The baby whose emergence from the womb aboard a PATH train yesterday made the train miraculously run express already has a nickname: "Jhatpat," the Hindi word for "Fast." The boy's blissed-out parents, Rabita Sarkar and her husband Aditya Saurabh, have not settled on a formal name yet, but Sarker tells the Daily News, "He decided to come and that was it. Nothing could stop him. Nothing could keep him inside for longer." She says they decided to take the PATH to their Manhattan doctor because they were worried about getting stuck in rush hour traffic in the Lincoln tunnel. (A distinct possibility!) They also thought this was just a practice run!
Baby Born On PATH Train Already Has Nickname: Fast
Going Into Labor Makes PATH Train Run Express!
Want to make the PATH train go express? All you need to do is pick a day in the future when you'll be in a rush and get knocked up nine months in advance. Then, when your water breaks in New Jersey, just make sure commute to the hospital via mass transit, which will snap into high gear in tune with your contractions! At least, that's what we've learned from 31-year-old Rabita Sarker, of Harrison, NJ, who gave birth on the PATH this morning with the help of her husband and another passenger.
Staring At Tattooed Woman On PATH Leads NJ Man On Constitutional Fight
A 64-year-old Bulgarian immigrant and Hoboken, NJ resident is fighting the local bureaucracy over what he calls an "unconstitutional and irrelevant ticket" for disorderly conduct on a PATH train. And it stems from looking at a heavily tattooed woman.
Cop Let PATH Train With Possible Bomb Roll Right On Through To WTC Site
Port Authority police supervisor Lt. James O'Neill reportedly ordered a PATH train with a suspicious package proceed from Jersey City to the World Trade Center, even though a bomb-sniffing K9 unit was just minutes away from the station. In an exclusive, the Post reports that passengers were evacuated from the train at Exchange Place just before 8 p.m. on Wednesday after a "suspicious box" was spotted. But despite protestations from subordinates, O'Neill reportedly cleared the train for departure before the bomb squad arrived—and sources say he made the call from his desk at Journal Square, three miles from the bomb scare.
PATH Train Crashes Into Platform At Hoboken Station
Dozens of people were injured when a PATH train crashed into the platform at the Hoboken station. The crash occurred around 9 a.m. and WABC 7 reports, "At least 70 people were on the train at the time that it struck what was believed to be a barrier or stop rail at the platform throwing the people inside."
High Winds Force Bridge Closures, Bad Wires Halt NJ Transit
[UPDATE BELOW] What a day! Dreary skies, sideways rain, high winds... Welcome to December. A falling tree killed somebody in a car in New Jersey according to WCBS, and with winds gusting at 50 mph or more, NYC bridges have been restricted. Fox 5 reports that no trucks are being allowed on the Verrazano-Narrows bridge, and as a result the outbound Gowanus Expressway is a total mess. Also, no trucks carrying outside cargo are currently allowed onto there are speed restrictions in effect on the Throgs Neck, Whitestone, and RFK bridges, where a 35 mph limit is in effect. And if you're trying to get between Manhattan and Jersey on NJ Transit, good luck!
Is The PATH A Suitable Substitute For The Subway?
With the cost of a monthly MetroCard soon becoming an approximate gajillion dollars, the New York Times sheds some light on alternative forms of transportation. They're calling the PATH train the "last truly underground bargain of New York," with a single ride costing just $1.75 and a 30-day past costing $54. And the conductors actually get mad at those kids selling candy! One West Village resident said, “I like to think of it as a little neighborhood secret," and says he has abandoned the 1 train altogether. Now if everybody just moved to the west side of Manhattan between Christopher Street and 33rd Street, we'd all enjoy that savings!
PATH Conductor Lashes Out At Candy-Hawking Teens
You know those pesky teenagers who keep trying to sell you Peanut M&Ms on the subway, claiming that they're trying to raise money for their school's basketball team but if that's really the case then why are they on the subway at noon on a Thursday? Ever wish somebody had the courage to stand up to them? Meet PATH conductor Michael Wilson, who takes the no-eating-on-the-train rule very seriously.
Man Survives PATH Train Track Fall
Over the weekend, a Manhattan man survived falling into the PATH train tracks—and having a train roll over him! According to the Star-Ledger, the man, 32, "appeared intoxicated" when he "fell off the platform" at the Pavonia station and "rolled into the center of the tracks at around 9 p.m."
PATH Cop Uses Quick Wit to Become a Gangbuster
Friday morning a Port Authority cop faced off against a group of nine gang members aboard the PATH and took them all down without having to step off the train. Officer John Roche was fetched down while aboard a PATH train in Jersey City by 37-year-old Shine-Amon Sky around 6 a.m. Friday. Sky had woken up after dozing off during his morning commute to find one of the young Bloods nearby had stolen his cigarettes. The large group of teens and young adults then pounced on Sky when he confronted them about it. When Officer Roche tracked down the gang and saw how poorly his odds looked against so many of them, he ordered the train conductor to lock down the train just past the Grove Street stop as he waited for backup. Once his fellow officers arrived, they were able to round up all nine of the Newark gangbangers, who were charged with everything from riot and disorderly conduct to recruitment of a street gang. Two of the female teenagers were also hit with making terrorist threat when they said that they would kill Roche as he apprehended them.
