MTA board members chew over banning food and drink, cite track fires, rats, garbage a reasons

[Via Garibaldi 8]

This reminds me of that DC Metro ad, where oh btw they don't allow eating/drinking. Mind you, the idea of cutting cleaner staff (being that trains are cleaner) could be a motivational tool as well.

 

It would be interesting to see how many other transportation companies in the U.S. prohibit eating/drinking on their subways and study the correlation of the cleaniness of the subway cars and stations in comparison to those who do allow it.

[pr1nyc1]

I hope they enforce this. Im not gonna lie, i take a cream cheese bagel or a hot pocket with me and a bottle of apple juice with me in the mornings on my way to school, but i make sure nothing is left behind.

 

On the other hand, i couldnt believe what i saw yesterday. I was riding home on the and a lady and her man where drinking Starbucks. When we stopped at Nostrand Ave, she got up right before the door closed and sat her cup on the platform and walked back to her seat. Right under their seat there were sunflower seed shells spread out on floor as if someone took those 30 cent packets, ate em all and spit em out on the floor. I will never understand their motives for doing such a thing.

[Lexington Av Local]

I hope they enforce this. Im not gonna lie, i take a cream cheese bagel or a hot pocket with me and a bottle of apple juice with me in the mornings on my way to school, but i make sure nothing is left behind.

 

On the other hand, i couldnt believe what i saw yesterday. I was riding home on the and a lady and her man where drinking Starbucks. When we stopped at Nostrand Ave, she got up right before the door closed and sat her cup on the platform and walked back to her seat. Right under their seat there were sunflower seed shells spread out on floor as if someone took those 30 cent packets, ate em all and spit em out on the floor. I will never understand their motives for doing such a thing.

 

This surprises you?

 

As for my opinion. There's a reason why people always carry a cup of coffee and maybe a bagel to the subway. A lot of those people are professionals who have careers as teachers and businessmen and such. More than likely they have to wake up very early in the morning to get to work on time to feed their families and there just isn't time to have breakfast at home and have to buy something on the way to the subway. They're the working class of America and fining them for something as trivial as a cup of coffee is just ridiculous.

 

Sure, eating a full styrofoam container of Chinese Food is a bit obnoxious, could get messy and is a bit rude...But it's called "PUBLIC Transportation" for a reason, it wasn't meant to cater to an individual's preferences such as having the train smell like a springtime meadow. It's for all of New York City to use and if the smell of chinese food disturbs you so much, just change cars at the next station or just ride a bike. The woman in the video has never learned to bite her tongue. Speaking your mind is one thing but sometimes your opinions just need to say with you, especially if those opinions are very, very likely to cause a chaotic scene. It was really none of her business.

 

The city doesn't have the NYPD to go around the subway fining people for eating a Big Mac or a container of spaghetti. And doing so will probably divert attention from fighting terrorism and other crimes in the subway such as muggings.

[Nova RTS 9147]

Sure, eating a full styrofoam container of Chinese Food is a bit obnoxious, could get messy and is a bit rude...But it's called "PUBLIC Transportation" for a reason, it's for all of New York City to use and if the smell of chinese food disturbs you so much, just change cars at the next station or just ride a bike.

 

It goes both ways. Its called consideration for others and decency.

[553 Bridgeton]

 

The city doesn't have the NYPD to go around the subway fining people for eating a Big Mac or a container of spaghetti. And doing so will probably divert attention from fighting terrorism and other crimes in the subway such as muggings.

 

But as someone said, hire them and it creates jobs and makes money.

I dont agree with fining people. There are bigger better things out there that needs attention then looking for people eating food. If this were some small city like Philadelphia or something then I would agree with it.

[553 Bridgeton]

It goes both ways. Its called consideration for others and decency.

 

That is true, I dont mind someone eating something small like a bag of chips, but people are going to do what they want even if we dont like. Dont like it? Move to another car or just mind your business.

[TeshawnEdmonds]

I've seen people eat/drink on the subways on the fly, almost always. I would allow eating/drinking, only on the fly if they've had no other choice or for medical reasons.

[TeshawnEdmonds]

Yet I do want the subways to be cleaned more often, anyway.

[Joel Up Front]

And then all these officers in the cars will nab you for moving between cars...

[B35 via Church]

I didn't vote on the poll, b/c none of the choices accurately assesses my stance....

#2 comes close, but it aint about a "need" to eat..... it's more along the lines of want....

