Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Are MTA Cops Turning A Blind Eye To Subway Littering?
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 23, 2011
Modified Mar 23, 2011
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
John Del Signore
Published Mar 23, 2011
Modified Mar 23, 2011
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
The Daily News is all over this subway eating debate, following up today with an article examining the enforcement, or lack thereof, of litterbugs. In discussing a possible subway food ban earlier this week, an MTA board member blamed the system's rat and track fire problem to food-related litter. But the MTA seems torn over whether to outlaw underground eating, and in the meantime, they're having a harder time cleaning up after all these animals.
MTA budget cuts slashed cleaning staff by about 200 - or 9% - since 2007, the News reports. This may explain why the lingering aroma of human feces plagued the Herald Square subway station for so many weeks. And while transit police have demonstrated their commitment to enforce the no feet on the seats rules, tickets for littering plummeted 34 percent last year.
MTA stats show tickets issued to 1,812 subway users last year, down from 2,769 the year before. The problem with this stat, however, is that the violation code for littering is the same for urinating, so it's impossible to know whether enforcement is down, littering is down, or micturating is minimized. But track fires are an ongoing problem for the subway system, as are rats. One commuter tells the News, "The other morning, I saw a huge rat carrying a plastic bag with a sandwich in it." And the lack of subway recycling receptacles means that bag is there to stay.
Tagged
eating subway
food
food subway
litter
MTA
recycling
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC looks to grow involvement in Open Streets as applications open for 2027
The Mamdani administration bolstered funding this year and is asking applicants to suggest infrastructure upgrades.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 12:52 p.m. ET
New Yorkers are paying $300 million for natural gas they don't even use
A new study found that nearly 2% of the city's natural gas is leaking into the air and causing climate pollution.
By
Rosemary Misdary
News
New Yorkers are paying $300 million for natural gas they don't even use
A new study found that nearly 2% of the city's natural gas is leaking into the air and causing climate pollution.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Early Addition: Eric Adams did not convince a Wisconsin town to build a data center
By
James Ramsay
Hit-and-run driver arrested trying to flee to Uzbekistan after deadly crash, NYPD says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
NY measles outbreak more widespread than official count, health officials say
By
Caroline Lewis
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 .