Mom leaves baby in train station

I recently read an article that I encourage everyone to read about a woman leaving her 7-year-old child in the NYC subway. The article is written by a mother, who completely relates how that could happen and discusses the hardships of being a mom and all of the awake hours. Instead of taking the high horse route and telling the mother what she already knows, about how heartless and horrible of anyone to commit such a crime.

The link for the article is here.

Check it out.

Interview with a commuter who doesn't speak much English.

So, yesterday I interviewed my grandma, Lehya Khazan a woman who is 78 and born in Russia. She barely speaks a lick of English and I was curious to find out the perspective of someone who isn't a native riding the subway, and the obstacles within that.


So, here goes:

Q: Hi grandma! Thank you for letting me interview you. I think my first question would have to be, as a non-native, would the MTA transit system be your favorite type of transportation?

A: No. I really don't like it because it is very hard to get around. I am too old to use it.

Q: If you're getting on the subway, where do you usually go? 

A: I usually only take the subway to Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center for concerts. I take bus everywhere else or I like to walk. Everything I need, I have near me.

Q: Do you think the language barrier gets in the way of you comfortably riding the subway?

A: Yes, but I don't think it would be my favorite way of transpiration.

Note to self: Old Soviet grandmas are very ambivalent to subway riding.

Please stand by for the closing doors 

 

 

 

 

How to be recluse and not talk to anyone on the subway

I'm sure any given individual who has taken the NYC subway a handful of times has had to run into the awkward moments of some nutty person speaking to them on accident or someone begging for money and hated every second of it. When you want to be alone, you just want to be alone and theres nothing anyone can do to change that, especially a stranger. Sometimes it's plainly just too early. Sometimes I'm in a really bad mood. Sometimes I just don't actually care.

But here's my tips on how to appear as a recluse on the subway and like it,

1. Use your phone. I know the complete opposite of what the rest of the world is telling you to do. But, do it. You'll look and feel important and like you have something you need to be doing, even if you're just pushing random buttons on the verge of wetting your pants.
2. Read a book. Or whatever is in place of books these days. You'll look and feel smart and slightly old fashioned. Books always have service, unlike phones.
3. Sleep  or don't because I have missed my stop so many times and ended up in the Bronx of Queens.
4. Read the newspaper. You know they still exist? They're 75 cents now. America...
5. Do your makeup. Ladies, I hate doing my makeup in a moving train car, but sometimes I know I have no time and, honestly it's something to do on the train.
6. Do some last minute work. Whether it be homework or work. Always good to review whatever you're doing.
7. Daydream and get lost in your thoughts and awkwardly look like you're staring at someone.

That's all. 

Please stand by for the closing doors

Beautiful train montage

This woman did what ever NYC subway rider wants to do, and that is recording other subway riders sitting across from her, for a whole year. The act of riding the train seems so routine and mundane that we forget about the interesting characters we can run into on the subway.


Here is the video, I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did.

 

Lost and Fraudulent.

Recently, a local Brooklyn blog called the Bensonhurst Bean conducted some research regarding the lost and found operations that go on in the MTA. If someone has been on the MTA train, they have definitely heard the message on the train "to keep your belongings in plain sight."
Well, what happens if you by chance you lost a personal belongings? One would expect there to be no fee to find an item that belongs to them. But apparently, online searches direct MTA customers onto an official website called "lostpropertynyc.com," which demands personal information then generates a payment automatically from the given information. The website informs the reader that the MTA works hand in hand with them and that the process is completely legit.
Currently, the MTA Police Department has launched a criminal investigation into the website. They found that this website is also soliciting money from NYC taxi and airport customers.

Whoa, what a scheme.

For the original Bensonhurst Bean article click here

Cell service and Wi-Fi! Oh my!

Yes. A crucial part of what would make the NYC subway experience better, from internet radio to browsing the web to checking e-mails and texts, most subway stations offer it now! Not only that, but if you are truly in danger and need to dial 911, the MTA has made that possible for security purposes. Today, I was looking at the new advertisements on the 4 train coming back from a friend's and I quickly ran home after my commute to search the worldwide web and check what subway stations offer this grand improvement. My first instinct was to go on Wikipedia, written by the people for the people.

