Via Garibaldi 8 Posted January 22, 2019 Share #1 Posted January 22, 2019 Subway Riders Demanding Answers As City’s Homeless Continue Taking Over Train Cars January 21, 2019 at 11:38 pm NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – As temperatures plunge, some subway riders say they’re seeing more and more homeless people seeking shelter inside subway cars. This winter, commuters say the problem has gotten so bad they’re left with no seats to use. CBS2’s Lisa Rozner took those concerns to the police commissioner and the MTA. Vagrants turning half of a subway car into their home, filling it with bags, boxes, and clothes. In others, benches being used as beds. Edwin Rivera says it’s why he has trouble finding a seat on the 2 train from 149th Street and Third Avenue in the Bronx to his job near Columbus Circle. “Five, 5:30 in the morning… you get in the car… there’s somebody sleeping there. Two, three, four people sleeping in different cars,” Rivera described. “The smell is terrible… Sometimes they defecate on themselves and you have to leave that car.” Samuel Santos says it also happens on the A train when he gets on at 181st Street. “A lot of times you’re standing because you don’t want to sit down,” Santos explained. F train commuter Andrew Quinn says he’s notified conductors. “They tell you ‘yeah I know and I’ve reported it and I just have to keep the trains moving,’” the Park Slope resident claimed. CBS2 showed the videos to NYPD commissioner James O’Neill Monday. “Is the NYPD supposed to be stepping in here and getting these guys off the cars?” Rozner asked. “Yeah and as I look at these videos of course they’re disturbing. You’re not supposed to be laying down on the subway… if you’re taking up one seat you’re not committing any violations, that’s fine,” O’Neill said. “There are things we can do. This doesn’t necessarily rise to the level of a violation, a summons, or an arrest.” “I wonder if the police commissioner has been on the subway recently when they’ve seen this,” Andrew Quinn added. “I would like to see more police… Right now they’re using it as a as a shelter and it’s taking away from people on the subway who’ve actually paid to use it for what the subway is for.” CBS2 also we showed the videos to the MTA. A spokesperson refused to answer questions and only referred to the Bowery Residents’ Committee – a non-profit that does outreach to the homeless on the subways. That organization didn’t return CBS2’s calls either. Back in October, the city’s Transit Authority president Andy Byford said he ordered his station managers to work with the NYPD and the Department of Homeless Services to stop the city’s growing homeless popular from overrunning trains. Three months later, how it’s still being tolerated is still unclear. “Roll their sleeves… Get out from their office… MTA or maybe the mayor’s office and help us,” Samuel Santos pleaded. Source: https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/01/21/subways-homeless-taking-over-cars/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VIP Posted January 22, 2019 Share #2 Posted January 22, 2019 Something definitely needs to be done. It’s frustrating to operate a ten car train with 1-2 cars only being occupied by 2-3 homeless people, who also have severe mental illness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share #3 Posted January 22, 2019 9 minutes ago, VIP said: Something definitely needs to be done. It’s frustrating to operate a ten car train with 1-2 cars only being occupied by 2-3 homeless people, who also have severe mental illness. There's a solution, but our liberal mayor has more important endeavors he wants to undertake. Commissioner O'Neill doesn't sound too promising either... Not shocking though... This is what the people who voted for him wanted... But we all know that crime is down... That's all that matters... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Ridge Express Posted January 22, 2019 Share #4 Posted January 22, 2019 Saw a homeless sleeping person on the second car from the back, then one on the riding between 59 St and Stillwell Av, and finally one on the asking me if it was an train 🙄 and what time it was, then later riding between cars and smoking at an altitude that high... all in the same trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share #5 Posted January 22, 2019 3 minutes ago, Bay Ridge Express said: Saw a homeless sleeping person on the second car from the back, then one on the riding between 59 St and Stillwell Av, and finally one on the asking me if it was an train 🙄 and what time it was, then later riding between cars and smoking at an altitude that high... all in the same trip! Not at all shocking. I generally ride on weekends, and I consider myself EXTREMELY lucky to not see a homeless person, to not be asked for money or hear a sob story or have someone trying to sell stale candy that I don't want or "entertain me", etc. Really out of control... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallyhorse Posted January 23, 2019 Share #6 Posted January 23, 2019 9 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said: There's a solution, but our liberal mayor has more important endeavors he wants to undertake. Commissioner O'Neill doesn't sound too promising either... Not shocking though... This is what the people who voted for him wanted... But we all know that crime is down... That's all that matters... The homeless has always been a problem. It was back in the '80s as well. The real problem is the laws are such to where if they tried to force them off like some want to see there would be all kinds of lawsuits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share #7 Posted January 23, 2019 1 hour ago, Wallyhorse said: The homeless has always been a problem. It was back in the '80s as well. The real problem is the laws are such to where if they tried to force them off like some want to see there would be all kinds of lawsuits. The situation is far worse than it was under Giuliani or Bloomberg, and the difference is an administration that doesn’t give a damn, and a police department that’s told to look the other way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallyhorse Posted January 23, 2019 Share #8 Posted January 23, 2019 7 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said: The situation is far worse than it was under Giuliani or Bloomberg, and the difference is an administration that doesn’t give a damn, and a police department that’s told to look the other way. Which is because they don't want to risk being sued and some Judge or Jury awarding such a homeless person millions with the further risk of that happening again and again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CenSin Posted January 23, 2019 Share #9 Posted January 23, 2019 I don’t know if there is a homeless shelter nearby in Coney Island, but when the weather stops freezing people, the homeless hang out around the vicinity of the station exits. Some talk nonsense (don’t even try to get money). Others may give the chase (especially when it comes to women). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CenSin Posted January 23, 2019 Share #10 Posted January 23, 2019 As I’m writing this… every other car seems to be packed with holes people and their unbearable stench. God help you if you don’t have a good pair of legs to get you down the platform fast enough to skip an entire car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted January 23, 2019 Share #11 Posted January 23, 2019 Before I stopped taking the LIRR completely, I used to take the to Atlantic (either that 4:38 or that 4:56 that reaches Church) to catch the damn thing, before I ended up walking over to the B12 & catching it at LIRR ENY.... The homeless folks festering those trains was the main reason I started taking the B12 to the LIRR on a daily basis.... It simply did not matter which car you boarded - there was at least 1 MF-er in it & the hope was that the one you got in, didn't stink to the high heavens... You shouldn't have to deal with & detemine the act of rationalizing which car smells worst than the other as part of the commute.... It's not just "the homeless car" anymore, they're taking over entire trains.... 1 hour ago, CenSin said: I don’t know if there is a homeless shelter nearby in Coney Island, but when the weather stops freezing people, the homeless hang out around the vicinity of the station exits. Some talk nonsense (don’t even try to get money). Others may give the chase (especially when it comes to women). IDK if those are homeless people or not, but they're definitely junkies.... See them all the time sprawled out on the SW corner of Mermaid/Stillwell (mermaid side), and/or under the scaffolding along Stillwell av, just before you hit Surf (as you're walking towards Nathan's)..... The whole aura reminds me of CI back in the early 80's..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kosciusko Posted January 23, 2019 Share #12 Posted January 23, 2019 This just goes to show the importance of things like homeless shelters and outreach programs. There hasn't been enough of these and it really shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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