Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Photo: Man Sits On Third Rail At West 4th Street Subway Station
By
Lauren Evans
Published Aug 15, 2013
Modified Aug 15, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Lauren Evans
Published Aug 15, 2013
Modified Aug 15, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
When looking for a place to sit, it's hard to do worse than the third rail of the West 4th Street subway station. But alcohol inspires people to sit in strange places, and according to the Reddit user who snapped the photo, the man who took a seat on the third rail on Tuesday night appeared to be intoxicated.
Despite the odds stacked against him, the photographer said the man survived: "I notified the transit workers and they stopped all train activity until police came a few minutes later. I snapped this pic from far while police started moving the crowd away. In the end they arrested him and I could finally go home after a delay of almost an hour."
There are several lessons here: 1. Don't sit on the third rail. In fact, don't sit on the first or second rail, either. Avoid The Siren Song of the Rails, no matter how appealing a napping spot they appear. 2. Try not to get too annoyed that your commute was snarled for an hour by someone's poor decision making. Let's face it: This scenario could have turned out infinitely worse for just about everybody.
Tagged
third rail
West 4th Street
Lauren Evans
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .