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Nov 20, 2008 7:29 pm US/Eastern
Like It Or Not, Stinky Subways Could Be On The Way
New Yorkers Not Pleased Massive MTA Cuts Will Result In Fewer People Cleaning Trains, Buses Each Day
Many Tell CBS 2 HD If It Gets Bad, They Will Start Driving
By JOSH LANDIS, CBS 2 HD News
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Things are going from bad to worse for New York City subway riders. First they learned service would be cut. Then there was word of fare increases. Now, the issue is cleanliness.
"It's a dirty job but increasingly, fewer people are going to do it," an MTA worker said Thursday.
Among the cost-cutting measures by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the cutting back on the employees who keep the subways and stations clean. Straphangers CBS 2 HD met said that stinks.
"It's not fair. They shouldn't do it," rider Michelle Burgess said. "We need all the cleaners we can get."
Most riders CBS 2 HD spoke to were pleased with the conditions of the subway but they acknowledged that things could get bad very quickly.
"I deserve a clean subway, everyone deserves a clean subway," another straphanger said. "If they can do it in Montreal, Paris, Rome, etc., why can't they keep up with it here?"
If the situation gets bad enough, some riders told CBS 2 HD they'll drive.
"I'm gonna drive," Leanna Smith said.
"And I'll be her passenger," added her friend.
But most people have to ride the rails no matter how dirty they are.
"It's unsafe, you know, germs and things," rider Gail Jones said. "I'm not comfortable with it at all but I have to get to work."
Added Nikolai Sapov: "It's not gonna stop anyone from riding the subway, but it's going to make it less pleasant to take the subway."
"I don't have a car, so I rely on the subway," Raoul Carrion said.
That's something we heard a lot Thursday. Like City Hall, you can't fight the MTA. For many people it's the only game in town.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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