Anyone who’s ever found themselves speeding past their stop on New York’s subway system after a train has just unexpectedly gone express knows how infuriating it is to try and decipher conductors’ announcements. “Flllrtlelt brebrtltelt, gershafawq West 4th Sturble ka burble. Shlomf.” But finally, those garbled announcements are getting better, according to a new survey released today. [More]
Survey: NYC Subway Riders Can Actually Hear Announcements Instead Of “Grrblt, Shknamzbffft”
By October 4, 2012
Guy Wins Race Against NYC Bus On Big Wheel
By April 7, 2011
If you’ve ever ridden the bus in New York City, you know it is a damn slow experience. But, unlike a taxi, it’s a couple of bucks, and unlike a subway, it’s above-ground. So people put up with it. But exactly how slow is an MTA bus? Mark Malkoff decided to test it out and he videotaped himself racing a bus, down 42nd st from 10th to Madison ave, on a child’s Big Wheel. Turns out the guy who makes the wheels on the bus go round and round, all through the town, has some catching up to do. [More]
NYC Transit Fares Increase As Service Continues To Decrease
By October 7, 2010
Life in New York City has just gotten a little more expensive, as the MTA board has voted to increase fares on subways, buses and commuter trains for the third time in two years, all while cutting bus routes, train service and laying off thousands of employees. [More]
Next Stop, TV Ads Inside The Subway Car
By September 22, 2010
Mark another “safe from motion-based commercial messages” area off the list. New York is trying out adding TV screens inside subway cars as a way to bolster flagging revenues. The first campaign is a “full body wrap” – what graffiti artists used to call “bombing” – on the 42nd street shuttle for TBS’s baseball playoff coverage. The (silent) monitors will show highlights from previous games. [More]
MTA Doesn't Understand Meaning Of The Word "Unlimited"
By July 13, 2010
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority has already redefined the term “customer service” as “screwing over customers by cutting service.” But now the MTA is tackling another item in the dictionary, attempting to put a limit on that which is supposedly “unlimited.” [More]
If You're Unhappy With Bus Service Cuts, Do Not Punch Bus Driver In Face
By June 29, 2010
There are many ways for citizens to protest mass-transit service cuts — with these posters or this tee shirt, for example — but we’re pretty sure that high up on the list of “least effective ways to effect change” is “repeatedly punch some poor bus driver in the face while he’s driving.” [More]
New Yorkers Can Get A Late Note From The MTA
By June 12, 2010
Remember those days of getting your friend with the really good handwriting to forge a note from your mom so you could avoid getting busted for being late to school? If you’re a New Yorker and take public transportation to work, the Metropolitan Transportation Administration is on board with a similar service. No, the agency won’t lie for you. But if you can’t make it to work on time because your train was delayed, the MTA now offers a web-based service that will get you a note to prove it to your boss. [More]
Pregnant? Asthmatic? Don't Like Rollercoasters? Stay Away From NYC Elevators And Escalators
By May 19, 2008
Unless you’re willing to risk being stranded with 14 other passengers several stories underground in a cattle car elevator on a hot summer day, or plunging at extreme speeds down an escalator with a broken chain, you might want to steer clear of NYC’s subway system lifts. The New York Times has published the results of an extensive investigation that includes tales of daily breakdowns, comically undertrained mechanics, and about $1 billion spent over the past decade.
There Are Bed Bugs On The Subway Benches. Yes, Really.
By May 14, 2008
Bedbugs are usually thought of as something that only hotel guests have to worry about, but apparently New Yorkers who like to sit on benches while they wait for the subway should be concerned about the bloodsuckers as well.
150 Minutes On Hold For Metrocard Replacement
By November 30, 2007
Jessica writes:
I lost my 30 day unlimited MetroCard over the holiday weekend. Happily, a friend told me the MTA will replace it if it was purchased with a credit or debit card, which it was. However, since calling the handy replacement number on the MTA’s web site for THREE DAYS IN A ROW and holding anywhere from 100-150 minutes each time, I’m not so sure. Have other people in New York dealt with this? I understand the MTA is probably like your average DMV when it comes to efficiency, but this is just plain ridiculous. My lunch money is dwindling with each $2.00 trip to–and from–work.