Dirty NJ Politics Lead NYers Down PATH Of Wrongfulness
In what appears to be another strike in the ongoing silent war between New York and New Jersey, someone in Hoboken played Pied Piper with some of NYC's bravest: the unemployed. While voters were going to the polls in a mayoral runoff election yesterday, Hoboken police had to be called in because job seekers from the Big Apple showed up in response to an ad for campaign workers placed around the LES that turned out to be a fake. The flyers offered $200 to anyone wiling to take the PATH out and work for mayoral candidate Peter Cammarano. But when respondents arrived, they were sent down the block to the headquarters of Dawn Zimmer, Cammarano's opponent. (Neither had any actual jobs.) Both sides pointed the finger, but neither admitted responsibility for the hoax. As the confused New Yorkers wandered down Washington Street, one man sadly told a reporter, "We were just looking for work," finding himself aimless once again in the town known for having "a bar on every corner."
New Subway Hero Takes Different 'PATH' to Righteousness
Watch out, Wes Autrey. There's a new subway hero in town—and he's not afraid to go under the Hudson River. Terrence Kelsor, a PATH security guard, spotted a drunk man stumble onto the tracks of the Christopher Street station late Friday night and was able to lift him to safety moments before a train arrived. The unknown victim stumbled back into the night after being rescued. Kelsor describes him as so intoxicated that "you could smell it coming out of his pores." The News says that the man who fell was over 250 pounds, while Kelsor only checks in at 5'7" and 170 pounds. The Newark man told the paper, "Somehow, I had superhuman strength. It was by the grace of God. It could have been his life. It could have been mine. Both our lives were in jeopardy." If there was any doubt to his bravery, even an Iraq vet confirms it. A witness from the Army Corps of Engineers said, "He didn't hesitate. I hesitated, and I just got back from Iraq."
Sunday PATH Train Derailment
Yesterday's PATH Train derailment left a few hundred stranded for 2 hours, but no one was injured. One of the cars in the middle of a 2:55PM train going from Hoboken to Penn Station derailed, so another PATH train had to be dispatched to evacuate the 300 passengers, who were taken back to Hoboken. There goes those NYC plans!
Extra, Extra
And in case you missed the Publisher's note yesterday: Gothamist is looking for a new weekend editor. Responsibilities include writing 10 posts per day on Saturday and Sunday and organizing the flow of contributions from other writers. The pay is competitive with blog-writing gigs for other NYC media companies. Requirements: real blogging experience, a serious appetite for NYC-related content, and a genuine love for the city. This job can be done from anywhere within the five boroughs, but you may be called downtown to meet with us once or twice a month. If you're interested, email Jake (at) Gothamist-- no attachments please-- just a short paragraph about you and a few links to relevant work on the web.
Transit Hacks: Clever Ways of Getting Where You Need to Go
We were walking downtown to the office today when one of those big red tourist buses nearly ran us over (as usual!) Just as we were about to begin screaming obscenities, it hit us: the Gray Line has tons of buses, and they are running all over the city right now! For instance, their classic tour costs $50 for two days of hop-on hop-off privileges, and the buses complete a three-hour loop around the city. Might be a realistic option for those of you who live conveniently near a major tourist attraction. Bonus: you'll get to meet some nice people from outside New York!
PATH Train Reopens
The reopening of the PATH Train station at the World Trade Center was greeted by government officials and citizens alike with excitement and a sense of accomplishment with the completion of this 16 month station rehabilitation. The opening was bittersweet, as memories of Port Authority colleagues and other PATH train commuters lost during September 11 were evoked. One lower Manhattan resident told the Post, "They knocked us down, but they can't knock us out." And Christy Ferer, mayor's liaison to families of September 11 victims and whose husband, Neil Levin, executive director of the Port Authority was killed during the attacks told the Times, "He'd be very proud to see this organization kick into gear...No, let me take that back. I think he'd have expected no less."
Free Path Rides Tomorrow
The re-opening of the Path Train at the World Trade Center will be marked by NY Governor Pataki and NJ Governor McGreevey at 2PM tomorrow, with free rides until midnight. The governors will ride in a train that was the last to leave the WTC Path station on September 11. This station will accept Metrocards at turnstiles, except weekly and unlimited cards. Additionally, since this is station at Church Street is a temporary one, there is no heat or air conditioning, no concessions, and or advertising. A permanent station will open in 2006.

