You’re in the subway station waiting for the train to come. The train arrives and you get on the train. You sit down in a nearest seat close to the train door because why not? Someone walking between the train carts enters the train cart you’re in and begins asking for spare change or food. You think “Another homeless person in the train who probably has mental problems.”

Compared to past years, crime in the United States has increased a lot. One of the places where it has increased has been in the MTA trains that most New Yorkers ride. People from Brooklyn travel to Manhattan, people from Manhattan travel to the Bronx, people from Queens travel to Brooklyn, and I can keep on going forever….but the problem is, trains aren’t as safe anymore as they used to. 

Parents nowadays are thinking…”How do we make sure our kids make it safely to school using the train?” People who commute to work may think, “Should I take a taxi to get to work instead of the train?” With all of these murders and attacks…is it still safe to use the MTA?

According to ABC News 7, on October 3rd, a man named Tommy Bailey, who was the father of 3 kids, was slashed and killed on the L train. Police officers said that Tommy Bailey had a verbal fight with another passenger in the train and the attacker slashed and killed him and escaped. His uncle Richard Bailey said, “He’s not the guy to go look for trouble, … Saying I’m going out there and I’m gonna fight with someone, no. He did construction work, you know? He’s got three kids, he’s got a family.”

Just a few days ago, I was on the train heading back home. I got off at 14 St to transfer to the 2 or 3 train. When the 2 arrived, I entered with my dad, and we were leaning on the train door once it had closed and taken off. Next thing I see are 4 people who did not look mentally stable inside of the train car. I said to myself, “God, not today, seriously.” 

People who are mentally unstable are not getting the support they need, and they are filling up the trains and even in the train station. Catherine Hernandez, an iSchool freshman said, “To be honest, wherever you go, something is gonna happen at some point. And it’s a problem with society. It’s not being racist, it’s just we really don’t want to get close to people who will hurt us. I’m not afraid of using the subway because ive been using the train since I started shigh school, but I really have no choice since the train is closer to my home and school.”

The MTA is slowly going to start losing passengers one by one. Many people are thinking about changing their mode of transportation. Catherine stated, “If there’s a fight or like the crimes are getting worse, then I would have to change my mode of transportation because I don’t want to get hurt while just going to school. I’m just a student trying to get to school.” 

Aisha Peters, another freshman in iSchool said, “To be honest, If I see a fight, i’m leaving that train cart right now. I’d rather run than stay there. I really just don’t want to see a fight in which I might get hurt by just being there like seriously no.” 

According to The New York Post, a straphanger on the D train was stabbed in the stomach after trying to stop someone who wanted to harass most of the people in the train cart. They said, “A straphanger who was stabbed in the stomach while trying to stop an unruly panhandler from harassing riders near Rockefeller Center Monday slammed the city’s subway system over its soaring crime rates. ‘It sucks what’s happening,’ Bruce Fuentes, 27, of Sunset Park told The Post while recovering at Weill Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan. ‘The subway system is a mess right now.’ Fuentes, a food deliveryman, was riding home on a southbound B train after a few drinks at around 2 a.m. when an aggressive vagrant began demanding money from fellow straphangers, he said.”

A strategy that the justice system has provided is helping more people with mental health. The NCSL said “According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the benefits of CITs include reduced arrest rates, increased use of diversion programs that provide alternatives to traditional arrest and booking procedures, and a reduced number of injuries to responding officers.” 

Although people are getting mental health support, there are still many crimes going on and we really need to put an end to the crimes that are going on. Some people are even thinking “what has become of New York?” They say this because to be honest, there’s been way too many crimes lately. And it’s only increasing. 

After many of these crimes, they have decided to add cameras in the subway station. Agustin Cano, an iSchool freshman said “To be honest, I feel like there really should be more cameras in stations such as the 1 train because lots of things happen in stations where there aren’t any cameras like fights and stuff like that. I’m not sure if there are cameras in Canal Street 1 train station because I haven’t seen them but I mean it’s a good idea for cameras to be added.” 

Personally, on the morning of October 7, 2022, I noticed that there were 4 police officers on Canal Street subway station for the 1 train going downtown. I thought at that moment that the government really is starting to add more police officers to the stations, and it wasn’t just some people may believe. 

It’s really heartbreaking what’s happening in the train, and it really should be resolved. Until the percentage of crimes in the train decreases, the MTA will lose more and more passengers as the days pass. What measures do you think should be taken?