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manateefourmation t1_j6gn97y wrote

Reply to comment by jdapper5 in MTA cuts free Wi-Fi from NYC buses by flightwaves

That makes sense. Better use of dollars. Right now, I have to quickly text or load a page when we get to stops. Unlike buses where they are above ground, for the subway this is an amazing upgrade.

So not sure why you think this is a waste of money. And I totally disagree. The subway is a relatively clean and safe way to get around the city. You most obviously didn’t live here in the 1980s when the cars had graffiti all over them. Inside and out and crime was really an issue - not a hyped TikTok story. Over 6 million people ride the subway on average day. If 6 million people walked through your house, not sure how spotless it would be.

Edit: and the service is fucking amazing. Trains typically within minutes. Runs 24 hours a day (only system in world to do that). Are there delays. Sure. Is it incredibly reliable - absolutely. Are you really in NYC or just trolling???

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jdapper5 t1_j6iv4mj wrote

  1. I've lived in the greater NYC my entire life and in NYC itself the past 13 years. And of course crime is not nearly as high as the 1980s, however perception is everything. And crime is one of the reasons ridership has yet to bounce back.

  2. There's no doubt our public transit system is unique in the sense that it runs 24/7. However, I am not naive enough to think it's wise for the MTA to waste $600m on wifi underground when there are clearly more pressing needs (reference my original post) AND they have a huge deficit every year. Having cell service underground is NOT a necessity. Period.

  3. And to your tone deaf commentary about reliable service: tell that to NYers who live in the outer boroughs - specifically in areas with a dearth of transit options. It's easy for folks like you to live in a bubble where you don't have to worry about if you're going to arrive to work on time or alter you budget spend because now you have to spend money on a car service.

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manateefourmation t1_j6j0he5 wrote

  1. Perception is quite literally not everything. We live in a world where everyone has a video camera on them at all times and free platforms (TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook) that incentivize sensationalism for profit. If we allow and don’t fight back with real statistics about crime in the subway - or NYC in general (which is the safest city in the US but you’d never know it from “perception”), we will be a losing battle. And if you believe it’s perception, how about posting against the sensationalism instead of being part of it. Your post here played into it! And the main reason ridership has not bounced back according to actual data has nothing to do with crime; it has everything to do with remote working. As of last month only 17% of office workers in NYC had returned to the office full time. Stop making stuff up!
  2. Do you know that almost every other country in the world subsidizes their transit systems - they don’t expect them to be profitable. Or, like DC, and London (among others) charge high distance base fares. Do you want to pay $10 to get from distant Queens or Brooklyn to a Manhattan? That’s what you would pay in DC? Do you want to turn the subway into the LIRR or Metro North and charge those fares. It would solve the deficit really quickly. Do you appreciate just how inexpensive $2.75 is relative to all other transit options?
  3. Your argument that having cell service underground is “Not a necessity,” is your subjective argument. My strong hunch is if I surveyed subway riders I would get a different answer than yours? The cost of this is a drop in bucket of what it costs to run the subway. It also addresses safety perception issues to be able to call 911 at any time.
  4. I was born and raised in Brooklyn and lived in Astoria before Manhattan. So I have a lot of outer borough transit experience. The NQR from Queens got me into the city flawlessly. The D from Brooklyn the same. The L when I lived in Williamsburg was amazing. So I have no idea what you are talking about. So yeah “folks like me.”
  5. Where we might agree is that we need outer borough options like a light rail between Brooklyn and Queens so that for most trips you don’t need to go on the subway into Manhattan to to get between Brooklyn and Queens.
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