Goo from above

For shopkeepers and apartment-dwellers on Jamaica Avenue, it is an old summer enemy: the warm, viscous drizzle of creosote dripping down from the elevated J line.

Drips, Squeals and Patience: Life by the El

This year, a few activists in this drowsy commercial strip have marshaled evidence to present to New York City Transit, which treats wooden ties with creosote, a coal tar derivative, as a preservative. They protested that creosote can cause skin damage or even cancer. In response, the transit agency has identified eight dripping areas and promised to wrap those ties to prevent further leakage.

Sticky mess from above