File photo of 86th street station.
A 71-year-old man fell onto the subway tracks at 86th street on Monday morning around 5 a.m., but was virtually unscathed even though four cars of the train ran over him, according to amNY.
The conductor thought the man had jumped, although he later told police he had felt dizzy and fell, amNY reported. The conductor pulled the emergency brakes so that the train stopped partway into the station.
It is not unusual for me to have to politely usher older folks back from their teetering positions beyond the yellow line. Esp on the west side lines, we now have the Arrival status signals. PLEASE stand back, folks!
When I see people crowding the edge of the platform (as if that’ll get them on the train faster, or something) I always think to myself, “People, look where the paramedic’s standing!”
The crowding is nothing, Elias, compared to that on the East side green line.
There, you have a disaster waiting to happen. You hardly have room to wait on the platform, and passengers exiting the train have to push against those on the platform to get out.
I opt for a slow bus each Friday a.m. at rush hour when I’m forced to be on that side of the Park.
We need gates between the platforms and the tracks, like they have in many other places.
“The conductor pulled the emergency brakes” Unless the MTA has revised job titles, the conductor is located in the middle of the train and, among other duties, opens and closes the doors and does not have a view of the tracks ahead. The motorman, who sits in the cab of the first car and has a view of the tracks ahead would be in a positionn to see a person falling onto the tracks. In this instance it would be logical to assume that the motorman, not the conductor, applied the breaks.
This is why I always try to stand behind a column or against a wall!