To my dismay, the Wikipedia page had such little information on the topic that if I were a tourist or anyone alike I would definitely want to know more about cellphone service on the train. The short little paragraph had nothing specific or anything of value, just facts.

New York City Subway began to provide underground cellular phone with voice and data service, and free Wi-Fi to passengers in 2011 at six stations. The new network was installed and owned by Transit Wireless as part of company's $200 million investment. The company expanded the services to 30 more stations in 2013 and signed an agreement with all 4 major wireless network operators to allow their cellular phone customers to use its network. The MTA and Transit Wireless are splitting the fees received from those wireless carriers for the usage of the network. The Wi-Fi service, which operates using antennae,^[150] is operated by Boingo Wireless.^[151] Transit Wireless expects to provide service to the remaining 241 underground stations by 2017, including the four deep-level subway stations under construction. Work to install the antennas within the next 40 key stations in midtown Manhattan and Queens has already begun, and the antennas are expected to be in service by March 2014

But, what stations? Tell me more! What are the 4 major wireless operators? Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T?  As I continued my research, I found more concrete and detailed information on the subject and added in the changes to the Wikipedia site, so everyone who wanted to know, would know. I added some critical information, that is best for tourists, mainly naming stations that are populated with tourist attractions.

New York City Subway began to provide underground cellular phone with voice and data service, and free Wi-Fi to passengers in 2011 at six stations. The new network was installed and owned by Transit Wireless as part of company's $200 million investment. The company expanded the services to 30 more stations in 2013 and signed an agreement with all 4 major wireless network operators to allow their cellular phone customers to use its network. The MTA and Transit Wireless are splitting the fees received from those wireless carriers for the usage of the network. The Wi-Fi service, which operates using antennae,^[150] is operated by Boingo Wireless.^[151] Transit Wireless expects to provide service to the remaining 241 underground stations by 2017, including the four deep-level subway stations under construction. Work to install the antennas within the next 40 key stations in midtown Manhattan and Queens has already begun, and the antennas are expected to be in service by March 2014.^[152][104] The first six stations part of the initial build were 23rd Street and 8th Ave, 14th Street and 8th Avenue, 14th Street and 7th Avenue, 14th Street and 6th Avenue, Times Square and Columbus Circle. Commuters now have the opportunity to dial 911 in case of an emergency.

As a NYC subway rider, I approve of this message.

Congress will not intervene on any LIRR strike

Yikes! As I already mentioned here, the LIRR strike has become a hot topic , since my last post! With the upcoming LIRR potential strike less than two weeks away, the chairman of the MTA traveled to DC for a meeting with lawmakers to discuss Congress' role in the chance that workers walk off the job. But, legislative leaders said the railroad and the unions should not count on congressional backup. Representative Steve Israel, a Democrat from Long Island, said after a delegation meeting with the chairman, "This is a Republican majority that shut down the federal government for 16 days. What would lead anyone to believe that they would act to avoid a shutdown of the Long Island Rail Road?"

For Long Island commuters, the road is looking pretty bleak.

NYPD clearing out homeless people from subways, and assuming people are homeless when they aren't apparently.

I have seen some seriously disturbing videos of the unnecessary and aggressive behavior by NYPD towards people falling asleep on the train and homeless people. According to the Hope Annual Street NYC survey there were 1,800 people living in the train station in 2013, a whole 800 up from 2009. Now the NYPD are cracking down and searching for these people, they have sent a few officers to search each car every time a train pulls into a station, and take all the homeless people either to a hospital or a shelter, sounds pretty nice doesn't it? But, looks like they've taken it too far, with either assuming this man is homeless or doing some ridiculous racial profiling.

Let's take a look at two police officers beating and arresting a man for sleeping on the train.

More on man being beaten and arrested on train by the NYPD



The crime was listed as nodding off during a commute from coming home from work. As seen, the man continuously yells "For what? I didn't do shit." The incident occurred at the 57th Street stop in Manhattan in a fairly empty car. As the man continues to cry for help, backup arrives and sees that the man is resisting. So, the immediate reaction is to start hitting this man over the head with a baton? What? Is that even legal? After more officers arrive, an officer grabs the resisting man in a clinch and manages to yank him onto the ground. A woman standing by begins to record the scene and eventually asks the officers for their badge numbers.  Rudely, one of the officers tries to whisk away the recording device from her, to which she yells "don't put your fucking hands on me."