----

 

lemme do this like this....

 

"Cleaner" subways will equal dirtier streets... in a city of over 9 million people... guaranteed !

as if NYC streets aren't dirty enough....

 

the idea that I have to wharf down my meal (and drink) before I enter the subway system... with city garbage cans damn near always full (when DO they empty those things), especially at major intersections, I'm not fin to walk around (especially in manhattan) to find the nearest receptacle w/ enough space in it... to then have to trek back to w/e subway station (entrance) I'm seeking to pay a fare at.... I don't push garbage down in any full city garbage can, b/c you don't know wtf will come shooting back up at you upon depressing/self-compacting that trash.... push comes to shove, my "litter" WILL end up somewhere on the sidewalk if this supposed ban comes to pass, just out of GP (and spite)....

 

street sweepers... hah... please don't bring that up....

them dam things do more harm than good.... hell w/ under the rug, it's like a kid sweeping dirt from his room to his parents room...

 

 

 

as far as rats go, I don't care what anyone says... I'd rather see a rat underground (meaning, as I'm in the subway system), than one on the streets... you know what they say about seeing one rat, in regards to how many more you don't see.... rats are far more populous than human beings... you aint gettin rid of them shits.... let a nuclear war be the end all be all of humans - best to bet chuck e cheese, master splinter, mickey mouse, jerry, all them nzzzzz'll be pokin they heads out up from under some crevace....

 

 

anyone that's ever been to yankee stadium as of late, knows that you can't bring any "outside" food into the stadium (yes, I know... they want you to pay their inflated prices, but that's somethin else).... I bring that up b/c if police start up w/ these random bag searches, and start throwin out what food & drink I have in my bookbag, ON TOP OF lookin for w/e it is they search for to keep our subway system "safe"....

 

then I'm f***in DONE with the NYC subway, and I aint bluffin or talkin out my ass w/ that either....

as a busfanner, I don't mind takin 50 million and 1 buses anyway to get from point A to B.....

[CenSin]

When certain groups of people can't behave themselves by making messes, it's best to take away everyone's right to eat in the system.

[Concourse Express]

When certain groups of people can't behave themselves by making messes, it's best to take away everyone's right to eat in the system.

 

I disagree.

 

There are times where I'll have a bite and/or a drink on the subway, but I always make sure to hold on to the contents 'till I get to a receptacle. I believe eating in and of itself isn't the problem - littering is. Thus, I believe what's best isn't a full ban on food/drinks, but more enforcement of fines for littering; the more seriously this infraction is taken, the less likely a person is to commit said infraction IMO.

 

Additionally, as others have said, the schedules of some preclude eating comfortably at home; many of these cats already have extremely early start times and thus "allowing extra time" or "waking up earlier" is not an option, lest their productivity be compromised.

[INDman]

The way to keep people from littering is to stop them from carrying litter into the system in the first place.

[LRG]

When certain groups of people can't behave themselves by making messes, it's best to take away everyone's right to eat in the system.

 

And who would these "certain group of people" be? I'd love to hear your answer to this....

[INDman]

And who would these "certain group of people" be? I'd love to hear your answer to this....

 

Blacks and to a less extent, Hispanics.... That would be my guess as to what he means.

[Nova RTS 9147]

Blacks and to a less extent, Hispanics.... That would be my guess as to what he means.

 

I dont think he meant it in racial terms......

[Concourse Express]

The way to keep people from littering is to stop them from carrying litter into the system in the first place.

 

You'd have to go beyond food/drinks then, since they are not the only source of litter; I dare say newspapers comprise a greater portion of subway litter than food or drink!

[553 Bridgeton]

Blacks and to a less extent, Hispanics.... That would be my guess as to what he means.

 

Everyone litters. Im not saying you do or anyone here, but as in race wise.

[B35 via Church]

You'd have to go beyond food/drinks then, since they are not the only source of litter;

 

I dare say newspapers comprise a greater portion of subway litter than food or drink!

 

easily....

 

 

I dont think he meant it in racial terms......

 

neither did I...

 

looks to me like, he was using the ole "bad apple spoils the whole bunch" theory....

[CenSin]

And who would these "certain group of people" be? I'd love to hear your answer to this....

When you ask a question like that, you're already pouring oil in anticipation of a flame fest.

 

I disagree.

