The rules weren’t made to be broken

Some guy (right) is clearly breaking the law. Arrest him! (Photo courtesy of flickr user veyone)

When last we discussed the New York City Transit rules, it was Tuesday, and Jeremy Olshan had been detained during his Metrocard Marathon because his bus driver didn’t know if photography was allowed on NYCT vehicles. As I noted, the vocal folks on Subchat had a concurrent conversation about how many MTA employees enforce their own version of the rules. So let’s delve into the rules.

Submitted for your approval are five excerpts from the Rules of Conduct that you didn’t know existed. Not all of them ban activities; in fact, some allow certain things you would never guess to be permissible underground. And, by the way, photography, as Section 1050.9 (c) details, is permitted, but “ancillary equipment such as lights, reflectors or tripods may not be used.”

1. While Section 1050.6 (c) states that non-transit uses of NYCT property are expressly prohibited, the section allows some exceptions. Did you know that public speaking and political campaigning are allowed provided they adhere to a whole set of rules limiting where in a station the activity occurs? The same holds true for voter registration drives, artistic performances and donation solicitation for religious or political causes. While the distance regulations make it exceedingly difficult to find space in the subways for this activity, those Scientologists in Times Square aren’t actually violating any laws. Damn.

2. It is illegal and punishable by criminal prosecution for you to put your feet on another subway seat. Section 1050.7 deals with disorderly orderly conduct, and clause j is fairly strict. A person may not occupy more than one seat on a station, platform, bus or subway if he or she is interfering with the comfort of other passengers. A person may not place his foot on a seat in a station, bus or subway, and a person may not lie on any NYCT floors (ew) or “block free movement” in a station stairway. Don’t believe me? Just ask Crystal Rivera, the pregnant teen who, in 2003, got a ticket for resting on a staircase. And no, you can’t use this rule to make that person next to you sit up straighter. I wish.

3. Just as it’s illegal for a person to take up more than one seat — and people too large for the Japanese-style bucket seats do not count — get your stuff off that empty seat. Anyone placing bags or other items on an empty seat in such a way that it interferes with other riders will be subjected to a ticket and the Evil Eye. If the train is empty, you can spread your stuff out a bit and then talk your way out of a ticket when an uninformed uniformed cop shows up.

4. Section 1050.9 (f) contains a bit of NYCT legalese: “No person shall enter or leave a subway car, bus or other conveyance operated by the Authority except through the entrances and exits provided for that purpose.” In layman’s terms, the rules states that anyone traveling between cars is subjecting themselves to a ticket. Every day, I get one or two blog hits from straphangers searching for information on just those tickets, and these tickets do seem to lead to arrests for more pressing criminal matters. Only outlaws ride between subway cars.

5. Selling swipes just isn’t worth it. Wait, you say to me, of course it is. I can buy my Unlimited Ride Metrocard and sell a swipe at the other end. I can buy five rides, get my sixth free and still charge $2 a swipe at the nearest turnstile, right? No way, says Section 1050.13, added to the code in 2005. If you’re in the subway at the turnstile and someone offers to sell you a swipe, it’s illegal. The Good Samaritan in you can do it for free as long as the swipe is not part of an “exchange for value.”

So those are just a smattering of the subway Rules of Conduct. While lots of people lay claim to the phrase “rules were made to be broken,” I wouldn’t recommend testing that old adage on NYCT property. You could end up facing civil penalties such as a $60 ticket or criminal prosecution with a fine up to $25 or ten days in jail or both. You also could be ejected from the subway. Imagine that; kicked out of the train just for kickin’ back after a long day.

Now, if only the cops would enforce Section 1050.7 (a). The subways would be litter-free. I can dream, right?