Elainee

The subway is, by far, the faster way to get around NYC. It is safe, but unfortunately, the stations are not as clean as it would be nice for them to be. They get swept but I don't think they are often, or ever, washed. The cars are really clean especially wwith the amount of riders. So, use subways in NYC, and do hold children's hands getting on and off the cars and in the crowded streets. People do stand and offer seats for older people and sometimes for women with children.

mp

ellenem - you're right, I skimmed the posts and didn't pick up on that, thanks for pointing it out.

giro

You forgot to mention the ....RATS......

djkbooks

ellenem, the five-year old is probably under 44" tall so can ride for free...I did NOT state that the card could be swiped five times.

nytraveler

The subway system is not scary. It has it's faults (dirty, late, mobbed, often with minor delays for no discernibe reason) - but it is not scary - unless:

You meet an odd person. There are many her in NYC - but most are eccentric and not truly mad. But there are some that are mad and the subway is a prime place for them to go (you can ride forever in all directions for one fare, trains run 2/7 and if you have no home in the winter there are worse places).

I have been riding the subway alone since I was 12. Many many thousans of times. I have never seen a major crime - although groping is possibe in a crowded car. If this occurs you have 2 choices. Stampon the foot of the groper and say - Oh, was that your foot? Then move. Or,m ove first, but as you either go past or leave the car dig him in the ribs with an elbow.

If the person seems truly disturbed - do not do any of this - just get out of that car.

And do NOT stare at anyone. It is typically seen as either a challenge or an invitaion. Instead, hone your langauge skills by learning to read all of the ads in Spanish.

repete

And then shower ... beyond the gropers, it's the grimiest subway I've ever been on and I've use subways on five continents.

ita

I think i can solve the subway problem by giving the kids the choice of going on the ferry or visiting Toys R Us and FAO Schwartz, Which do you think they will choose?

ellenem

djbooks,
No, it's true you didn't state "swipe" five times, but the sentence did say that five people would be using the card. Someone who hasn't read ita's other posts might misunderstand that there are small children in ita's group. I'm just trying to help others who aren't reading all the details of these posts be clear that a regular MetroCard can be swiped only four times in a row. Without that understanding, a party of five might send most of their party through the turnstiles only to discover that they must buy another MetroCard.

travelbuff

The subway system here is pretty easy to use, just make sure you read the signs posted. I take the subway all the time, and even us NYers can get confused sometimes. I was taking the L shuttle train yesterday and got on going the wrong direction, so got off and got back on going the right way, happens sometimes, so don't get flustered.

If you want to get to the Staten Island Ferry, take the #1 train from Times Square and it ends at the Ferry. The trip will probably take about 20 minutes from TS.

tennesseesoftball

Thanks again for all of your valuable information. I wish I could make a sign saying this is Tennesseesoftball, to wear while I visit your exciting city in case we might be on the same subway train. I would by you lunch!! Thanks again and my count down has begun 14 days WOHOO!!

Aduchamp1

Repete-

1.6 billion use the subway yearly. There are approximately 600 miles of revenue producing tracks. 468 stations available 24 hours a day every day including holidays.

Could it be cleaner, sure. But to give the impression you while you leave the subway dirty, is simply not true.

djkbooks

I agree that the NYC subway is the dirtiest, by far, I've ever used. It could be a LOT cleaner. We avoid it whenever possible and use the buses or the occasional taxi.

ellenem, I was responding specifically to the OP and not posting general information. My point was that it would not be necessary or advisable to purchase a MetroCard for each person in her group.

ellenem

DJ--That is certainly true for ita's group (if you read the other posts about this trip to find out the people in the group).

I had just read another thread in another forum in which someone miswrote that one MetroCard could cover "all eight people" (who were all adults) in their group, so I was attuned to this particular bit of misinformation. Sorry to imply that you were wrong--you were stating specifically rather than generally how the MetroCard works.

repete

Aduchamp1: So size is the excuse? Can you name a dirtier one?

There's a real simple way to start improving it: They could clean it up quite a bit by banning and enforcing an eating/drinking ban ... although that McDonalds-catchup-mustard-pickle-wrapper odor does mask some of the more foul smells.

Hey, I love the subway and use it a lot when I'm there. But compared to any other subway I've ridden, it's the filthiest.

Aduchamp1

All the statsitics contribute to its condiiton.

Even though ridership has increased over the years so has the fare. (This is for a number of reasons, nonw good.) But choices had to be made and not cutting train service won.

travelbuff

Hey I am ALWAYS up for a lunch or short tour of our wonderful city, if you have a bit of time. I am a GREAT tour guide, imho, lol.

Let me know.

jroth

Repete - I know it's popular sport to slam NY's subway system. I don't think there is another system in the world that has about 4 to 5 million users a day and all you need is a few passengers who just don;t give a hoot about disposing of their trash - leaving empty bottle or bag on the train - and all that adds up. But I ride the subway quite a bit - it's pretty efficient and gets you there in the shortest time possible in this town. Air-conditioned during summer months. Try that in Paris - especially during the warm weather. No air-conditioning and Parisians are not particularly noted for taking a daily shower or bath and you can tell that when you get on a crowded metro train.

nytraveler

It is true that the NYC subway system (primarily the stations - trains are not so bad). This is a function of several things:

It runs 24/7/365 unlike other systems - so there is no down time to clean it

Fares are very low compared to many other systems ($2.25 is full fare for any ride - including spending a week hopping from one train to another non-stop (and there are many Metro Card deals that are less)

The MTA has opted to reduce cleaning rather than raise fares - since the subway is used by MANY people living on a minimum wage - for whom increased fares would be a real hardship

(If the subway had fares like the London tube and shut down at night I'm sure it would be cleaner - but it would bring the city to a standstill)

mp

The other reason the NYC subway system looks the way it does - other than :the huge number of people who use it, the distance it covers, the round the clock round the year operation and the complexity of the system is the fact that the underground system is more than 100 years old. The elevated system is more than 135 years old. Let's see how you look when you're 100.

repete

Athen's first line began running in 1869 and looks pretty good. Not a bad system ... and far cleaner.

As for the "down time" argument, that's not quite true. Cars can -- and are -- taken out of service regularly during a 24/7 schedule.

Banning eating/drinking in stations and cars would be a simple improvement. It's done successfully elsewhere, perhaps that's why no one here has posted a filthier system.