MTA considers food ban to prevent track fires

[Via Garibaldi 8]

MTA considers food ban to prevent track fires

By Danielle Furfaro and Natalie Musumeci

July 18, 2017 | 1:30pm

 

 

 

Christopher Sadowski

 

The head of the MTA on Tuesday said the transit agency is considering banning certain types of food on the subway system.

 

“There is a lot of conversation about what foods are appropriate and what are not,” MTA chairman Joe Lhota told reporters at a press conference at Penn Station.

 

Lhota made the food-related comments after speaking about trash on the tracks following Monday’s garbage-fueled fire in Harlem that snarled morning rush-hour service and stranded throngs passengers on trains.

 

“I want to get to the point where we have no fires in the system,” Lhota said. “These fires all start with trash being thrown down there. We need to stop throwing trash on the tracks….It’s a partnership between the MTA and all of our customers.”

 

Recently, Lhota said, he saw someone on a train with Chinese food and “inevitably, rice got everywhere.”

 

Lhota would not explicitly say whether he thinks certain foods should be banned on the subway, but said Monday’s track fire started a conversation on the matter.

 

Source: http://nypost.com/2017/07/18/mta-considers-food-ban-to-prevent-track-fires/

 

 

[Deucey]

You mean it'd be like EVERY OTHER TRANSIT AGENCY IN THE US?

 

I dunno how I feel about that - it'd be cleaner, but it's kind of a nice perk to eat a gyro while stuck in a tunnel for 30 minutes due to "train traffic ahead of us" and not get cited.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

You mean it'd be like EVERY OTHER TRANSIT AGENCY IN THE US?

 

I dunno how I feel about that - it'd be cleaner, but it's kind of a nice perk to eat a gyro while stuck in a tunnel for 30 minutes due to "train traffic ahead of us" and not get cited.

LMAO! On the same token, it's nice so nice being stuck for 30 minutes if the food stinks and you haven't eaten yet... lol

[Deucey]

LMAO! On the same token, it's nice so nice being stuck for 30 minutes if the food stinks and you haven't eaten yet... lol

I'm a generous person - I'd share. But I put actual hot sauce on everything, not that watered down ketchup they call hot sauce or Tabasco here...

[161 New York]

Good luck enforcing that.  If the "ick" factor doesn't dissuade you from consuming food on these conveyances, then nothing will.

 

I recently saw one bloke alternate his hands from holding a pole, to eating a bag of chips and playing with his phone - the chips, evidently were finger-licking good !  (Nasty!  )

On all modes (subways/buses), people cannot be bothered with respecting the "no radio" rules - which is short for no audible electronic devices.

 

What I found particularly funny, especially, with folks who have the worst earphones ever manufactured, the sound emanating from them is reminiscent of both someone pounding metal (like an anvil) while taking a huge non-stop dump at the same time.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Good luck enforcing that.  If the "ick" factor doesn't dissuade you from consuming food on these conveyances, then nothing will.

 

I recently saw one bloke alternate his hands from holding a pole, to eating a bag of chips and playing with his phone - the chips, evidently were finger-licking good !  (Nasty!  )

 

On all modes (subways/buses), people cannot be bothered with respecting the "no radio" rules - which is short for no audible electronic devices.

 

What I found particularly funny, especially, with folks who have the worst earphones ever manufactured, the sound emanating from them is reminiscent of both someone pounding metal (like an anvil) while taking a huge non-stop dump at the same time.

Agreed.  It's stupid to have a partial band, and who is going to enforce it? I think a full ban makes far more sense.  People can eat at home.  I do eat on the express bus on occasion, but nothing large like an entire meal (a small smack, a soup, or something that isn't messy), and my hands are always clean before I consume anything.

[Yankees4life]

Yeah...good luck with that

[Porter]

We need to have an incentive system to report the people who throw anything on the tracks, and cameras should be recording to back up the accusations. The person littering can pay a $100 fine and the person who reported it can receive a $100 reward.

[bobtehpanda]

Are they gonna enforce this the way they enforce not littering on the tracks?

[BreeddekalbL]

Hopefully they don't enforce it DC Style cause then you will have the mayor and city council complaining civil rights violations etc

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Hopefully they don't enforce it DC Style cause then you will have the mayor and city council complaining civil rights violations etc

When don't they complain... 

[RtrainBlues]

The causes of most delays have been signal problems, track work, trains with mechanical problems, sick customers and unruly customers as of late.  Perhaps if the customer had eaten something or had a drink of water while waiting for the train, the customer wouldn't have gotten dizzy and sick.  I know if I don't eat during my lengthy ride home, I can get dizzy and I might pass out on the train, which will cause severe delays.  I'm sure they don't want lawsuits and more delays because of a ban.  They can instead issue tickets to anyone who litters.  

