[Update Below] This week, a pair of Occupy Wall Street activists went around the city affixing "Priority Seating For The 1%" stickers to various subways as a protest to the MTA being underwritten by Wall Street. And less than a day after they did it, Jeffrey Brewer and Aaron Minter were arrested and charged with criminal mischief, making graffiti and possession of graffiti instruments. Their big mistake? They let NY1 film them pulling their stunt.
[Update] Two Occupy Wall Street Activists Arrested For L Train "Priority Seating" Stickers
One Dead After Two Are Hit By Trains In Separate Incidents
One person is dead and another was left in critical condition after both were hit by subway trains in separate incidents early this morning. Police say that a 24-year-old drunk man somehow got onto the elevated tracks at Broadway and 31st Street station in Astoria, Queens, around 5:15 a.m. He was fatally struck by a Manhattan-bound N train.
Videos: Surveillance Footage Of OWS Pulling Off Free Subway Stunt
On Wednesday, members of Occupy Wall Street and TWU Local 100 chained open subway entrances in several stations, treating straphangers to "free" rides. The MTA, NYPD and FBI were obviously none too pleased about it, and have been investigating the incident since. Today, they released three video clips that show suspects in hoodies and gloves pulling off the stunt.
Massive Response After Person Struck By R Train In Brooklyn
According to reports, a man was hit by an R train just after 2 p.m. this afternoon at the 4th/9th Street station in Brooklyn. FDNY told us that a male was on the tracks, power was taken off the line, and the victim was currently being transported to Lutheran Hospital in serious condition. There are varying eyewitness reports about what happened: some have tweeted that a man jumped in front of an R train, while another says the victim missed hitting the train: "Someone just jumped in front of a train at 9th st & 4th ave. MTA employee told me he fell in gutter between the tracks & was not hit."
Jeff Koons Might Bring An Old Steam Locomotive To High Line
Jeff Koons could be bringing a full-size replica 1943 Baldwin 2900 steam locomotive to the High Line—which is perfectly fitting since the park used to be an elevated rail line. The train won't be fixed on to where the remaining tracks are, however, instead it will be hoisted above the park on a crane. Which sounds very safe indeed! Especially with those old ghosts running around the place, eager to get their hands on one of their ol' means of transport.
L Train Murder Suspect Reportedly Said "It's Showtime" Before Fatal Fight
According to witnesses the suspect was drunk and "looking for a fight." Police say he eventually singled out Basin for no apparent reason, then said, "It's showtime" before starting to punch him.
L Train Murder: Fatal Fight At Bedford Station As Man Is Killed By Train
Last night, a fight between two men spilled from the L train, onto the Bedford Avenue platform, and then onto the subway tracks. What started as a verbal altercation on the train, eventually escalated and resulted in both men falling onto the tracks—while one managed to get out, the other was hit and crushed by a Manhattan-bound train. The victim, Joshua Basin, 20 of Howard Beach, was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital, while the other man, described as a white male between 30 and 35 years old, fled. [Update] Police released a sketch of the suspect.
Pols: Cutting The G Train Extension Is Meshuganah!
Earlier this month, Brooklyn locals rallied to protest planned cuts to the G train extension—the G train has been making five extra stops into Brooklyn because of the messy Culver Viaduct repairs, but that is due to end in 2014. Now, a group of local pols led by Public Advocate Bill de Blasio have joined together to form the 5 Stop Fan Club: “These extra five stops are a lifeline that Brooklyn residents and small businesses have come to depend on,” de Blasio said.
Breaking: Person Fatally Struck By 1 Train At 28th Street
A person was fatally struck by a 1 train at the W 28th Street station in Manhattan this morning. According to the FDNY, the male victim was hit by an uptown 1 train just before noon today, and was DOA at the scene. Some initial reports from the station indicate it may have been a suicide, but one woman wrote: "Holy fuck someone fell under the 1 train I was just on and died and we all ha to get off and I saw the body. I think I'm going to be sick."
Video: Man Performs Sleep Dance Standing On Subway
We all know that sitting down is killing us, right? Actually, to be totally clear, sitting down is making us depressed, and THEN killing us. So we're quite impressed with the man in the video below, who is able to sneak in some zzz's while standing on the subway. Though he doesn't seem to open his eyes, he is able to perform a delicate dance, pulling back every time he seems about to fall over. With his quick moves, he resembles David Byrne from Stop Making Sense...or, um, a particularly drowsy marionette! Best of all, we commend him for getting in some decent commuter workout time even though he's afflicted with Subwaysomnia.
