Only 1,944 People Said Something?

Here’s a new SubTalk poster I love…

“Last year 1,944 New Yorkers saw something and said something.”

First of all, this must be false. Of that low number, I bet they weren’t all New Yorkers, but we can let it slide.

What I find hilarious is that all year long, there were only 1,944 people who actually said something. That’s only 5.3 people a day.

How many millions of people ride NYC Transit every day? Only 5 saw suspicious shit and reported it.

There’s easily that many people passed out in the middle of a hallway every day. That alone can account for all the reports in a year.

Here’s an idea. Maybe if cellphones worked in the subway, people would actually call to report things! What good is an 800 number when you’re cellphone doesn’t have a signal?

Oh and I love when they say “Tell an MTA employee.” Because that’s sooooo easy. Let me tell you, there’s only 3 MTA employees remotely near you. The train operator, door operator, and the person sitting in the token booth. None of them are easily reachable.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

11 thoughts on “Only 1,944 People Said Something?

  1. …how many of those somethings were of people engaged in non-suspicious photography? And don’t forget, how many of the 1,944 somethings turned out to be legitimate threats? AFAIK, NONE.


  2. Based on the responsiveness of MTA staff, I would think there were many more reports and only 1,944 were reported. I work in Times Square and have seen, and reported, on occassion unattended bags etc to staff. On every occasion I have received little more than a grunt and a bored look from the staffer. Having lived and worked in London, where they take this sort of thing very seriously, I cannot help but think that the MTA still doesn’t “get it” when it comes to the most basic security precautions.


  3. I think that number is too high. Here’s why:

    First, there’s the complete lack of interest by The MTA employees. These people don’t look like they’re interested in breathing in and out consistently, let alone speaking with a customer. I recently turned in a wallet that someone had dropped and the guy in the booth just stared at me. I seriously doubt that the morons in the glass booths have any interest in suspicious looking bags. I’m sure they’d respond with “that’s not my job.”

    You’re right about the not being able to tell anyone. If you’re locked in a car with no means to contact anyone, you’re basically screwed. But I don’t agree with cell-service in the subways. That’s the last thing I need at 6am is a train full of people trying to scream over the train noise just so they can have their inane conversations. I also remember someone commenting about cell-phones being used to trigger bombs and I totally agree. It’s just a bad idea all around.

    So basically, if you see something, film it with your cell phone, punch the terrorist in the neck, then sell the tape and make millions.


  4. Blame all the workers you want for thier lack of interest. Hundreds of beligerant passengers a day harass the Clerks and Cleaners the Train operators and Conductors with stupid statments about things they have no control over.
    If your train is late, it’s probably because of passengers who are too important to wait for the next train and hold the doors.
    If your train is dirty, it’s a mess left behind by a person who is too lazy to clean up thier own mess.
    As for suspicious this is New York City. Think for a minute about all the things Transit Workers see everyday. What is suspicious to you is normal to us.
    The Transport Workers Union has tried to get training for our members so we can better help our passengers in emergency situations. The Transit Bosses do not see us as emercency workers. So when they say “tell an MTA employee” I don’t know what they expect us to do. So they are giving you a false sense of security. When there is an emergency Transit Workers do thier best to help you but with no support from Management it’s difficult.


  5. Ah yes, here comes The Union to bitch about how hard it is to be overpaid and underworked.

    I still remember the stike. Go cry your ‘poor us’ crap somewhere else.


  6. When I saw that sign, immediately I thought: “Did 1,944 people actually say something, or did a handful of crackpots say something over and over and over…?”


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