“This is a Bronx-bound 4 express train. The next stop is Bedford Park Boulevard – Lehman College. Please stand clear of the closing doors.”

New York City. The city of efficiency? Think twice.

Bright lights, stampedes, and traffic jams. Sitting in the car on a highway, the incessant beeping is a force that manually squeezes your head until it blows from the pressure. But at least you’re not stuck in a subway, right?

The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) runs a series of subway and bus lines that run through and connect 4 of the 5 boroughs: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Every day, millions of people rely on the MTA to go to work, school, or to reach other centers of transportation, like Penn Station, where trains connect New York to places like New Jersey.

Everything is supposed to work in a timely manner. Most people do not simply hop on one subway train to reach their destination; they transfer. With one train delayed, there will be an overload of passengers on one line, and those who transfer to a different train will overpopulate another line. Simply put, each train is contingent on the others. One delay will cascade into mayhem. And during rush hour? It’s the worst it can get.

The system is outdated. Most stations are not “accessible,” lack seating – which exacerbates overcrowding, the air conditioner is often broken, and most importantly, stations have no safety rails between the people and the tracks. This is all put at a price of $2.75 a swipe.

Before January 2024, the MTA used to cost $2.50, but what seems like a measly 25 cent increase has exponentially enraged New Yorkers. A record number of people have been jumping turnstiles in the stations and avoiding paying the fare because of this price increase. In 2019, 1 in 5 people were caught skipping the fare. Now, it’s almost 50% of riders.

The city’s goal to increase its revenue through the fare cost the city millions of dollars. Annually, the MTA loses about $700 million to fare evasion, but the recent administration has imposed certain regulations to help combat this.

Mayor Eric Adams and Gov Kathy Hochul started the initiative to put over 1,000 police officers in the stations, yet officers are rarely seen until accidents occur, such as subway riding. As the year 2024 approached, more officers became further “involved” in the train station.

At subway stations, police officers stand as a symbol of the justice system. The reality could not be further from the truth. A Bronx Science student, Melek Halic ’25, who commutes by train to school said, “They all just stand there. More often than not if they witness someone fare hopping they will not do anything. They’ll just stare.” Now with the new OMNY student card, you would expect a reduction in the number of minors hopping the turnstile. However, it will not reduce the number of adults running from the fare.

New Yorkers have been frustrated about Mayor Adam’s response to the train hopping. Due to their daily experiences, many argue that the subway should be free. For others, they argue that police officers are inadequate.

During the Coronavirus pandemic, the events relating to George Floyd and other police brutality cases across America increased national distrust in police officers. It’s not ethical or safe for our first line of defense to be inconsistent. So what happens when they seek assistance? Absolutely nothing.

The imposition of police officers in the subway stations has led to a different issue. Homeless people commonly reside in the packed train platforms. They can be found sleeping on the benches or train seats, or screaming as they walk down the subway platform. Police presence on the subways has driven the homeless into the streets. Because most of the homeless people in the stations suffer from malnutrition, disease, or other health-destroying illnesses and mental health issues, they show abnormal behaviors and tendencies. Police officers bring the problem out of the tunnels and into the streets. The daily lives of pedestrians and drivers are now affected, with many harassed.

Eventually, there comes a time when empathy must be given. Based on my experiences with the MTA, bus drivers frequently restrict the elderly from entering the bus due to ‘insufficient funds’. They are then subjected to stand outside and wait for a different bus, hoping that a driver can show them mercy. With stricter regulations about this, does it actually improve the efficiency of the public transportation system? Or is it a nuisance?

There are complex social issues and related issues that must be considered when making decisions like changing the price of the fare. The issue is not so black-and-white.

Let’s look at Japan’s metro system in comparison.

Japan is known for its state of the art technology. The country is a hub for innovation. Furthermore, its success can be attributed to the culture. Passengers aren’t allowed to eat on the train, talk on the phone, and follow other less obvious rules like placing their bags on racks above the seats. In sum, don’t be a distraction or interfere with others. The same etiquette is not imposed in New York City. Japanese bullet trains are known to be extremely punctual. Major delays would be considered breaking news. If every major train delay in New York City was broadcasted, it would be the only news we would hear about.

Americans live to work. In New York City, people don’t slow down. Our habits have ultimately led to the decline in service and quality of our transportation system. For example, people eat on the buses and subways in New York City because oftentimes, they’re rushing to get to work or school. People also answer phone calls to stay connected with their employers or to organize work-related engagements. Commuters also speed walk and shove others in public to get to their destination as fast as possible. The rapid-paced work environment leads to tendencies that negatively impact the transportation culture.

True, the MTA system needs more funding, but subjecting people to pay any amount of money for inhumane transportation conditions is not the way to do it. If we allocate more money for public works with the intention of helping our people, not being a world power, then perhaps America wouldn’t be such a dangerous place.

At the end of the day, the major discrepancy between a country like Japan’s transportation system and America’s system is simply a matter of the local culture. There’s a deep-rooted sense of distrust in strangers in New York City as the train station harbors unpredictability, and that is, in part, our own doing.

At the end of the day, the major discrepancy between a country like Japan’s transportation system and America’s system is simply a matter of the local culture. There’s a deep-rooted sense of distrust in strangers in New York City as the train station harbors unpredictability, and that is, in part, our own doing.