is used by many other US passenger railroads but the criticism over accuracy is specific to the LIRR. As defined by the LIRR, a train is "on time" if it arrives at a station within 5 minutes and 59 seconds of the scheduled time.[24] The criterion was 4 minutes and 59 seconds until the LIRR changed it because of a bug in their computer systems.[25] Critics[26] believe the OTP measure does not reflect what commuters experience on a daily basis. The LIRR publishes the current OTP in a monthly booklet called TrainTalk.[27] TrainTalk was previously known as "Keeping Track." A more accurate way to measure delays and OTP has been proposed.[28] Called the "Passenger Hours Delayed" index it can measure total person-hours of a specific delay. This would be useful in comparing performance of specific days or incidents, day-to-day (or week-to-week) periods, something the current measure cannot do. This 'PHD' index measure is used by some transportation research organizations and would be more meaningful to commuters. As of July 2009 it has not been adopted. The two methods are not mutually exclusive and could be kept and published simultaneously. 2007 ridership was 86.1 million, up 4.9% over 2006. The all time highest ridership was 91.8 million in 1949.[29]

As of February 2014, an MTA board meeting was held about authorizing private buses to shuttle LIRR workers, if they decide to strike. The panel voted 8-4, in favor of the private buses. Many unions representing 5,300 workers have been without a contract for over three years. Union workers have said there will be a strike if they don't have a new contract in hand by July. Transit officials have stated the coach buses can only transport 285,000 passengers daily. Here's the edited passage with some contemporary updates by yours truly.

The LIRR has a long history of rocky relations with its passengers,[20] especially daily commuters.[21] Various commuter advocacy groups have been formed to try to represent those interests, in addition to the state mandated LIRR Commuters Council.[22] One criticism of the LIRR is that it has not improved service to the "east end" of Long Island as the twin forks continue to grow in popularity as a year round tourist and residential destination. Demand is evidenced by flourishing for-profit bus services such as the Hampton Jitney and the Hampton Luxury Liner and the early formative stages of a new East End Transportation Authority.[23] Local politicians have joined the public outcry for the LIRR to either improve the frequency of east end services, or turn the operation over to a local transportation authority. Critics claim that the on-time performance (OTP) calculated by the LIRR is manipulated to be artificially high. Because the LIRR does not release any raw timing data nor does it have independent (non-MTA) audits it is impossible to verify this claim, or the accuracy of the current On Time Performance measurement. The "percentage" measure is used by many other US passenger railroads but the criticism over accuracy is specific to the LIRR. As defined by the LIRR, a train is "on time" if it arrives at a station within 5 minutes and 59 seconds of the scheduled time.[24] The criterion was 4 minutes and 59 seconds until the LIRR changed it because of a bug in their computer systems.[25] Critics[26] believe the OTP measure does not reflect what commuters experience on a daily basis. The LIRR publishes the current OTP in a monthly booklet called TrainTalk.[27] TrainTalk was previously known as "Keeping Track." A more accurate way to measure delays and OTP has been proposed.[28] Called the "Passenger Hours Delayed" index it can measure total person-hours of a specific delay. This would be useful in comparing performance of specific days or incidents, day-to-day (or week-to-week) periods, something the current measure cannot do. This 'PHD' index measure is used by some transportation research organizations and would be more meaningful to commuters. As of July 2009 it has not been adopted. The two methods are not mutually exclusive and could be kept and published simultaneously. 2007 ridership was 86.1 million, up 4.9% over 2006. The all time highest ridership was 91.8 million in 1949.[29] As of February 2014, an MTA board meeting was held about authorizing private buses to shuttle LIRR workers, if they decide to strike. The panel voted 8-4, in favor of the private buses. Many unions representing 5,300 workers have been without a contract for over three years. Union workers have said there will be a strike if they don't have a new contract in hand by July. Transit officials have stated the coach buses can only transport 285,000 passengers daily.

The MTA board is still finalizing the details of the private buses, if the strike is to happen.

Celebrities who visit the MTA: Jessie J - Who You Are.

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a celebrity! It's Jessie J! Singing on the NYC train station?




in Early 2011, pop singer Jessie J came to the Times Square train stop with just a boombox and a camera man and performed "Who You Are," to an underground crowd. The whole performance was an impromptu a capella. This was a bold statement by Jessie J, that people in New York are always rapidly running around and shoving past each other to get to their destination, instead of stopping and listening to some music. Jessie J not only graced the commuters with her amazing pipes, but she also sent out an inspirational message to all of the listeners.

Review of the G train

A few years ago, the G train started running to cater to folks living in growing neighborhoods in Brooklyn (i.e, Williamsburg and Greenpoint) and Queens. The MTA announced that this train would not go through Manhattan. But what they didn't announce is how ridiculously short the G train was, I mean I have definitely found myself running after the G train, because quite frankly it is only 4 cars long. Also, if one were to miss the G train, they are bound to wait for another 20 minutes. But, the worst problems come when the G train is under construction, it isn't even worth taking the train. Find another form of transport, seriously. Disappointed New Yorkers say, "Filthy stations, whacked out riders and a total lack of service." Thumbs down to you G train. Please stand by for the closing doors.

Opinion: 3 Reasons Why New Yorkers don't smile on the train.