 

Besides, many people may bring an empty water bottle into the train station since they can't find an empty trash can on the street, and throw it on the tracks.  A ban will achieve nothing and is counter-productive.

[MassTransitHonchkrow]

MTA considers food ban to prevent track fires

By Danielle Furfaro and Natalie Musumeci

July 18, 2017 | 1:30pm

 

 

 

Christopher Sadowski

 

The head of the MTA on Tuesday said the transit agency is considering banning certain types of food on the subway system.

“There is a lot of conversation about what foods are appropriate and what are not,” MTA chairman Joe Lhota told reporters at a press conference at Penn Station.

Lhota made the food-related comments after speaking about trash on the tracks following Monday’s garbage-fueled fire in Harlem that snarled morning rush-hour service and stranded throngs passengers on trains.

“I want to get to the point where we have no fires in the system,” Lhota said. “These fires all start with trash being thrown down there. We need to stop throwing trash on the tracks….It’s a partnership between the MTA and all of our customers.”

Recently, Lhota said, he saw someone on a train with Chinese food and “inevitably, rice got everywhere.”

Lhota would not explicitly say whether he thinks certain foods should be banned on the subway, but said Monday’s track fire started a conversation on the matter.

Source: http://nypost.com/2017/07/18/mta-considers-food-ban-to-prevent-track-fires/

 

 

 

You know what I find most revulsive?

Sunflower seed spitters.

Ew.

 

I always carry an extra garbage bag and I even wipe up after myself if I ever get the urge to eat.

For me, it isn't as much about courtesy as it is leaving pieces of me behind.

 

Sent from my HP ENVY m6 Notebook PC using Tapatalk

[Via Garibaldi 8]

You know what I find most revulsive?

Sunflower seed spitters.

Ew.

 

I always carry an extra garbage bag and I even wipe up after myself if I ever get the urge to eat.

For me, it isn't as much about courtesy as it is leaving pieces of me behind.

 

Sent from my HP ENVY m6 Notebook PC using Tapatalk

I don't eat on the subway. Too disgusting. I have when in a rush finished a pastry or something small and maybe an espresso in a subway station, but everything is thrown away before I step onto the train (bottles are held on to to be cleaned and recycled at home), and I don't touch anything.  I always use the back of my hand if need be when going through turnstiles.  Hands are immediately washed when I reach home or my office or anywhere else with soap and hot water (some people think running their hands under water counts as washing them ).  I'm very conscious about that since I've had a stomach virus in the past many years ago.  I also don't eat from street vendors. They have nowhere to wash their hands. Just disgusting all around.

[Missabassie]

I don't eat on the subway. Too disgusting. I have when in a rush finished a pastry or something small and maybe an espresso in a subway station, but everything is thrown away before I step onto the train (bottles are held on to to be cleaned and recycled at home), and I don't touch anything.  I always use the back of my hand if need be when going through turnstiles.  Hands are immediately washed when I reach home or my office or anywhere else with soap and hot water (some people think running their hands under water counts as washing them ).  I'm very conscious about that since I've had a stomach virus in the past many years ago.  I also don't eat from street vendors. They have nowhere to wash their hands. Just disgusting all around.

 

Some of those guys use a bottle of water to wash rinse their hands, I happen to see this earlier today, but I'm witcha there, I don't mess with those sketchy food cart guys.

 

And another thing I don't touch is

 

GAS STATION NACHOS

 

[QM1to6Ave]

Not to get too off topic, but I believe I read that they will soon start giving letter grades to food carts

[Via Garibaldi 8]

 

Some of those guys use a bottle of water to wash rinse their hands, I happen to see this earlier today, but I'm witcha there, I don't mess with those sketchy food cart guys.

 

And another thing I don't touch is

 

GAS STATION NACHOS

 

lol... I observe a lot of them, and some of also smoke which immediately is a no-no for me.  Smokers generally are nasty in general. I haven't eaten from a truck in years.  On the subways, I always get a kick out of people buying from "vendors" selling their snacks.  No idea how long that stuff has been sitting around in their house somewhere and they're trying to get rid of it. No thank you. That's something else that generates a lot of trash on the tracks too I bet.  I'm sure a lot of people buy snacks from the folks at the subway stations, eat or drink them, and then throw the wrappers or bottles right on the tracks.  How far do you go with the banning? 

 

 

Not to get too off topic, but I believe I read that they will soon start giving letter grades to food carts

They need to.  They touch everything... dirty money, then touch the food, more dirty money, sweat from them, etc. Skeeves me out just thinking about it. 

