Design, not persuasion, can stop subway surfing
Corona: “Ride inside, stay alive.” We hear this message every time we ride the train. It’s supposed to stop kids from subway surfing or riding outside the train (photo). But we’re kids, and we can tell you that these announcements do the opposite. They make kids more curious about subway surfing, not less. Older kids laugh at the message and use it as the soundtrack of their surfing videos.
We are 9 and 10 years old. The average subway surfer is only four or five years older than us. In the last three years, 16 people died subway surfing in NYC. This didn’t have to happen. In our research, we learned it’s popular because of videos on social media. We learned about Norma Nazario, who lost her son to subway surfing and is suing TikTok and Instagram. We also learned that it’s rare for this kind of lawsuit to work. Even if it did, it would be impossible for TikTok, Snapchat or Instagram to catch and delete every video.
If PSAs and lawsuits don’t work, what do we do? We believe the MTA needs to redesign the trains. We spent weeks making new train designs and invited an engineer to look at them. Our ideas include open gangway cars, removable ladders, movement sensors with alarms and additional cameras. The MTA is testing barriers on the No. 7 trains and we look forward to seeing if this helps, but we’re calling for the city to do more and do it faster. Kids are the ones most hurt by subway surfing, so you should listen to us! Update our trains or we’ll lose more kids. Class 404, P.S. 211/Elm Tree Elementary School
Skeleton crew?
Mamaroneck, N.Y.: Re “Veto this subway featherbedding” (editorial, Nov. 17): What? No conductors on trains? No doubt Gov. Hochul wants the MTA to have one person or nobody operating a train. I know this is common in most cities around the world, but I don’t know whether this idea will be a success or failure. And conductors will think, “Am I going to be extinct or will I still have a job?” Thomas J. Cunningham
Insensitive subhed
Flushing: Re “No new slays in city for a week” (Dec. 4): I find your subheading, “November ties 2018 record with just 16 homicides, and none in Qns. or S.I.,” to be very distasteful and thoughtless, to say the least. How do you think the families of the 16 homicide victims must feel after reading how your paper belittled their deceased loved ones, calling all 16 innocent victims “just 16”? Even one homicide victim in November would have been one too many! You could very well have written: “November ties 2018 record with 16 homicides.” You would have delivered the same message while inflicting less hurt. You just poured salt on an open wound. You should put more thought into your headlines. Martin Goldman
Truly progressive
Bronx: Re “The DSA undercuts Black New Yorkers” (op-ed, Dec. 4): Darius Jones has sketched out a road map that will enhance public safety and create jobs and housing for all New Yorkers. Gene Roman
See the statutes
Manhattan: Sorry, Voicer Gabrielle R. Shatan, who called the ICE agents trapped in a parking garage “cowardly.” Impeding federal officers from carrying out their duties is a federal crime, which can have serious consequences, including imprisonment. 18 U.S. Code §111 criminalizes the forcible assault, resistance, opposition, impedance, intimidation or interference with federal employees. The actions of the protesters were also crimes under New York State law. New York Penal Law §135.00 prohibits intentionally restricting someone’s movement without consent. New York Penal Law §135.10 (unlawful imprisonment) prohibits detaining someone without legal authority, like trapping them in a room or vehicle. The real cowards were the protesters who ran away to New Jersey to avoid any consequences of their illegal actions. Nancy L. Brenner
Pointless prize
Henderson, Nev.: FIFA has bestowed its first-ever FIFA Peace Prize to President Trump, a worthy recipient. Several world leaders, including María Corina Machado, Venezuela’s opposition leader and the 2025 Nobel Peace Price recipient, believe that Trump also deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. So, will Trump finally get a Nobel next year? At this point, who cares. To me, it has become a largely irrelevant prize handed out by European cultural snobs. David Tulanian
Ungodly agenda
Peters Township, Pa.: As he was sworn in just two days after his slim victory in the race for the U.S. House of Representatives, Tennessee Republican Matt Van Epps said, “I come to this body as a Christian.” He has pledged firm devotion to Trump and his agenda. How does Van Epps square the two? Trump has expectorated upon the tenets of every religion. He is a thug, a bigot and the most corrupt president ever to serve, enriching himself and his family of grifters to the tune of billions. He seeks to divide and conquer, and has clearly expressed his hatred and contempt for those who oppose him, embarking upon a campaign of revenge. He has contempt for people of color and immigrants as he seeks to welcome only white individuals. Can Van Epps cite any facet of his faith modeled by the president to whom he clings? Oren Spiegler
Show some respect
Riverhead, L.I.: It is completely ridiculous how one-sided this paper has become. You guys need to recognize and try to learn to accept that Trump is your president. He has done greater things so far than any Democrat has done in the past 100 years. It is sad to see what this paper has become. S. Smalls
Tough lady
Little Ferry, N.J.: In a way, Nancy Pelosi was the iron leader of the left. It’s so sad — we live in a time when we’ve lost a sense of decency and good manners are out the door. This is closing our society, and sooner or later we will not speak to our fellow person. Would it have been so difficult for Trump to say something nice about Pelosi? Sure, he could say they disagree on many issues but he respected her leadership. Pelosi was a tough lady, but she knew how to play the game. She knew her people and how to lead them. We don’t have to agree with her positions, but she leaves her mark on Congress forever! Gary Schwartz
Legacy of peacemaking
Jersey City: Forty-five years ago, on Dec. 8, 1980, the world lost John Lennon, a musician whose voice, spirit and imagination helped shape an era. His songs offered more than melodies — they offered hope. His haunting lyrics, bold ideas and unmistakable voice touched millions in a uniquely personal way. At a time marked by war, racial tension and political division, Lennon dared to believe in peace and the basic goodness of people. Mark David Chapman’s senseless act silenced an artist who asked only that we “Give Peace a Chance.” It’s a cruel irony that so many peacemakers like Lennon, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Anwar Sadat met violent ends. Today, renewed interest in Lennon and The Beatles reminds us why his work endures. Lennon’s legacy remains simple and urgent: Strive for peace, for equality, and for a world worthy of the dreams he sang about. Jack D’Elia
Delayed urgency
Brooklyn: “New York City’s looming power crisis” (op-ed, Dec. 2) is like the boy who cried wolf. The New York Independent System Operator’s most recent report is primarily concerned with the state of unreliable gas generation. Gov. Hochul should know that gas generators tend to fail in the cold weather. She should be immune to gas industry scare tactics, but it’s amazing what lobbyists can do. The frequent superstorms we’re now getting due to steady growth in emissions from burning gas and oil cause immense flooding damage, and down heavy tree branches and entire trees that bring down power lines on Long Island and in the outer boroughs. This NYISO is not concerned about reliability, at least until years into the future. We should be hardening the grid against climate damage, but we must also speed up the queue of ready-to-go clean energy projects that will bring us reliable power year-round. Becky Plattus
Top-notch ‘toons
Manhattan: Whatever you’re paying Bramhall is not enough. He’s the best. Robert Clements
