Straphangers Sue MTA For Leaving Them Stranded Over 8 Hours In Last Year's Blizzard

One passenger tells WABC 7 there was no heat!

A group of emotionally scarred commuters who were trapped on an A train for eight hours overnight during last year's Christmas weekend blizzard are suing the MTA. Nearly 500 souls were stuck aboard the train when it ground to a halt between the Aqueduct and Rockaway Boulevard stations around 1 a.m. on December 26th, as three feet of snow piled up around them. Desperation quickly set in: Twitter user OMJohnnyG wrote, "Son!!! I wanna go home!!! Dudes on the train talking about cannibalism lol I want out!!!"

The train had become stuck when power was cut to the third rail, but at some point overnight—before OMJohnnyG became a midnight snack—it managed to crawl to the Aqueduct Station. According to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by the Post, "When the train was finally moved, the passengers were off loaded at the next stop, in the freezing cold, with about three feet of snow on the ground." Agnes Hui, was was on the train on her way back from JFK, tells the tabloid, "There was no one to help us. It was a nightmare. I couldn’t hold it [bodily functions] anymore. I had to go between the cars. I could have been electrocuted."

The lawsuit says some of the passengers had to be hospitalized when it was all over, but it turns out there was a simple explanation for this ordeal. NYC Transit President Thomas Prendergast told the City Council earlier this month, "We forgot about it. And it’s inexcusable." About 25 people are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages and is expected to be filed today. Something tells us the folks who were stranded at a subway station for 32 hours during the blizzard will be following this case with great interest!

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By John Del Signore in News on December 27, 2011 9:21 AM

Comments [rss]

Vinny

That's okay. The awarding of unspecified justices will right all wrongs.
Jackpot Justice FTW!

ml560

Clearly some trial lawyers got hold of the stranded passengers' contact info... I wonder what took them so long.

If they do prevail in this lawsuit, everyone prepare for a 30 percent fare hike to help the MTA pay for the compensations.

YouandWhoseArmy3D

"We forgot about it. And it’s inexcusable."I like when people tell the truth and don't try to make excuses. Kudos MTA on taking blame when blame is due. It would be cool if they offered all the passengers 5 years of unlimiteds (or something) as a "we're sorry" as an attempt to avoid litigation. I doubt anyone's life was in danger if they were tweeting (although with emergency service response times that night who knows).

Jim Idol

"The train had become stuck when power was cut to the third rail"

Agnes Hui, was was on the train on her way back from JFK, tells the
tabloid, "There was no one to help us. It was a nightmare. I couldn’t
hold it [bodily functions] anymore. I had to go between the cars. I
could have been electrocuted."

Starry Gordon

The problem with the lawsuit, if it's one of the usual kind, is that the city (us) will pay, while the perpetrators won't even be inconvenienced.

diablofreak

"I couldn’t hold it [bodily functions] anymore. I had to go between the cars. I could have been electrocuted"

wow, edu-ma-cation much? or at least watch some discovery channel
http://dsc.discovery.com/video...

me4

These jerks are why they shut down the subway system now at the slightest sign of snow or rain. They've ruined it for everyone who needs to commute. Jerks.

cr17

Right, because the MTA shouldn't be culpable for anything. Huge snow storm and you're stuck on the train for 8 hours? Not the MTA's problem. Fuck that shit - they goin' home son!

diablofreak

everyone was fucking warned hours if not days in advance. i agree with me4, these are the fuckers that caused the overcautious 12-hour advance shutdown of the system during Hurricane Irene, and probably a bunch of fuckers will sue the MTA for overreacting there as well.