Subway Straps

[kinlock]

I'm trying to find out what happened to the SUBWAY STRAP.

If I search, all I can find is some opportunist who invented some contraption that you can buy from him that sort of does the same thing .... but it is germ free!

When did Subway Straps disappear???? Who made this decision?????

Are we sure this opportunist mentioned above didn't previously work in Procurement for NYCTA, change specs for contracts, then retire to form a great new business for himself?

I'm sure that germs wasn't the reason. New Yorkers are smart enough to wash their own hands. No comment on Californians or Texans.

Have to apoligize. I'm a little distant from the NYC subway scene. I'm in Nice, France, and involved with the new tram system opening later this year. Nobody here can explain why these new trams have no straps (or why they have disappeared from busses too).

Without the strap, if the subway car dumps air and goes into emergency, it's your arm and shoulder against a stainless steel bar (really, who do you think would win?). (Maybe newer cars don't go into emergency?) The strap (either leather or plastic) was flexible and let your arm/shoulder win!

Just to generate some interest so somebody will answer, I think the R-32 was the best subway car.

[bellstbarn]

Avis: This commentary may contain guesses and errors. The Interborough elevated rolling stock used leather straps for the benefit of the straphangers. I believe the original Interborough subway stock also used straps. My Dad claimed that the inventor of the retractable (spring-loaded) handle for standees got a royalty on each of those devices installed on the Interborough and other systems. I think that the cars up through the R-42 had spring-loaded grabbers. Two problems may have caused their demise: 1) when the spring broke, the handle could swing loose and clobber a passenger, bringing a claim; 2) the patent may have expired and there was no reason for an insider to keep ordering them. Even some streetcars in the U.S. had spring-loaded grab handles. When the MTA rehabbed many subway cars, they returned to service with bars, no handles.

[Allan]

I'm trying to find out what happened to the SUBWAY STRAP.

If I search, all I can find is some opportunist who invented some contraption that you can buy from him that sort of does the same thing .... but it is germ free!

When did Subway Straps disappear???? Who made this decision?????

Are we sure this opportunist mentioned above didn't previously work in Procurement for NYCTA, change specs for contracts, then retire to form a great new business for himself?

I'm sure that germs wasn't the reason. New Yorkers are smart enough to wash their own hands. No comment on Californians or Texans.

Have to apoligize. I'm a little distant from the NYC subway scene. I'm in Nice, France, and involved with the new tram system opening later this year. Nobody here can explain why these new trams have no straps (or why they have disappeared from busses too).

Without the strap, if the subway car dumps air and goes into emergency, it's your arm and shoulder against a stainless steel bar (really, who do you think would win?). (Maybe newer cars don't go into emergency?) The strap (either leather or plastic) was flexible and let your arm/shoulder win!

Just to generate some interest so somebody will answer, I think the R-32 was the best subway car.

No one knows where those went or the websites are. They were only available online and since there was never any newspaper or TV advertising done in the NYC area no one knew about it. I think it can be reasonably stated that no one wanted to buy them even if they knew about it (I certainly didn't want to buy one).

[Gerry6309]

Boston has brought them back, but not in enough quantity to do any good. Also needed are grab poles down the center aisles, so people can stand there too, especially on 10' wide equipment.

[Head-end View]

My guess is that like all mechanical devices today, they became too expensive to buy and maintain so MTA decided to save big bucks and just have the grab bars.

[Tom Curtin]

MTA decided to save big bucks and just have the grab bars.

I'm virtually certain you're correct about that.

I remember when I was a kid (1950s) the white enamel-painted ones on the IRT low-V cars. You might be interested to know those are in demand today as bathroom towel hangers.

[snitkofj]

Stainless Steel handles from the R-33s work for towles too, I know