Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Bill to ban eating on subway

From the NY Post:

A local lawmaker is pushing a bill to ban eating in the subway to help cut down on vermin — but the measure is already causing some straphangers to lose their lunch.

The bill, proposed by Sen. Bill Perkins (D-Manhattan), would slap a $250 fine on subterranean scofflaws who dare to eat on any train, platform, or shop throughout the city’s transit system.

“I’ve seen people open up plates of french fries and chicken and have a grand old meal — and then discard their stuff on the track,” Perkins told The Post. “The question becomes, ‘How can we minimize the feasts that rats are experiencing?’ By trying to control human behaviors.”

Cash from fines would feed a litter-prevention fund.


Photo from Train Pigs

18 comments:

The Flushing Phantom said...

It's the pigs (the riders) not the rats that are at fault.

"Ratso Rizzo" is just looking for a 4 star restaurant...being track side.

Yum, yum!

You should see some of the easily spilled hot soupy stuff that some Flushingites bring onto the #7...with open lids.

Oops, motorman, thanks for hitting the brakes so abruptly.

There it goes all over my shoes!

Anonymous said...

And WHO will see that it's ENFORCED at the Main Street #7 stop...GREAT NECK residing, turncoat Republican, CM Peter Koo?

I hope he no get re-electee!

FlooshingRezident said...

What a great idea - now please ban eating on buses and flights under 3 hours!

Buses, trains and planes all stink of cheap, industrial food. Pizza Hut + Cinnabon = big, fat asses in my sight-line.

Not only do most NYers look disgusting, they act disgusting. I would call them pigs, but I love those cute little snorfers.

Anonymous said...

The MTA should also return the garbage cans that it has removed from the subway stations and platforms. I saw an MTA bigwig saying that removing the waste baskets would reduce trash on the tracks and platforms. MTA believes that riders will take their trash with them. Funniest thing I ever heard.

Anonymous said...

The MTA, apparently, wont.

Maybe they're thinking that a terrorist might hide a bomb in one of these cans.

3rd world people are generally slobs anyway.

They're merely following the garbage disposal practices of their mother countries here in NYC...
out the window, on the street, on the tracks!

Anonymous said...

There's been an anti-spitting ordinance on the books since the subways first went in.

Who enforces it...the NYPD?

Yeah, right!

"Patooey"!

Phlegm on the platform...and here comes a Chinese snot rocket headed my way!

Real nice...gives me an appetite!
Let's chow down.

Anonymous said...

If the fines are excessively steep it will encourage people to reconsider. I personally am all for 1,000$ fine. I don't eat on the subway and think it's disgusting.

Anonymous said...

Keep your trash in your pocket or bag until you get upstairs and then throw it in a litter basket . Most NYers are not slobs and will do the right thing.

Anonymous said...

“I’ve seen people open up plates of french fries and chicken and have a grand old meal — and then discard their stuff on the track,” Perkins told The Post.

What does Perkins expect? There are snack food stands in many Subway stations. Walk up the stairs at Grand Central and Times Square and your olfactory senses are attacked by the nauseating aromatic collision of cheap finger food and all the time the MTA is collecting rent from the shops that sell the travel food. And in their infinite wisdom they remove the garbage cans from the stations. Where do they think the dining denizens of the deep are to place their refuse?

“The question becomes, ‘How can we minimize the feasts that rats are experiencing?’ By trying to control human behaviors.”

How about hundreds of trap placed near tunnel and underneath the platforms? How about poison? But, WHOOPS! The MTA would never approve this method of pest control. After all the rats are constituents of the bleeding heart animal rightists such as PETA who actually have said "Rats are people too".

Perkins should realize that you can't control the rat population in the subways by starving them. They must be eradicated with extreme prejudice.

Anonymous said...

Starve the rats and they'll leave the subway to invade our homes...

This is yet another example of a law that serves no purpose other than PR for the sponsor. There are already anti-littering ordinances on the books - and they don't work. How, pray tell, would an anti-eating ordinance help?

And, yeah, I'd love to see the portable feast stop - I'm caught between "did you bring enough for everyone?" and nausea.

Anonymous said...

another pol grandstanding to get some media attention how often does he ride on the subway that is what i wanna know. sometimes this is the only chance people have to grab a quick snack they work 12 hours a day then hop on the train sometimes for over an hour maybe he should try working a 12 hour day

Anonymous said...

I always thought eating and spitting on the subways and buses was against the law. Years ago there were signs posted in the subways with a list of no nos and the signs stated an offense was punishable by a fine. Perhaps reposting these signs would be a start. Eating in the subways is disgusting. That's what public parks are for. Better yet, how about eating before you leave the house?

Anonymous said...

Would love to see it, but it would never be enforced. There is already a transit rule banning open liquid containers that is ignored by every transit cop in the city. Can't say that I blame the transit cops though. Can you imagine how the local animals would act up if some cop stopped them for drinking coffee or gator aid or pepsi in the transit system? I saw a young woman go ballistic at Woodhaven Blvd when a cop stopped her for littering. And do you really think the city will back up the cops, or will they fold to pressure from local advocacygroups when cops try to enforce such a ban?

FlushingRepresenter said...

They should ban those little Newstand/mini delis in the subway as well.

Why the fuck are they (the government) going to let these guys sell peanuts gatorade or whatever but then you have to wait to leave the subway till you can eat it?

Blow me government

Anonymous said...

If local government does not enforce the laws already on the books, why don't they just recind the laws. All these fines for food and spitting would be revenue for the city. Millions of dollars are at stake, yet no one gives a crap. How much do you think it costs the city for pest control(rats and mice)? Can't believe Bloomberg isn't on top of this. He loves money.

Anonymous said...

Oh well, I guess we'll have diabetics having seizures at stations and on train floors now.

Anonymous said...

The "people" that ride tains have to be treated as children becase of poor behavior........sad.....

Anonymous said...

Actually, it was Mayor Lindsay who had all those candy, etc. vending machines removed from mass transit to alleviate the vermin problem.

Now it's low class 3rd world folk that have become the pest problem.

Welcome to Flushing a world of filth!