 

There are times where I'll have a bite and/or a drink on the subway, but I always make sure to hold on to the contents 'till I get to a receptacle. I believe eating in and of itself isn't the problem - littering is. Thus, I believe what's best isn't a full ban on food/drinks, but more enforcement of fines for littering; the more seriously this infraction is taken, the less likely a person is to commit said infraction IMO.

 

Additionally, as others have said, the schedules of some preclude eating comfortably at home; many of these cats already have extremely early start times and thus "allowing extra time" or "waking up earlier" is not an option, lest their productivity be compromised.

I think getting rid of the problem at the source is better and (arguably) cheaper. It's not easy to judge who will or will not litter, and these behaviors are hard to put down once they've become habits. Having no food available to throw on the platforms, tracks, and trains in the first place would be a great point to start. Also, newspapers might continue to be a problem, but at least they don't feed rats.

[INDman]

I dont think he meant it in racial terms......

 

Everyone litters. Im not saying you do or anyone here, but as in race wise.

 

If I'm wrong then... I'm wrong, but usually when some says "a certain group of people" it's the same as saying YOU people. If that's not what he meant then, fine, I'm wrong, but it looked very much like that was the direction he was going.

[CenSin]

 

If I'm wrong then... I'm wrong, but usually when some says "a certain group of people" it's the same as saying YOU people. If that's not what he meant then, fine, I'm wrong, but it looked very much like that was the direction he was going.

Actually, I would very much agree that I intended to go that direction. I have a hunch that littering and other dirty behaviors are correlated with certain characteristics of a person; I just don't know exactly what those characteristics are as I have not done any sort of serious study on it, but my best guesstimate so far ties the behavior to low income and lack of education as I have not observed much littering from affluent-looking people (a subjective, non-quantifiable observation).

[Joel Up Front]

guesstimate

 

God Almighty, how I hate this goddamned word. It's redundant in itself, for God's sake - either it's a guess, or it's an estimate. No need to combine the ****s. Why do people use it? Do you think you sound smarter? Is it there to "spice" your writing up? Or do you just need to make yourself sound more uncertain by combining the two?

 

At any rate, I'd love it if the population of rats actually increased if this rapture-like ban on food and drinks happened. We can't all have our cake and eat it, can we? Everyone assumes the New Yorker has the time or resources to "just wake up earlier and eat at home." Yeah, I'll give you 20 minutes of sleep - and wake you up 14 minutes in, see how you like it.

[CenSin]

guesstimate

 

God Almighty, how I hate this goddamned word. It's redundant in itself, for God's sake - either it's a guess, or it's an estimate. No need to combine the ****s. Why do people use it? Do you think you sound smarter? Is it there to "spice" your writing up? Or do you just need to make yourself sound more uncertain by combining the two?

 

At any rate, I'd love it if the population of rats actually increased if this rapture-like ban on food and drinks happened. We can't all have our cake and eat it, can we? Everyone assumes the New Yorker has the time or resources to "just wake up earlier and eat at home." Yeah, I'll give you 20 minutes of sleep - and wake you up 14 minutes in, see how you like it.

Well, I'm so glad you're so—aptly—up front with your opinions, but I'll continue to use language as I see fit. I think you just need to see the little nuances in the different vocabulary words (example: clever v. smart) to appreciate the finer details.

 

From the Wiktionary entry:

guesstimate: An estimate that is hardly any better than a guess, often because it is based on insufficient or unreliable data.

 

Although my post contained no numerical figures, I figured the use of "guesstimate" was appropriate enough given it was in the context of statistics.

[553 Bridgeton]

Actually, I would very much agree that I intended to go that direction. I have a hunch that littering and other dirty behaviors are correlated with certain characteristics of a person; I just don't know exactly what those characteristics are as I have not done any sort of serious study on it, but my best guesstimate so far ties the behavior to low income and lack of education as I have not observed much littering from affluent-looking people (a subjective, non-quantifiable observation).

 

Since you are going in that direction, you do realize how many people are on this planet right?

 

I've seen some Upper East Side ******** litter, those Wall Street peeps, Businessmen and women. Low Income people are not the cause of the problem to litter. Yeah they litter but they are not the problem to it. Its the state and local towns that should be picking it up. Yeah they shouldn't be cleaning up after people but, if these towns were doing there jobs then it wouldn't be a MAJOR problem. But then again, the world we live in is just moving at such a fast pace that people are just too lazy to find a trashcan. I do my part and im sure a lot of you guys do, but a handful of people is not going to change a problem that's been going on for god knows how long.