Please stand by for the closing doors.

Joyrides for a bus-obsessed man in Staten Island.

Nikolas Elias saw an MTA bus parked in Staten Island's St. George Ferry Terminal and figured 'hey, YOLO, so giving myself a ride back home."

Let's watch.



Elias, is a 20-year-old man, and his family and friends would describe him as "bus obsessed." So, him driving 1.6 miles from the Ferry Terminal to where he lives in Stapleton was no surprise to them. The MTA located the bus through "advanced MTA technology" (also known as a GPS).
Elias had claimed that he was just testing out his dream of being a bus driver and he had plans on returning the bus after he was finished. Apparently, this was not Elias' first attempt at trying to steal a bus, months before he saw another bus and tried the same stunt, but police had stopped him just in time. He is being held on $10,000 bail and being charged with grand larceny.

Taggers take over NYC trains.

I think it's silly that the Daily News refers to taggers as attackers. Sure, they are vandalizing the MTA property, but it's certainly doesn't constitute of "nine sneak attacks." I mean who is getting attacked really. I am not condoning their behavior. I just believe that the Daily News is being a little rash with their language. Here is said attack,

"MTA you are slacken," is what is said on the train car.

Sure, they are taking freedom of speech to a new level, but honestly MTA you are seriously slacking.

Goodbye MetroCards. Swipe ya later!

Let's save the environment, and not have to use disposable plastic cards to get on the train. By 2019, the MTA plans to create a new system for commuters, and it is still under wraps. But, rumors say that this new system will either involve a credit/debit card or smartphones.

This new upcoming change is said to save infrastructure costs and also increase convenience for commuters. Metrocards as most of us know are very easy to lose, bend, or damage. Another idea for a Metrocard replacement is a possible app for all regional commuting, no matter where. But, unfortunately not everyone has a smart phone, so that introduces a problem in the seemingly flawless system.


Here's a quick sneak peek into our possible future!

Even though it looks super efficient, the problem arises, would the MTA be invading our privacy? Is it too much to access?

Do women feel uncomfortable on the train?

So recently, I noticed something on my way home on the C train. Women can't even have a peek of cleavage without the fear of some sleazy man eyeing up her tits. Like, man I'm just trying to get to my destination, and if you are going to call me names for wearing clothing that makes me feel good, then go shut the front door. I think the problem gets infinitely worse at night and more specifically SUMMER NIGHTS. That's right when the short tight dresses come out on Friday and Saturday evenings, and my fellow females are inebriated. Now I'm not one for doing that sort of thing, but I will be out late at night observing these ladies and the pervert men who should be doing something constructive with their time, instead of turning the train into a nightclub, (you're not picking anyone up, no offense guys!)

People are really getting desperate out here.


So, I decided to ask two women that I met on the 4 train who prefer to remain anonymous some questions about their comfort level on the train.

Q1: Have you ever felt like someone of the opposite gender is watching you in a really uncomfortable manner?

A1: (chuckles) When I was 17, I was taking the A train to 145th street to see my boyfriend at the time, Timothy, if I remember correctly it was 10 pm and I decided to wear a form fitting red dress to surprise him. I was expecting some glances of attention, but nothing like I experienced. There a was a man on the opposite side of the car all the way at the end, and I noticed he was eyeing me since I got on at W.4th street. It was the most bizarre thing! Every few stops, I would notice him moving a little bit closer and closer to where I was sitting. Finally, I saw him sitting right across from me at 125th street, and I saw a flashing light and I realized that he was taking pictures of me. I was terrified. 

Q2: Do you carry any precautionary tools like mace to protect yourself when you take the train at night?

A2: Unfortunately, I cannot say that I have. But being as old as I am, and seeing what young women wear nowadays, I would strongly recommend it.

Q3: Do you think the MTA is doing enough to keep the trains safe at night?

A3: Supposedly in comparison to the 80's, we're supposed to be safer which I think is horse crap, because the so called precautions we are taking are not more effective, such as the back halves of trains were prohibited until 8 PM. Although, I am in favor of the commissioner's new idea about putting video cameras in the train.

So, women be conscious and aware of all your surroundings at night in every area.

Please stand by for the closing doors