[BreeddekalbL]

When don't they complain... 

 

yeah cause if they were to enforce it DC style you will have heavy handed enforcement making the nightly news and then the zero vision mayor Melissa Mark viverito and the Anti Cop Tish James have their daily posturing after this 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

yeah cause if they were to enforce it DC style you will have heavy handed enforcement making the nightly news and then the zero vision mayor Melissa Mark viverito and the Anti Cop Tish James have their daily posturing after this 

lol@Melissa Mark Viverito.

[RtrainBlues]

I think the chairman is incompetent - he knows the problems are the deferred maintenance, the trains with mechanical problems and the constant signal problems.  So he goes off on a tangent and he wants to even consider banning food?  Let's see what this morning's big delay was about (hint: the answer is below).  If a police officer sees a pig throwing litter on the tracks, he can give that person a ticket.  You don't make everyone suffer for the actions of a few pigs.  

 

I'm sure the city council speaker and the public advocate will cause a lot of trouble if he goes down the route of banning food, since that would be quite cruel and inhumane.  If he's smart, he'll focus on the signal problems and deferred maintenance since those are causing 99% of the delays.

 

Following an earlier incident involving A TRAIN WITH MECHANICAL PROBLEMS at DeKalb Av, , ,  and  train service has resumed with delays. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I think the chairman is incompetent - he knows the problems are the deferred maintenance, the trains with mechanical problems and the constant signal problems. So he goes off on a tangent and he wants to even consider banning food? Let's see what this morning's big delay was about. If a police officer sees a pig throwing litter on the tracks, he can give that person a ticket. You don't make everyone suffer for the actions of a few pigs.

 

I'm sure the city council speaker and the public advocate will cause a lot of trouble if he goes down the route of banning food, since that would be quite cruel and inhumane. If he's smart, he'll focus on the signal problems and deferred maintenance since those are causing 99% of the delays.

 

Following an earlier incident involving A TRAIN WITH MECHANICAL PROBLEMS at[/size] DeKalb Av, [/size], [/size], [/size] and [/size] train service has resumed with delays. [/size]

LOL Right, but instead let's blame the passengers because they're accounting for so many delays. As you said, the majority of them are from signal problems, switching problems and track issues.

 

I love Lhota, but he's out of touch with reality. He lives in Brooklyn Heights which is a cake walk to the office and NYU Langone both in Midtown. He has a plethora of train options to use (several express trains), so it's very easy for him to just say "leave earlier". At the very worse he has a 45 minute commute instead of a 25 minute one. Most people aren't so lucky.

[B35 via Church]

Not to get too off topic, but I believe I read that they will soon start giving letter grades to food carts

Lol.... No one can convince me that those letter grades aren't bought.... Those Arabs that own those carts got paper out the behind.... Much like with the majority of eateries in this city, you'll be seeing A's all over the place....

 

The grades are far more about public perception & less about actual health & cleanliness anyway....

 

I know of more people that have gotten sick from restaurants that ended up with 'A' (in finger quotes) grades more so than anything....

 

The immediate thing that comes to mind when I see a C grade on some restaurant's window (in Manhattan specifically), is that said establishment is less popular..... That's It.

[B35 via Church]

As far as a food ban on the subway.... Now how the f*** is that gonna work, when you have newsstands on platform level in quite a bit of subway stations.....

 

There's a shortage of cops as it is & the quota hires don't do SHIT when they're put on a beat.... So who's supposed to be doing all this reinforcing?

 

Whatever happened to that massive cleanup program, tracksweep or w/e it's called....

 

This latest desperate whimsical response to that latest track fire, will not cease future track fires....

Newspapers, anyone? Go ahead & ban those too :lol:

[DaTransitMan4608]

We need to have an incentive system to report the people who throw anything on the tracks, and cameras should be recording to back up the accusations. The person littering can pay a $100 fine and the person who reported it can receive a $100 reward.

That could actually work. At my job, we have an incentive system that defers people from theft. So far, it's worked pretty well because most people know that if you get caught stealing by another employee, they aren't gonna hold their tongue and miss out on that reward. 

[CenSin]

That could actually work. At my job, we have an incentive system that defers people from theft. So far, it's worked pretty well because most people know that if you get caught stealing by another employee, they aren't gonna hold their tongue and miss out on that reward. 

50% cut sounds better for the MTA’s bottom line. I mean… it has to involve some sort of labor to facilitate the transaction and verification of the crime.

 

But next thing you know, throngs of poor people are going to complain about the unfairness and racism because they are the most likely to treat public facilities like filthy pigpens. As much as I loathe hipsters and yuppies, they usually adhere to rules that uphold public order.