West 72nd St Subway Death: Man Was Leaning Over Track When Struck By Train
Yesterday, two men were hit by subways at the 72nd Street and Broadway subway station four hours apart. The first victim, Hector Saint-Hilarie, 63, was struck by a northbound 1 train just before 8 a.m.—police initially believed he had jumped, but Laura Jervis of West Side Federation For Senior and Supportive Housing, Inc. tells us it was a tragic accident: "He was feeling dizzy and had just taken a blood pressure pill. He was leaning over the edge to see if a train was coming...As he leaned over, the train hit him. For some reason he couldn’t react fast enough to pull back."
UPDATE: Second Man Hit By Train At Same Subway Station At West 72nd St
[Update Below] A man has been hit by a train at the 72nd Street and Broadway subway station—the same station where a man jumped in front of a train early this morning during rush hour. According to the FDNY, the man was struck by a 2 train at 11:56 a.m.; he was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in stable condition. Power has been removed from the tracks; the 2 and 3 trains are now running local between the Times Square Station-42nd Street Station to the 96th Street Station in both directions, and MTA advises people to expect delays for both trains.
Massive Subway Delay: Man Jumped In Front Of Train At West 72nd St
[Update Below] A man jumped in front of a train at the 72nd Street and Broadway subway station in the middle of rush hour this morning. The victim was struck by a northbound 1 train just before 8 a.m.; police tell us he was rushed to St. Luke's Hospital in critical condition. According to DNAInfo, an NYPD spokesman initially said he had died. Update: That's now confirmed.
Driver Gets Stuck On LIRR Tracks, Nearly Gets Hit By Train
A woman driving in Bay Shore, Long Island got her car stuck on Long Island Rail Road tracks yesterday afternoon—and narrowly missed getting hit by a train. Suffolk County police officers were able to rescue Laurie Foulke from the Volkswagen Jetta right before an oncoming train ran over the car.
Starbucks Hates Manhattan: Black Coffee Now An Annoying $2.01
Have you purchased a tall, black coffee at a Starbucks in Manhattan recently? Of course not, you're slurping a sugared slurry with a caramel drizzle. But for those who do purchase the purest caffeine crutches in the city's best borough, you've seen the price jump from $1.91 after tax to $2.01. My God, since when was everything more expensive in Manhattan?
Photos: Visiting The Secret Train Platform Beneath The Waldorf-Astoria
Over the weekend we had a chance to visit the long-abandoned Waldorf-Astoria train platform, which allowed VIPs to enter the hotel in a more private manner—most famously it was used by Franklin D. Roosevelt, possibly to hide the fact that he was in a wheelchair suffering from polio. The mysterious track, known as Track 61, still houses the train car and private elevator, which were both large enough for FDR's armor-plated Pierce Arrow car. Legend has it that the car would drive off the train, onto the platform and straight into the elevator, which would lead to the hotel's garage. Trainjotting has some more history regarding the platform, known as Track 61, and notes that the quest for it "has become a holy grail for many urban explorers."
It's Yom Kippur, There's No L This Weekend, Have You Taken Your Caffeine Suppository?
Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, starts tonight at sundown. And suffice to say, it's a bit more serious than Rosh Hashanah—so there are no Muppets-related videos to get your toes tapping tonight. Instead, there are very serious subway and train difficulties awaiting you this weekend, as you contemplate all the wrongs you have perpetrated this year.
Boardwalk Empire Is Bringing Back Old School Subways
Boardwalk Empire returns to the airwaves on September 25th, and they're ringing in season 2 with an ad buy. But it's an interesting one! They'll be bringing back vintage trains to the subway tracks. We're told:
MTA Insider On Hurricane Irene: "Worst Case Of Overreaction I've Ever Seen"
The unprecedented, widespread MTA shutdown began as of two hours ago, because of the imminent arrival of Hurricane Irene. 1010Wins has been asking listeners: "What do you think: better safe than sorry, or total overreaction?" Two MTA insiders answered that question for us, one of whom came down critically on the MTA's plans: "This is the worst case of overreaction I've ever seen. Its going to be rainy and windy tomorrow."
Mystery Subway: 13 Train Spotted On The 7 Line!
Oh sure, Batman may not be chilling on our subway, nor are protesters fearlessly demonstrating on them. But it seems that we do have ghost trains! A reader sent us the above photo and wrote us, "Spotted on the 7 line at Grand Central on Friday August 12 between 11 pm and 12 am." Maybe it's a train to the bizarro universe where the MTA isn't running a multi-billion deficit.
