Everybody knows that you aren't supposed to walk between subway cars (in fact, it is a crime and a $75 fine). But sometimes—when a fight breaks out, say, or that guy with the incredible BO keeps following you down the car—you have to. Which is why city councilwoman Letitia James is demanding that the MTA start unlocking those doors.
The MTA, looking out for the safety of its riders and protecting itself from lawsuits, doesn't think that would be a good idea. The thought behind the locked doors is that when the trains are moving, running wide turns and rolling over switches, the gap between cars can be dangerously large. The risks involved in letting people go between cars, they feel, outweigh the risk of keeping them stuck in one. And anyway, they say, if you really needed to get between cars the conductors can unlock them electronically.
The MTA has a point, absolutely, but that doesn't mean it isn't a hassle to run between cars when the train is finally in a station. So is there some sort of compromise? If those doors really can be opened electronically, couldn't they open them at least when the train is stopped? No, that would likely cause another headache the minute somebody didn't move fast enough and found themselves locked between cars. Anybody have another solution?
