Anyone who’s ever tried driving through a big city knows that cars aren’t always the best way to get from point A to point B, especially during rush hour and other busy times, or when construction is snarling traffic. So when it comes to getting packages delivered on time, Amazon figures it might as well skip the truck and take public transit instead. [More]
subway’s
We Are Immensely Relieved That Many Subway Riders Will Offer A Pregnant Woman A Seat
In a world of man-spreading, pole-hogging, door-holding and other public transit nuisances, one might expect that there are times when a pregnant woman can’t get a seat amidst a sea of suddenly oblivious passengers. This might have even happened to you. So it’s with a sigh of relief that we learn today that there are still a lot of good hearts out there ready to rise to the occasion. [More]
New Yorkers Have Longest Commutes But They Can Sleep En Route
According to the Census Bureau, residents of the New York area have the nation’s longest commutes, with the average trip taking about 35 minutes. However, New York also ranks highest in usage of public transportation, so a lot of those people can catch some rest on the way to and from work. [More]
Watch This Malfunctioning Escalator Fling Its Passengers
For me, malfunctioning escalators are the stuff of nightmares. I still secretly fear that up escalators are going to eat me. So this people-flinging Metro station escalator from the day of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” last year has given me a whole new category of escalator malfunctions to fear. [More]
Next Stop, TV Ads Inside The Subway Car
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]
Get Full Access To NYC Subways For $27
Want to save a few bucks next time you visit New York City? Pick up one of these handy keys that can open the entrance to every subway gate and turnstile in the city’s transit system for just $27. Just be ready to be locked away without a key if you get caught, since the all-access passes are illegal. The New York Daily News tried out one of the keys, which are supposed to be used only by transit workers and police.
Paris Subway Platforms Transformed Into Large, Very Loud Living Rooms
Have you ever secretly wished that the subway platform you were waiting on could be transformed into a comfy living room? Or at least a living room furnished by IKEA? For another week, you can experience just that in four stops on Paris’s Métro system. Instead of molded plastic seats, have a seat on an Ektorp couch! [More]
Apple Says They're Investigating Stolen iPhone Claim
Alisa, who told us last week that Apple wouldn’t help her get back her stolen iPhone, has written to us today with an update.
This whole situation has turned out to be a happy story, e-mailing Steve Jobs actually turned out pretty well. I e-mailed him the same day I emailed you, which was the 30th of December, on the 2nd of January I got a phone call from the executive office of Apple.
Public Transit Ridership Highest In 52 Years
See, here’s some good news to the wallet-gouging gas prices of 2008: ridership of public transportation was up to 10.7 billion trips last year, “the highest level of ridership in 52 years” according to the American Public Transportation Association. It was the fifth consecutive year that ridership increased, but it may come to an end in 2009 because of skyrocketing unemployment.
Pregnant? Asthmatic? Don't Like Rollercoasters? Stay Away From NYC Elevators And Escalators
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.
Cell Service Coming To NYC Subways
The New York CIty subways are going to get cellphone service, according to the Daily News.