Subway Delays Ten Ways

The Daily News printed a list of the "top 10 reasons why your train was late", so memorize them the next time you're late to work:

1. Track work/work crews - 1,640 incidents in one month
2. Signal trouble - 532
3. Guard-light trouble - 415
4. Sick customers - 392
5. Customers holding doors - 346
6. Emergency brakes triggered/no cause found - 332
7. Broken rail - 316
8. Unruly customers - 313
9. System maintenance equipment - 262
10. Emergency brakes triggered by cause - 229

According to the MTA, "unruly passengers" moved into the top 10 for the first time, with 118 more incidents than the 195 measured in December 2006. Was it the holidays - too much egg nog, too much shopping?

Anyway, one thing that delays subways is something we're not sure the MTA measures: People who board trains inefficiently. We're talking people who storm onto the train without letting other get out, or people who get on the train first and plant themselves in the doorway, making it difficult for more people to get on. Or how about people who don't move all the way into the car? Sure, we like to stand closer to the door if our stop is coming soon, too, but when there's a mass of humanity behind you, just more in.

And here's another kind of subway stats: Reasons for subway deaths.

Photograph by VincenzoF on Flickr, who says, "Let Passengers Exit!"

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By Jen Chung in News on February 27, 2007 5:51 PM

Comments [rss]

Gwinny

I recently learned how to say "please step aside" in Chinese so that I could communicate with the folks attempting to board the B/D at Grand Street before letting anyone off the train. I've gotten a lot of shocked looks to be sure, but so far it's worked better than simply body-checking them.

Meredith

I wonder if holding the doors open counts as "unruly passengers."

BODY GUARDS

How about one Door not closing all the way

or - during the late nights - Police examining every car looking for someone with their feet on the seats

Kojak

You people are terrible. You know you’re all perpetuating the behavior that

Leads to these incidents in the first place.

I was coming home today and the train was packed, except for one car in the middle that was literally empty with just one man sleeping on the seat. I walked in, thinking to myself ‘how bad could it be?’. Then low and behold I was hit with the foulest stench that I have ever smelled in my life. It knocked me back at least 10 feet.

Stinky Homeless people should be added to the list of things that cause delays.

Patrick

I love knocking people over who won't let me get off the train. Lately I've been elbowing them in the face!

mihow

Passengers are unruly because their damn trains are always late!

mlb

I make it a habit to knock into the people who refuse to move out of the doorway. They never move out of the way because they want that spot so everyone has to move around them. I have this fantasy of somebody from the MTA pushing their fat asses into the train so everyone can get on in a more timely manner!