Who needs a strip club when you can just ride the New York City subways? In March, four limber women took to the subway in a quest to win $10,000 from DareJunkies.com. The website offered the prize to the best public pole dance. The video features Laura Lee Anderson, Jessica Wu, Marissa Lupp, Isis Masoud, and regular subway riders as the four grind their way to the $10,000 prize. The scantily clad women were......

Drivers from four different companies that operate vehicles for disabled and ill passengers have gone on strike. The 1,500 drivers want a new contract with the bus companies. The union has rejected a settlement with some wage increase and a slight increase in medical benefits twice. And not all drivers wanted to walk off the job - one driver told WCBS 2, "To have use go out on strike right now during the Christmas holiday......

We take this to be definitive proof that the video of a group of teen girls beating a man on an A train was not staged: The victim has emerged. Rafael Cruz, a 27-year-old Brooklyn resident who is a manager at a Midtown H&M, told the Post, "I'm trying to get over it. It happened a month ago." Cruz isn't sure if he will press charges, noting, "Teenagers are allowed to make mistakes, but......

Photographs of frustrated subway riders by md76 on Flickr While this morning's commute seems better, most mass transit riders are still confused, frustrated and even betrayed by the subway system and other rail service coming to a stand still during the Wednesday morning rush hour. The MTA admitted that the service was not acceptable on many accounts, from the flooding to the fact that the MTA's website was overwhelmed. Then there's also the fact......

Holy Tornado, Brooklyn! Reader Jeanne just emailed us with this observation: I live in Kensington, Brooklyn and I think that a tornado just passed through. Have you heard any news about a tornado from anyone else? Around 6:30am there were heavy rains, thunder and lightning when all of a sudden the wind got really loud and we could hear stuff smashing into the house. It was all just 30 seconds or so but now......

As the MTA considers ways to save money as it faces billion-dollar deficits, the Daily News suggests the "Sick Customer Response Program" could be on the chopping block. Apparently the MTA would be able to save $250,000 if the program, which has EMTs stationed at seven busy stations, were eliminated in 2009, but we think it would be a mistake to end it. First of all, it would be a PR nightmare, what with passengers......

More updates below, but here's a summary so far (8:20PM): A steam explosion occurred on East 41st and Lexington Avenue (41st between Lex and Third) just before 6PM - right during the evening rush hour. The NYPD does not think it was a terrorist attack. It appears that there is a hole about 25' in diameter with a red tow truck in the center. One person has died (possibly from cardiac arrest) and there......

In non-report card 7 train news, the MTA is now offering express 7 service after Mets games during weeknight games. And the service will start after tomorrow's Mets-Cincinnati Reds game. Post-game express service will last an hour, with trains leaving Willets Point-Shea Stadium every six minutes. Trips to Queensboro Plaza will now take 13 minutes (from 19 when taking the local) and trips to Times Square will now take 25 minutes (from 31). MTA Executive......

Yesterday, the NYC Transit Authority gave 7 train riders the chance to tell them what they think about the 7 line and service with the first ever subway/bus report cards. NYCTA president Howard Roberts Jr. hopes that eventually all subway and bus riders will be able to grade their lines so the agency can work with customers' suggestions. The Post got these thoughts from riders: NYC Transit spokesman - and 7 train rider -......

Back in 2005, the MTA imposed new rules and fines for a variety of subway offenses, such as a $50 fine for putting your foot on a seat or platform bench. Or a $100 fine for wearing skates. One of the rules included was a $75 fine for walking or riding between subway cars because the MTA wanted to make sure riders weren't exposed to dangers of riding/walking between cars, emergencies or smelly people......

The NY Sun had a fun article about the different kids of music played at various transit hubs in the area. For instance, the Port Authority plays Handel and Bach and the area airports play "light classical." At Penn Station, there's "string quartets and flute piccolos" at Amtrak but top 40 music at the LIRR area. Why?sic, composed to serve as background music, best soothes the preoccupied, traveling mind. "There's an organization and structure behind......

This story might be one of our worst subway nightmares. Over the weekend, an A train left the station with some doors OPEN. The Daily News reports that train didn't stop until it was at the next station. The Transit Authority's Paul Fleuranges gave this statement:"This incident should NOT have happened. If it happened as you describe it ... then there were some very serious violations of our operating rules and procedures. We are......

Probably realizing that many of its riders are listening to their iPods and not conductor announcements, the MTA has its own podcasts - TransitTrax:We keep New York and you moving, and we're excited to offer you a variety of Podcasts that include service change information, getaways and deals, and behind the scenes interviews - all to help you get the most out of your ride or just to get to know us better. We'll be......

Oh, Anthony Weiner, what's up with you pulling a Schumer and having a Sunday press conference? And a press conference for you to bitch about the MTA's lax trash can security, no less? For those of you not hanging on every word Mr. Weiner has to say, the gist of his conference was this: IN 2004, after the subway bombings in Madrid, a directive came down from the Department of Homeland Security telling the MTA......

It's not really a surprise that the NYC Transit Authority found that only 17% of the NYC subway stations had audible delay announcements - if the NYCTA stood on the platform every once in a while, they'd know (especially during rush hour). But they got official and issued findings from a study during the second part of 2005. AM New York has the stats:-17% understandable -17% partially understandable -31% marginally understandable -35% not understandable......

If it's Friday, it means weekend subway service diversions (prepare to sit this weekend out, Williamsburg). The Daily News reports that 18 of the 19 lines that have weekend service have work being done on them (only the M is immune to the woes) and the MTA says the track work is being done before the rush of holiday-time visitors. The MTA's Paul Fleuranges said, "We understand the resulting diversions make traveling difficult, but the......

The Straphangers Campaign has released its annual State of the Subways Report Card and yet again, the 6 train is named the best line while the N is the worst. The other trains, from best to worst, were the 1/9, 7, 4, E, J/Z, L, 5, Q, 2, 3, V, F, A, D, R, M, B, W, C. So, overall, it seems that the crappiest grouping of lines are the B, D, F, V......

Lately, it seems like the NYC subway system just likes fires. For what seems like the umpteenth time in the past few months, a fire in a substation caused a shutdown and New York Region > Harlem Subway Tunnel Fire Forces Evacuation of 600" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/08/nyregion/08blast.html">evacuation of riders on the A, B, C, and D lines, all the way from the Bronx to Brooklyn on some lines. A circuit breaker malfunction (far more serious than a......