The ol' reliable 7 train went down again

From the Daily News:

More than 540 New York straphangers were evacuated from a No. 7 train inside the tunnel under the East River on Monday morning after a mechanical issue led the tube to fill with smoke, officials said.

At least one person had been injured in the evacuation, officials said. The extent of the injuries was not immediately known, but wasn’t considered to be life threatening.

The trouble arose about 8:30 a.m. when a device known as a sliding shoe, which transmits power from the third rail to the train, fell out of position, an MTA spokeswoman said.

The shoe, as a result, touched a protective board, which caused smoke to develop and the train to come to a grinding halt.

The FDNY brought in a rescue train to evacuate passengers from the stranded one.

Astoria smokeout

"Dear Crappy,

It's spring. Are your windows open? I wish mine were. I haven't been able to open the windows in my new apartment in Astoria at 32nd Street and Broadway since I moved in because one of the local souvlaki vendors (and not the "famous" one) fills my street with charcoal smoke every day from lunchtime until 2am. I've submitted complaints to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene each day for two weeks and only get an automated response telling me that all food carts are inspected once a year. DoH, working for you!
Not only do they fill the neighborhood with unbearable smoke (especially for those of us with respiratory conditions), but they block metered parking spaces next to the intersection at Broadway with orange cones to save a parking spot for their disgusting, beat-up and spraypainted black supply van that comes by each day around 4:30pm, just when folks are starting to come home and look for parking.
The smoke, the disregard for local residents, and not to mention the annoying drunks parading around all night eating their souvlaki are driving me crazy. DoH doesn't respond to complaints, the community board doesn't respond to complaints. What's the point of living here if I can't even open my windows?

Attached are photos I took of the smoke and parking cones." - anonymous