Later, we introduced BMT (“Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit”) and IND (“Independent”). The first subway was called Interborough Rapid Transit, or IRT for short. From Times Square, the subway ran north up to Harlem. Then, it made a turn westward to an area that had just been dubbed “Times Square”, in honor of the New York Times, which had just moved up to 42nd street and built the Times Tower at the intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue. The first official subway line, opened in 1904 and ran from City Hall Downtown to Grand Central Depot on 42nd Street. Our subway may not be as old as London’s Tube, but it has lots of white hairs (or white tiles?). So the fact that we have 472 stations and 22 lines (and 3 shuttles) and that most of us can afford the fare and that on MOST days, it does get us to work and home on time, is something we should appreciate, despite the occasional “commute from hell” (which can also happen in a car, on a bus, or on a plane). But oftentimes, we take for granted the fact that we have an enormous, 24/7 transit system that carries up to 6 million riders a day, most of whom are getting in and out of the tiny island of Manhattan, which is only 2 miles wide (at its widest) and is always crammed with people, cars, and buildings. It’s not fun when you’re already running late and the train you are on is stuck in the station (or worse, between stations) because of a signal malfunction, a sick passenger on the train ahead, or just unforeseen train traffic (yes, “subway traffic” is also a “thing”). The subway platforms and cars can get pretty crowded, especially during the morning and evening rush, so don’t stay near the platform edge, don’t put your phone and wallet in your back pocket (where a pickpocket can get to it easily on a crowded subway car), don’t stare at anyone (as hard as that may be, sometimes), and certainly don’t get involved in any arguments (if there is a crazy or disruptive passenger on the same subway car as you, just switch to another car at the next stop).Ī lot of New Yorkers find reasons to complain about the subway fairly regularly. You might even spot the occasional superhero (see Captain America relaxing on the subway when you scroll down): The longer answer is that you still need to be vigilant, use common sense, and exercise caution.
And these days, because the subway is generally safe and ridership is at a high, there will often be as many people on the subway (in Manhattan) at midnight as there will be at noon – maybe more. And when New York City violent crime is near record lows and subway ridership is at record highs, it is safe to assume nothing will happen to you on the subway.
The subway system (just like city parks) reflects the overall safety of the city.
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