Fun times on the subway

[NJTRailfan]

Today while on the E Train going to NYP from 53rd and Lex I boarded a train from the Citibank building. About 2 stops later my car fills up and there is this one guy with this red back pack is holding up the train because the doors would close then open up all because of this moron with his back pack. This went on for 5 times before the motorman got on the horn and in an angry voice said "DUDE WITH THE RED PACK BACK!!!! ARE YOUR FREAKIN SERIOUS!?!?! With that he doors open up wide again and then in an instant 4 commuters push this dude outside of the train so hard he fell right on his butt Man I haven't haven't laughed so hard like that in awhile. The train finally left the station.

Now before any of you start feeling sorry for him this is one of these individuals who knew that the crowded car wouldn't fit him and that monstrocity on his back not to mention he made no attempt whatsoever to adjust himself or his bag but just stood there looking like a fool with a stupid smirk on his face causing everyone on that train as well as the train behind him to be late. Regardless of the angry glares of the faces of everyone in that car towards him he still wanted to do his own thing and act retarded by causing problems. So he got what he deserved courtesy of the silent majority IMHO.


So what are your stories from the underground

[SwingMan]

Once I was riding a redburd from a Mets game. We boarded the train, I saw a boy run to look out the front. He took the handel and the door flung open ( this was the front of the subway!) After the motorman locked the door, the mother would not even let her kid look now! So be careful on the R38's, because a door might open in your neck of the woods



lirr415-Peter

[CHANGEATJAMAICA]

Too many years ago I rode the Lex uptown to Grand Central from Brooklyn Bridge. Each morning on the express at 14th Street people would try to board, but foks standing in the area of the doors wouldn't move to allow them to enter even though there was room in the car between the doorways. Finally one morning someone who evidently had had enough of this foolishness, started his run from halfway across the platform and bulled his way into the car like a full back going through a defensive line. The folks by the dooway fell back and away from the impact with some of them landing on their pride. The would be full back, slapped his hands together as one would do after completing a good job and said:"Maybe you'll move away from the door from now on". For quite a while after the incident when that morning express hit 14th Street people standing by the door of that car, moved away.
Best regards,
Rodger

[Hebrewman9]

There's nothing more satisfying than watching vigilante justice at work on the subway. I forget who called the subway "democracy at work" (or something like that), but it is a place where we are all equals. You act like an a-hole, or like you're more important than the rest of us, and somebody will put you in your place. And then, a satisfied smile comes across everyones' faces.

Next time somebody puts their bag in a seat (probably on commuter rail more than subways) during rush hour, I'm going to move it and sit there- unless the person looks like they'll snape my like a twig, of course.

[pennsy]

That is one aspect of some of the craziness you saw on the express trains. Classical example is the IRT express that went through the Columbia University campus. The medical students were slightly off center, especially their fraternities. Classic story is of a fellow sitting down on the seat, and placing his hand in his lap. The young lady next to him suddenly notices one hand on each of his legs, and one hand on her leg. She screams, and runs off the train. You guessed it, the third hand was quite cold and was from the medical student's cadaver. The other medical students immediately got hysterical with laughter. They left the train at the next stop, only to board another train to repeat their prank.

[TheKornGuy]

Oh man, oh man, do I have some stories.
About 4 or 5 years ago I was riding an E express between Queens Plaza and Roosevelt, where the express tracks diverge from the local tracks for a bit. I was standing right in the front at the railfan window, as I am sure all of you would have been. We were coming around a curve doing about 50 when out of nowhere a MoW orange blinking lantern showed up. The motorman laid on the horn and applied the break as fast as he could. We came to a screeching halt right at the site of the work. The motorman proceeds to get out of his cab, open the front door of the train, and yell at the maintenance crew "ARE YOU F*&KING KIDDING ME?? YOU PUT A WARNING LIGHT AT THE MIDDLE OF A CURVE WITH NO PRIOR WARNING AND YOU EXPECT ME TO NOT KILL YOU GUYS?? GIVE ME A F*&KING BREAK!!" An applause from the car interior followed his rants to which he replied... "You saw that too, right??!!" as if we were all driving the train. Ahhh NYCT, I will always love your personality.