One thing that always amazes me is that every time I take the train, every single face looks so unhappy to be there, not once have I seen a smile. Blank stares all around, literally. Over the years I've come to realize each New Yorker wants to get to a destination, and most commonly there will be at least one person in your car dozing off. Most New Yorkers have routines and use various methods of distraction to prevent them from smiling (just kidding.) But, yeah in each subway car there is a very high chance of someone reading a book or newspaper or listening to their iPod/inferior mp3 player. You can very easily tell a native New Yorker from a confused tourist holding an upside down map. Other symptoms of bewildered tourists may include, loud chuckling, loud talking, and a lack of train etiquette. Native New Yorkers consider this behavior inconsiderate and pest-like, or at least I do. Another reason for our unwelcoming faces, along with the naive tourists is the keyword LOUD group of high school students. Now, these might be worse than the tourists because they are LOUDLY socializing, LOUDLY joking/laughing, and LOUDLY screaming the way they do during recess or in the cafeteria. It baffles the native New Yorker, and instinctively comes the stank face or a nicer expression called the 'blank stare.' Now the last reason is an even split, between New Yorkers who enjoy it and New Yorkers who do not, and that is train fights. Personally, I love a good subway fight. I think it is the funniest thing. For instance, last summer I took the F train downtown and saw a Hispanic working woman get into a cat fight with a heavyset man in drag because he called her a 'whore'. There were claws, I assure you. The faces of the New Yorkers around me were hysterical. There were some people trying not to snicker and others in legitimate fear. The man in drag began to cry because his nail started to bleed and the Hispanic woman was telling him how dare he set a hand on her. The man went into hysterics and mumbled cries, in which he said 'My father just died.' So, that's what I think about that. Boy, do I love New Yorkers. They are so easily disturbed by anything out of the ordinary. Please stand by for the closing doors. P.S: Oh yeah here's a few photos of the infamous 'blank stare' / lost tourists.

Informative or not so informative.

Information about the MTA system always seems groggy and monotone. Usually, I write down my thoughts on my phone when I take the train about interesting things that occur on the train, and then I thought ''Hey wouldn't this be a great idea for a blog?'' So, that is what I did. What fascinates me is there is so much to see on the train. You can get on the 2 train with a really passive state of mind and during your ride to say Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, you can be astounded by a youthful quartet's cover of 'Stand By Me.' I'm never one to give money on the train, but sometimes I can't help but have my heart touched, and I know I'll regret, but hey they earned that money fair and square. I will be focusing on reviewing mostly on the 4,5,6, F and C trains.
Personally, I love the 4 5 6 line, it is fast and reliable at all hours of the night. Even, when I worked as a bartender on 8th street and 6th avenue and I would be let off at 2-4 A.M, rather than taking the F line from West 4th to Bryant Park (which was infinitely closer to my place of work,) I would still walk to the Union Square Station and take the 4 or 5 train to Grand Central (which runs locally after 12.) Another reason I favor the 4 5 6 line is because they are the only lines besides the 1 2 3 that show the next upcoming train.

I have taken the F train for years from Brooklyn to Bryant Park because a majority of my friends live in Park Slope. The F line is very diverse, because it ranges from stops in Coney Island to stops in Rockefeller center. Also fun fact, the F line just happens to have the highest subway stop above ground, that being Smith Ave- 9th street which is 88 feet above street level.

The last line that I plan to cover is probably my least favorite line ever (besides the never ending R line.) The C line landed another F rating in the New York Times. Their exact words were,"riders of the C train can forgive the typical subway detritus: the wrappers and cheese puffs and unfinished sandwiches." Harsh. Unfortunately, I completely agree with the Times' ranking of the C train. Honestly, I feel kind of bad for the conductor because I can only imagine how much he hates his job. Each and every time, I have to go see my therapist or other various reasons why I would get on these two putrid lines is because I absolutely have no other choice. I dread it. Seriously, don't take this train, unless you really really really have to and enjoy wasting your whole day waiting for the train. Also, I am not exclusively doing the aforementioned lines. If my journey takes me on the other fabulous subway lines, I'll be sure to blog about it. But, for now please stand by for the closing doors.

This blog's purpose and such.

New York City is an overpriced and overrated dreamland that civilians settle into make a home. Folks who are aware of the multiple bills one needs to pay cannot afford to take expensive forms of transit (i.e, driving, taking cabs, and car services.) So even the upper class buckles down and grabs $2.50 and anticipates rush hour which includes a member from each economic class hurrying to work or to any other destination. My job is to share my insights on the wonderful and not so wonderful occurrences that happen on the train (i.e, fights, performances, mariachi bands, angry homeless people, delinquents making passengers feel bad about the boys' lack of basketball uniforms so they sell fruit snacks, youthful folk singing and raising money, and the occasional guy trying to raise money for charity.)  I have been living in New York City since I was 10 years old and I take the train pretty much every day. I will be interviewing passengers and getting their opinion on our super duper awesome and not to mention clean subway system. Maybe you’ll understand my humor, maybe not, but I hope you’ll bear with me, and anyway, if nothing else, I’m doing this to amuse myself. Also, I will be comparing subway lines, for instance the R train is the slowest train in the history of the MTA system, but that's a post for a different day. I hope you can relate to my experiences and take them with you when you use our beloved MTA subway system. Ciao For Now, Please Stand By For the Closing Doors.