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Almost half of all accidental subway fatalities happen to riders with alcohol in their bloodstreams, according to a study by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, which looked at data on subway deaths between 1990 and 2003. 145 of the 315 accidental fatalities during that time period were found to involve some degree of alcohol, though the report doesn't specify how blotto the victims were, if at all.
Nevertheless, report co-author professor Robyn Gershon is calling for a public information campaign in the subway urging riders to drink and commute responsibly (May we suggest they hire John Ratzenberger for a "Drinking and Riding: What's up with that?" ad series?) Gershon says, "Given that more than 75% of households in Manhattan and more than 50% of those in all of NYC do not own a car, there may be a sense that drinking alcohol to the point of intoxication is not risky since people are not driving." (Manhattan had 43% of subway-related fatalities, more than any other borough.) Speaking to the Post, Gershon also noted that "with the changes to the financial picture in New York, there's talk of an increase in alcohol intake."
The report is long and difficult to read with a hangover, but you can download a PDF here. Other grim stats, like how 343 of all 668 subway deaths between 1990 and '03 were suicides, can be found in the report's fun summary.
Photo courtesy Smooth Dude.
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Damn, here in Washington we aren't allowed to drink on the subway.
Too lazy to read the report myself.. is there any data about where victims lived? I wonder if the mix of alcohol + unfamiliarity is the culprit, or if it's just the booze.
i remember seeing a guy on the stairs of a manhattan stairway passed out, young guy too, and wondered what kind of a fucking hangover he was going to have in the morning.
i meant subway stairwell
I saw a drunk girl do a little somersault off the platform. Planted her face right on the tracks with her legs kicking up behind her. She might have killed herself even without a train coming. Good thing one wasn't.
When I get ratassed I take a cab / car service home if I don't have a friend to take care of me. No one should go home on the subway alone piss ass drunk.
over the river, we aren't "allowed" to drink on the subway, but 1) you can't possibly tell me that that means you don't, and 2) this is more about drinking at a bar/restaurant/apartment and then getting on the subway, i think.
anyway, i passed out on the subway platform many years ago, and the very nice MTA worker who woke me up told me that when he saw me laying there, he thought i was dead... sadly, it was not the figurative wake-up call it should've been. thank god i finally learned my lesson.
Passed out drunk + subway escalator = shredded flesh (not from direct personal experience).
I know a NYT employee who was drunk and fell down a flight of stairs. nasty enough for him to have his injuries checked out.
I don't think the aricle means actually drinking on the subway, isn't here an open bottle law?
http://gothamist.com/2008/07/08/public_drinking.php
Also, did they say how many of those deaths were Homeless people? Since it's largely a manhattan issue(and that's were most of the subway bums are).
Id rather have drunk people taking mass transit then drive drunk. I can say from my own past intoxicated experiences that the best way to prevent falling on to the tracks is to always travel with someone (hopefully less drunk than you). I've passed out on subway trains before and its not fun to wake up and say #1 where the hell am I and #2 thank god I didn't mugged, stabbed or have fallen onto the tracks.
#1:"Damn, here in Washington we aren't allowed to drink on the subway."
Its illegal to drink on the Subway or any MTA Bus. Although you can drink on LIRR and Metro-North trains and stations. The MTA sells millions of dollars worth of alcohol throughout Penn Station and GCT each year, only down side is the trains look like shit on fri, sat and sun mornings plus certain holidays.
I live downtown now so it's not really a problem for me anymore, but I used to live in Harlem and I'd certainly have to take the subway drunk. No way was I gonna pay for a 30 dollar cab ride.
I never fell or passed out on the platform, but I did frequently pass out on the train. One day I took the F train from 2nd Av and I was gonna transfer at west 4th for the D. I woke up on the F train at 71st Ave in Queens. Walked to the Manhattan bound side, and stood up the whole time cause the train was filled with kids and adults going to school or work.
When I got back into Manhattan I transfered to an uptown D train and passed out again and woke up at Yankee Stadium. Had to get the downtown train back to my stop at 125th street.
I was pretty lucky nothing happened to me I wonder how much bad shit happens to people like myself?
12
"I was pretty lucky nothing happened to me I wonder how much bad shit happens to people like myself?"
I guess that rectal bleeding didn't seem unusual?
I like the idea of a bar car on the subways. Although they wont allow smoking I'm sure. At least it keeps the drunks off the street.
Or we can repeal the twenty first amendment and bring back mob rule in the states?
I've seen a lot of people that were in no shape to walk, so the choice was either take the subway or drive. It was up to them.
There is a great campaign on the Underground in London about drunkeness on the train.
Girls passed out looking skanky...if anyone has pics they should post it here in the states.
^ Hear Hear!
Nice to see that I'm not the only one who's passed out on the F train, and woken up in Flushing. :)
^ with your watch missing and a beer can in your ass?
(sorry, was done with a sporting grin, not meant to be as rude as it sounds. The comment, I mean.)
Where's the ad campaign for the 175 people killed by riding the subway sober?