Epiphany Das, Class III
Photo Credit: https://publicdomainpictures.net/en/index.php
In the midst of quarantine due to the pandemic, ridership of the subways naturally were very low. This made it difficult to accurately measure the level of crime throughout the city. But inarguably, when there were fewer witnesses to deter crimes, it seemed to cause an outburst of criminality. However, as the city is slowly returning to normality, ridership is evidently increasing, along with the decrease of felonies. This came as a relief to those who ride the subway often, but even with ridership increasing, it seems that crimes still plague the subway stations. We see this clearly by the incident that occurred about two weeks ago.
On January 15, an Asian woman named Michelle Alyssa Go was pushed by a mentally ill homeless man to her death waiting for an R train in the Times Square station. The terrifying incident occurred around 9:40 am, at one of the most populated train stations in the city. With many bystanders nearby, you would assume that an incident like this is a rare occurrence. That, however, is not the case. There was even a woman whom the offender approached prior to the event that claimed she felt unsafe and like “he was about to physically push her onto the train,” according to Assistant Chief Jason Wilcox of the NYPD Detective Bureau. The man, who killed Michelle Alyssa Go, is named Simon Martial. He publicly declared that he pushed a woman onto the incoming train , saying it with pride. He told reporters that he pushed her because he was “God”. The disturbing message speaks for itself. Although this specific instance made the headlines, subway crimes seem to be happening constantly, and unpredictably.
In the new year, TBLS students are back to commuting to school everyday. This means that the L trains are filling up, and crowds of students are regularly exiting the Grand street station. Most students whom I asked if they felt unsafe on the subway responded that there were times when they felt uncomfortable, but never seriously in danger. However there was one student I spoke to who said that they were on the train when a man approached her, and spat on her hand. As appalled as I was by this, I realized that instances like this one occur much too often, as I have seen on news articles and social media. I recall a time when I was on the F train a week ago, and I witnessed a man without a mask, coughing incessantly across from me. He was also shouting phrases at some of the people, which concerned me, and almost prompted me to move to a different train car. It is not just a matter of physical safety, but of being weary of the COVID-19 crisis still at hand. So somebody spitting on you is a cause for concern in the world we live in right now. However, overall, it is safe to say that by riding the train everyday, we eventually become accustomed to the chaos of the city. This, however should not take away from the terror people have had to experience.
Raoul Rivas, who appeared in an article featured in the New York Times, was one victim of a stabbing coming out of a Bronx train. He was stabbed five times in the stomach. “People don’t get it, this is real,” he said. “I never thought I was going to be a victim, but things happen. Thank God I’m here.” This particularly stuck with me, and should reach out to every New Yorker. Even if you are confident in your safety, it is the times when you let your guard down that you get hurt. It is vital that we stay vigilant in these unprecedented times. Even the newly elected mayor, Eric Adams stated in a press conference that he feels unsafe taking the subway. “People were yelling on the trains. There was a feeling of disorder. So as we deal with the crime problem, we also have to deal with the fact that people feel unsafe." He vowed to tackle this crime and begin his efforts to keep citizens feeling safe in the subways.
There are only so many things we, individually, can do to keep ourselves safe. However taking such actions is necessary:
Try to travel in groups or pairs on the trains if possible.
If you are alone, gravitate toward areas that are more populated.
Stand as far away from the platform edge as possible.
Download the Citizen App. It is an app that notifies you of crimes occurring near your location. Although anxiety inducing for many, it is informative as to which areas you should stay away from.
Stay aware of your surroundings, and try not to be on your phone while walking on the platforms.
If you feel even slightly unsafe, move to another train car.
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