[rswinnerton]

One of my fav. pranks as a 20something was to wait until my station, then drop a big fart in the car as the doors opened, and step out. Best part was watching the doors close with everyone trying to fan it away...lol...That brings back the good old days...hehehe..
I didn't get to ride the subways much back then as I live in PA, but It was always a good time when I got to....
Russ

[jersey_emt]

Next time somebody puts their bag in a seat (probably on commuter rail more than subways) during rush hour, I'm going to move it and sit there- unless the person looks like they'll snape my like a twig, of course.

I'll only do that if after I tell the person 'Excuse me, I'd like to sit there.' If they don't move their stuff, I'll move it for them.

Because sometimes, you get on a train that's mostly empty, and you sit down with your stuff on the next seat. Then you start reading your book or newspaper, or maybe watching a movie on your iPod / portable media player , and get pretty engrossed in that and don't realize that the car is filling up.

Basically, I like to first give people the benefit of the doubt, they may simply just be ignorant. Only after they prove that they aren't ignorant of the car being full and that they simply don't want someone sitting next to them because they think that they're better than the rest of the passengers do I 'take action'.

[arrow]

Jersey EMT,

It's good that you give others the benefit of the doubt. If everyone could act more like that, we'd be much better off. It's bad enough as it is in the subway, rude people and people acting rude towards these rude people just make it worse.

[SheWhoCommutes]

So there I was, on a 4 (or 5) train heading from Lower Manhattan to GCT, when four totally clueless people, obviously tourists, boarded.

The automated announcement stated: "This is a Bronx-bound 4 express train..." to which one of the tourists (every bit the stereotypical blonde) said, "This is an express train? Uh, does that mean it doesn't make all the stops?"

The group then proceeded to study the subway map. One of them pointed to the map and said, "Ooh, that's the airport we flew into! That's La Guardia!" He was pointing at JFK.

They got off at 14th St. As soon as the doors shut, I burst out laughing. I can maybe see mixing up JFK and LGA, but not knowing the meaning of the word "express" ??

On another occasion, an automated announcement was played indicating that it's unsafe and illegal to ride outside the cars (on the roof, between cars, etc). The problem? The announcement was played inside the train, for the benefit of all the people who were safely inside the cars. I doubt anyone on the roof would have heard them. Several of the passengers chuckled at that.

[pennsy]

Well now She.... , it really is something else when the other passengers realize that the people are from out of state, tourists, and haven't a clue as to how to travel on the subway, or who to ask for directions, In my day, we would go out of our way to help them out, including getting them to the conductor for instructions. We would NOT allow them to wallow in their ignorance. By the same token, I now do the same on the Red line subway of Los Angeles. While the maps are quite simple, some still don't understand them. Once I try, others join in and help out. Lately the ones most effective are the ones that can translate instructions into Spanish.

[SheWhoCommutes]

Do you know how crowded the 4/5 trains get during rush hour? I was firmly wedged in place, close enough to see and hear but too far to help without squeezing my way through a dense knot of fellow commuters who were just as tired and cranky as I was.

I really am a nice person

[Kamen Rider]

riding the southbound A today(got the R42 set no less), saw the T/O of a northbound Charlie at 23rd giving his front windown a wipe down.

[RussNelson]

There's nothing more satisfying than watching vigilante justice at work on the subway.

There is more to the law than is written on paper. Every part of society has norms of correct behavior, and woe unto those who violate them. Woe unto legislators who write legislation that violates these laws (e.g. the 55 MPH speed limit).

[Head-end View]

S-W-C: You need to understand that New York is about the only city subway system in the country that has 3 and 4 track lines with express and local trains. Most other cities such as Boston, Wash D.C. and San Francisco to name a few, only have 2 track lines and all trains are locals making all stops. (And trust me, it's maddening if you have a long ride)So if those people had never been to NYC before, you can see where they might be confused by the express/local system.