New York’s subways are not safe...

It’s not safe to ride the subways in New York City.

Not that the subways aren’t operated safely, it’s just that the people riding them are victimizing each other as well as MTA personnel. Hardly a day passes without another report of incidents like thes

In another incident a 64- year-old postal worker is kicked down off the platform, falling onto the tracks. He was rescued by bystanders before the subway train entered the station. The New York Police Department has surveillance video but they are still looking for the assailant.
An MTA conductor, leaning out of his cab, is slashed in his head and neck requiring 34 stitches. Again, no arrest.

In January subway crime was up 45%. The NYPD then sent an additional 1,000 cops into the subway. Last week New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called out a thousand members of the National Guard and instituted random bag checks of passengers entering the system, looking for weapons. Will that result in weapons arrests or just send the bad guys to another station not staffed with cops?

What’s next… metal detectors

It’s just another reason for commuters to persuade their bosses they’re better off working from home, further reducing fare revenue for the cash-strapped Metro-North division of the MTA.

Jim Cameron is founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. He writes this weekly column called “Talking Transportation” for CT Mirror and other publications in the state. Read past Talking Transportation columns by clicking the “More by Jim Cameron” link below. Contact Jim at TalkingTransportationCT@gmail.com.