Scent of Human Feces Haunts Herald Square Subway

Fox 5 is making a big stink about a nasty situation in the Herald Square subway station, where it appears that someone did a #2 and didn't flush... because there was no toilet available where the bowel movement occured. Apparently, it's been two weeks since the human waste first debuted on the landing of a stairwell, and although the MTA put up a yellow caution sign, it seems that no one bothered to clean up fecal remnants. Baby steps? Area man Paul Arking is sick of walking through the stench gauntlet during his daily commute, and this video shows he's not the only one.

Riders Complain of Human Waste in Herald Square Station: MyFoxNY.com

"I've seen all sorts of things but this has to be by far the worst I've ever seen," says Arking, who apparently missed the rat crawling over a man's face in the subway, or the guy orally pleasuring a woman on an uptown 5 train. He's written letters to the MTA Chairman, President, and VP of subways, but nobody seems to give a shit about the matter. "This is our tax dollars not being spent properly, we pay good money, but service gets worse, squatters get worse, and panhandling gets worse," says Arking.

In a statement, MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz says, "A mobile wash team was assigned to 34th St./Herald Square last night to perform high-pressure cleaning and we have reached out to the NYPD Transit Bureau and alerted them to this issue. Counter to Fox 5 claims, there were no feces at that location, but the pungent odor emanating from the area appears to stem from the homeless population there."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on March 11, 2011 12:08 PM

Comments [rss]

GregJG

Since I was kid riding the trains to school the subways always had a vile stench. This has been going on for years. MTA makes money but never have enough to clean pissy corners and shit piles. The term fall on your sword is needed in upper management. Now I'm an adult I take the metro north to work. Yeah the price is high but is well worth it for my sense of smell and peace of mind.

Oleg

I've decided against moving to America, Earth. The flubs that live there are just not ready for any form of intelligent life yet. I was hoping we could help America, one of the poorest settlements on Earth, but they will have to develop plumbing for the multitudes before they qualify for assistance. Sorry America.

nomadnewyork

This is my work stop. I get out as close to the exit as possible. The Broadway part of the station doesn't smell as bad as the 6th Avenue part of the station. It really does smell like shit, not unwashed homeless people.

wiseguynyc

I must say, the countdown clocks are nice and all but I'd much rather the MTA spent our money on someone to wash the platforms once a day with high-pressure hoses and maybe some bleach as well. I'm not expecting the sparkling cleanliness of a European subway station or the DC Metro (God forbid), just not to have to walk around human waste and other litter on my way to work.

edgie168

Seems like almost every other subway system in the world is 10000x cleaner than ours, with some with far, far more traffic throughout the day.

We really have no excuse.

wiseguynyc

I must say, the countdown clocks are nice and all but I'd much rather the MTA spent our money on cleaning the stations. Why should it be so hard to take a high-pressure hose to the platforms once a day and maybe add some bleach as well. I'm not expecting the cleanliness of a European subway station or the DC Metro, just not to have to walk around human waste and other litter on my way to work.

whitecastlerock

This station is abominable-the stench of shit, decaying bums, overflowing garbage cans is horrendous. This station is a major hub and it resembles a homeless shelter. Meanwhile Times Square has bathrooms and an attendant to unlock the doors. What would it take to have a few bathrooms in the Herald Square station? Instead we have countdown clocks, proposals for oysters cards while basking in the aroma of someone's bowel movement.

TheRealCannibal

Its the bog of eternal stench beneath the macys labyrinth! Santaland is the troll village! Martha Stewart is David Bowie!!

HAD1

What is completely wrong with the Transit system in New York?. I watch the video and couldn't believe my eyes and ears. I guess the Transit system is afraid of cleaning up messes and they don't care about the poor citizens walking around the subway. Just because they can't see it doesn't mean that it is gone; the smell is still there and will be until it is cleaned up properly. By the way, I did see the fecal matter on the floor next to the sign.

Stiff01

Ok, So someones Asshole exploded ! Big deal , move on , Just watch your step . Like none of you people have ever been home and had to take a monster , Stinky shit before .

ed_Extinct

If an MTA employee tried to work (meaning, lifting at least one finger to do something constructive), I'm sure they'd be breaking a multitude of union laws.

Winston Smith

I don't think poop would stink after 2 weeks.

RabbiLaFunque

it would smell like 2 week old poop.

Winston Smith

It would be dust

It would be eaten by vermin.

It is nice to make the MTA / Government look bad. But this is something else.

whatidsay

Shouldn't that warning sign say "Cuidadoo"?

Unkle_Bob

This is one area where country-bumpkin transplants have the upper-hand. We're so used to the smell of farm manure that a little subway perfume isn't going to faze us.

Communist

People overacting to the smell. They filmed people going and showed only ones covering up their nose.

jibbly

Uh, unless you've actually passed through that area don't judge. The stench is definitely awful. I'm gotten to the point where I hold my breath walking up the section of the ramp. It's fucking VILE.

Communist

You are weak

Peanut_Butter

The leads are weak? The fucking leads are weak? You're weak!

Communist

I am strong

smorrebrod

You may not to be a troll after all.

jibbly

o noez someone on teh internatz called me weak. wut shuld i do nao?????/??/?????/?!!!!!1!!!!!!!1!!

Zachary Uram

Eww so glad we don't have this happen in Pittsburgh!

Rocknrope

Personally, I'd rather have a shit-ridden New York than a non shit-ridden Pittsburgh.

Zachary Uram

Nice to hear of your scatalogical predilection. We were just rated most livable city in America by the Economist. Just cause a city is huge doesn't mean your quality of life is better. But I know New Yorkers are defensive so it's ok.

Rocknrope

You mad?

edgie168

he mad

TheRealCannibal

Brought to you by Macy's. Believe.

FU Boy

My office is just outside that station and it's stunk of bums and shit long before this happened. On a hot summer day you can smell it before you even leave the street.

tiffany

ugh i used to live near this station. SO GROSS!!

jibbly

That's my transfer station in the mornings and let me tell you, it's been stinking far, far longer than 2 weeks. Probably closer to 2 months. I can't wait to be commuting by bike regularly again. This winter reminded me why subways suck.

Gregory Maxim

For most of december there was a homeless couple posted up on one of the stairwells... could have sworn it was them since you know the homeless in NYC have this very distinct smell of rotting feet and fecal matter...

eriknbrooklyn

yup, plus there's that more-haggard-than normal homeless lady who pees on the stairs going out to the NE corner of 35th and 6th. I only ride the subway when it's really pouring or snowing, so I experience the full effect of the fecesXpee-peeXwet-human collabo and it is not fun. but yeah, that whole station reeks

jibbly

Yup, but I can't conclusively say it's them because I've never been there when they're no longer sitting at their spot.

Whatever it is, it's been stinking far longer than it takes for turds to decompose.

nicemarmot

That whole station always smells like ass. It's also the station where I watched three feet of a platform crumble and fall into the tracks one day. They "repaired" it by nailing plywood over the hole. I always stayed away from the edge after that.

Jessy Smith

so knarly. the whole station reeeeeeeeeeeks.

Sara Fine

Is Improv Everywhere behind this?

hashedz

It would easy to blame them if they had left a slew of phony rubber turds in the subway system, and if the culprits were wearing imperial guard outfits and/or weren't wearing pants.