No F, Q Trains To Coney Island After West 8th Subway Station Fire
Last night, a fire broke out on the roof of the signal room at the West 8th Street station in Brooklyn. Which means that the F and Q are suspended near the stop (more about the service changes below) today for crews to start repairs, because the fire was extinguished too late for workers to start last night.
NJ Transit's New Penn Station Information Board Is Old School
This has been a terrible week for commuters who rely on Penn Station. A NJ Transit train derailed just outside of Penn Station on Tuesday which screwed up NJ Transit, Amtrak and even Long Island Rail Road service for two days. And then an Amtrak track derailed yesterday. Now we're hearing that Amtrak trains at Penn Station are delayed due to "switching problems"... and NJ Transit riders get to enjoy these high-tech signs... well, high-tech if the equipment is a Sharpie marker.
F Train Replaced By Fetish Train At Broadway Lafayette Station
All aboard the Bondage, Discipline, Sadism, and Masochism trains! You know, assuming that is what this prankster meant by replacing the "F" stickers in the Broadway Lafayette subway station with "S" stickers.
NYC Subway Surprise: 8 Train Spotted!
We received a tip today that people had seen a mysterious 8 train roaming through the tunnels of Manhattan, and found the above picture along with this post on Reddit: "A friend of mine grabbed this shot of one of the cars on the 7 train. Can anyone explain this?" Considering that the 8 train hasn't been in service since the 1970s, we were curious as well, so we spoke to a representative from the MTA who gave us the low-down on the error:
Video: "Very Well-Educated Person" Flips Out On Metro-North Train
In this instant classic video, a self-described "very well-educated person" chews out the train conductor for doing her job. It's such fun when very well-educated people throw tantrums! According to the person who uploaded the video to YouTube, the woman had been talking too loudly on the train when the conductor "politely asked her to keep it down and stop using profanity or to take it to the vestibule." This is where the video picks up, with the "educated" woman getting more and more irate over the perceived insult:
LIRR Expects Delays To Long Island, Could Ruin Passover
If you need to take the LIRR to your Passover seder, like this woman ("Waiting for the jewtrain to Sederville. Aka the LIRR to Long Island."), hopefully you're already on the train. Because otherwise you're not getting there before sundown. The MTA announced, "Due to a track condition in one of the East River tunnels, LIRR is anticipating significant delays during the PM Rush. Customers who can are advised to take one of the extra Passover trains, the last scheduled to run at 3:48 PM."
Video: Crazy Guy Fails To Intimidate Anyone On The Subway
Meet Bloody Loco, one of the many colorful characters that make up this city. If you're lucky, maybe you'll run into him on the subway! Just make sure you recognize, ASAP, or else you'll become the co-star of both an improvisational piece of street theater, and a YouTube video. This all went down on the 7 train yesterday (Common Courtesy Day!). Some call it an epic intimidation fail...
Sanitation Truck Crashes Into Train, Injuring Two Workers
This has not been a very good few weeks for the Sanitation Department. Alleged blizzard work slowdowns, slow plowing, stuck plows, toppling gravestones, lingering garbage... and yesterday, two workers "crashed their garbage truck into a slow-moving freight train along the Brooklyn waterfront," according to the Daily News.
Person Struck By G Train At Classon Avenue Stop
Just after 1:30 a.m., there were reports of delays on the G train due to a police investigation at the Classon Avenue station. A reader told us, "I was riding a G train on the south bound side just after 1:30am when it came to a screeching halt halfway into the Classon Ave Station. Directly in front of me out the opposite window was a male sprawled out at the very edge and back end of the platform, his feet, legs and bottom half of his torso visible from the train window, his upper torso, legs, and head invisible from that vantage point."
Really: Metro-North Applauded For One Day Of On-Time Trains
Should we really be patting Metro-North on the caboose for running their trains on time? According to the NY Post, the railroad (allegedly!) had a 100 percent on-time record on Tuesday, with "all 659 runs east of the Hudson and all 61 runs west of the Hudson running exactly on time." Great, right? But shouldn't this happen everyday... or at least several times a week? Or several times a month? Or year? As it stands, this hasn't happened since April 29th! If this is some new standard of excellence in service with the MTA, we're going to have to find a way to lower this bar even further. The Post may be giving you a "star," but we say try harder, Metro-North.

