The Daily News printed a list of the "top 10 reasons why your train was late", so memorize them the next time you're late to work:
1. Track work/work crews - 1,640 incidents in one month
2. Signal trouble - 532
3. Guard-light trouble - 415
4. Sick customers - 392
5. Customers holding doors - 346
6. Emergency brakes triggered/no cause found - 332
7. Broken rail - 316
8. Unruly customers - 313
9. System maintenance equipment - 262
10. Emergency brakes triggered by cause - 229
According to the MTA, "unruly passengers" moved into the top 10 for the first time, with 118 more incidents than the 195 measured in December 2006. Was it the holidays - too much egg nog, too much shopping?
Anyway, one thing that delays subways is something we're not sure the MTA measures: People who board trains inefficiently. We're talking people who storm onto the train without letting other get out, or people who get on the train first and plant themselves in the doorway, making it difficult for more people to get on. Or how about people who don't move all the way into the car? Sure, we like to stand closer to the door if our stop is coming soon, too, but when there's a mass of humanity behind you, just more in.
And here's another kind of subway stats: Reasons for subway deaths.
Photograph by VincenzoF on Flickr, who says, "Let Passengers Exit!"
