A 63-year-old woman says she fell onto the tracks at the 72nd street Broadway subway station on Friday around noon, but she was able to slide under the platform before the train arrived.
The woman told police that she had fallen onto the tracks, although a witness told police that it looked like she jumped, according to NYPD Capt. Marlon Larin, who was overseeing the area on Friday and came to the scene shortly after the woman fell.
After finding herself on the tracks with a train approaching “she sought refuge under the platform,” Larin said. (At some stations, the platform extends out over the tracks creating an overhang where someone can seek refuge. Slate has an article on ways to save yourself if you fall onto the tracks and there is not time to be lifted up, although the MTA has no specific guidelines given the different ways stations are built.)
The MTA had previously told us that a man had jumped onto the tracks and died, but this information turned out to be false.
Trains were delayed for about 90 minutes but resumed service around 1:30 p.m.
Another person also jumped onto the tracks at the same station in December.
If you are thinking about harming yourself or attempting suicide please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
File photo of 72nd street station by Amy Aglar.
Regardless of the reason for the fall, it looks like a tragedy here was averted; thankfully.
This station platform is so narrow, especially at certain points where the stairs are. We sometimes need to navigate very close to the edge of the platform, for example, to steer a stroller around the stairs and get to where the elevators are.
I commonly find myself on this platform thinking that it is extremely dangerous and too narrow; where anybody is just a slight trip away from falling.
I agree with James and the same is true for any number of other subway stations.
There should be gates on all subway platforms to prevent people from falling, being thrown or jumping onto the tracks. Such gates are found in the subway systems of many cities throughout the world. Isn’t it shameful that we are not one of them?
Yes, the cost would undoubtedly be astronomical. But such a basic public safety measure must take precedence over much else that the city (and state, and nation) currently spend great amounts on. This is true even if one maintains that all of the other expenditures are worthy and important in their own right (which I do not but that is not the point here); as long as funds are limited, spending must be prioritized.
We should be seeing more and more suicides and attempts as obola’s economy goes further and further into the pit of depression, and as people’s worlds fall apart economically and socially. All the great liberal experiments are about to dissolve.
You’ve aborted your babies, so who is gonna look after you in your old age?
You’ve “liberated” yourselves into divorce, homosexuality and “feminism”, so loneliness will now be your reward.
You’ve allowed corrupt politicians to export your economy, inflate the currency, destroy your Constitution and leave open the borders so illegal aliens can come pouring in and TAKE the fruits of your labors.
You’ve “dumbed-down” your school systems so much that companies have to look overseas for qualified employees.
So who could be better than mayor de buffoonio in charge right now?
As Woody Allen once said, I hear $50,000 worth of psychotherapy dialing 9-1-1.
ya gotta love Sally Smile
Wow, you really covered a lot of ground there. Feel better?
Denial becomes you.
see below – comedy doesn’t get any better. LOL
Sheesh. Same week a 59-year-old man loses his life to unsafe driving on our streets. Here is a retired NYPD officer, alarmed that we’re ‘in denial’ about the ‘dangers’ from divorce, homosexuality, feminism.
I hope NYPD is better at risk assessment than this!
Lol. Hey, if that’s all you’ve got in your arsenal, just keep repeatin’.
I wonder what your next diatribe will be about? Maybe something about the Presi-DUNCE? See what I did there? I changed “dent” to “dunce”, thus indicating that I think the president is dumb. You can use that if you want.
Speaking of dunces……You’re that “special kind of stupid”, aren’t you? The kind of stupid that normally doesn’t occur in nature, but rather has to be worked at in order to achieve?
Fly away….fly.
“Woman okay after falling onto train tracks” article sends you into a histrionic rant on the president, economics, politics, the constitution, feminism, sexuality, immigration, education, and the labor force?
I’d say “buck up”, but somehow I think it would be ineffectual. Maybe go back on your meds?
Like I said….denial becomes you.
I was trapped down there for an hour because of this incident. I’m glad she’s OK, but how do people “fall” off the platform unless they’re standing too close to the edge? We do not need a Nanny State putting gates up. (And I don’t know that the new policy of slower arrivals into the station do anything but further slow down our commute)
Stand the hell behind that yellow line.
Just from the uncertain details published here, it sounds like an attempted suicide where she changed her mind and sought refuge. Glad she’s alive. I hope she gets the help she needs.
We should be seeing more and more suicides and attempts as obola’s economy goes further and further into the pit of depression, and as people’s worlds fall apart economically and socially. All the great liberal experiments are about to dissolve.
You’ve aborted your babies, so who is gonna look after you in your old age?
You’ve “liberated” yourselves into divorce, homosexuality and “feminism”, so loneliness will now be your reward.
You’ve allowed corrupt politicians to export your economy, inflate the currency, destroy your Constitution and leave open the borders so illegal aliens can come pouring in and TAKE the fruits of your labors.
You’ve “dumbed-down” your school systems so much that companies have to look overseas for qualified employees.
So who could be better than mayor de buffoonio in charge right now?
LOL
Thank you, “Off-Duty”, for your jeremiad courage.
I’m sure that, like that prophet, you’re not surprised by the reception that you received.
Not surprised at all by the likes of “dirk”. On occasion, I like to post here on these boards especially because of UWS nincompoops like dirk and all the other delusional ding-bats who regularly post here. Someone’s gotta shake them up every now and then, if only to remind them that sooner or later they will have to deal with reality.
You’re a riot, OD. The guy who pours out an irrelevant delusional rant to an article about a poor woman who fell off the subway platform is lecturing me about reality? lol. Yeah, you’re really “shaking things up”. A real world-changer, you.
Why don’t you at least tell us what you feel about the article itself? Did you read it? Are you in favor of putting gates on the subway platforms? Just kidding, I know you live in Alabama.
You! You I like!
Thanks for the laugh and for saving all of us from having to respond to the knuckleheads….keep up the good work
What is all this viciousness about? This person posting using the name “Off Duty” is using WSR as a platform for hate-filled rants. He seems to want to antagonize and insult everyone. That’s not what this is supposed to be about.
I usually enjoy reading the comments and hearing different points of view but lately it’s name calling and insulting other people posting here. I’ve only seen this lately and it’s always initiated by “Off Duty”. Let’s behave more like adults. There’s no need for such nastiness. Please!