New York, NY — While New York City’s subway system is often in the spotlight for its issues regarding safety and maintenance, the underground world of the MTA can also serve as a stage for the unexpected, odd, and sometimes jaw-dropping. New Yorkers recently took to Quora to share their most extraordinary subway stories, detailing encounters that range from comical to unsettling.
- A fully nude woman, save for a headscarf, casually walked through a crowded train, prompting riders to quickly make way. Her presence caused a train delay while police conducted a search.
- One passenger described an alarming sight of liquid continuously flowing down the middle of a B train car, only to discover it was originating from a homeless individual at the back. The description likened the fountain-like emission to Bethesda Fountain.
- A commuter found a cleanly severed, white finger wrapped in a stained handkerchief on a subway platform after transferring from a PATH train. The shocking discovery was left behind as the individual boarded the next train.
- A violent altercation broke out between two men dressed as women and a woman, allegedly over comments about hair weaves. Bystanders eventually intervened to break up the fight.
- A ventriloquist brought levity to a late-night ride by opening a suitcase to reveal a dummy, which then insulted passengers. The unexpected performance captivated 40-50 commuters, who were entertained during their journey.
These accounts remind us that the NYC subway can be a theatre of the strange and the bizarre, capturing the eclectic and sometimes surreal nature of life in the Big Apple.