Gothamist: A Strap to Hang On: The TranStrap

judah

Wed, 07 Sep 2005 10:57:52 -0500

i use mine when i can't find a seat and i have to say that it is much more comfortable than holding onto the pole, because you don't have to reach up to the bar. instead you can let your arm hang comfortably while you hang on to the strap. that may not sound like much, but try it and you'll notice the difference. as for the germ/pole issue, well, i'm not a germaphobe, but its also nice not to have to touch the pole.

rio

Wed, 07 Sep 2005 08:43:54 -0500

i completely agree with chelsea... having a lot of contact with small amounts of germs (like on subway bars) is probably actually very beneficial in helping your body develop antibodies against all sorts of things, causing you to actually get sick less.

Chelsea

Wed, 07 Sep 2005 08:01:51 -0500

Touching (or licking for that matter) things in the subway might actually be good for you... If you live in NYC, using Purell is certainly silly -- either your immune system has seen those germs, or you will get them from somewhere else within the next few hours. I mean, unless you have an immuno-deficiency or something... I figure, with maximum exposure, my immune system is tough and I can simply not worry about this kind of stuff. Seems to work, I get sick maybe once a year...

Chelsea

Wed, 07 Sep 2005 08:01:06 -0500

Touching (or licking for that matter) things in the subway might actually be good for you... If you live in NYC, using Purell is certainly silly -- either your immune system has seem those germs, or you will get them from somewhere else within the next few hours. I mean, unless you have an immuno-deficiency or something... I figure, with maximum exposure, my immune system is tough and I can simply not worry about this kind of stuff. Seems to work, I get sick maybe once a year...

Myszka-aka SketchedOut

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 23:00:37 -0500

Ha! Dan Hoyt's pole and nut meat! Eew.

areacode212

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 21:55:58 -0500

That Dan Hoyt story will be providing us material for weeks.

Brightliner

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 18:36:05 -0500

As long as it wasn't Dan Hoyt's subway pole. IMHO, the best option would be the John Steed technique. Carry a brolly and use it to give yourself a three-point stance for stability. And in a pinch, it can shield you from rain, too!

claire

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 17:20:55 -0500

my friend licked a subway pole once...

Meghan

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 16:16:45 -0500

Brillant idea, but I see some problems with actually trying to use the thing on a packed C train at 5:30 on a Friday...

Bart'sPoleLicking

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 16:08:37 -0500

I already have TransStrap rage. Urge to kill rising...

Myszka

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 15:45:39 -0500

If you're going to carry around a TranStrap, might as well carry a beach chair instead. Oh! OR...TranStrap should make a seat/swing that will hook onto the bar...bi-level seating on each train!

cartoons are just drawings

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 15:42:29 -0500

Bart didn't really lick a subway pole. It was simply a studio set, shot in front of a live studio audience.

sp

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 15:40:06 -0500

went to their site, it looks pretty neat. I might have to recommend it to all my shorties.

sp

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 15:15:12 -0500

question: if you cant reach the bar, how do you get it on and off?

shorty

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 15:13:24 -0500

This sounds ideal for short people! Sometimes I have trouble reaching the bar. And even when I can, I'm usually on my tippy toes, which makes it much more difficult to maintain my balance as the tains jerks back and forth.