Finding a seat on the subway during rush hour can often seem like a fool’s errand. Some trains fill up so quickly and are so packed with people that it’s impossible to imagine a time where seats are plentiful and space bountiful. Yet, at other times, trains seem to carry an imbalance of people. The front is empty while the back is not or the middle has fewer people than the ends. Why?
In this week’s issue of Time Out New York, I help explore that question. The theme of the issue is 200 things you didn’t know about New York, and they include an extensive section on navigating the subways like a pro. I spoke with reporter Celia Shatzman, and we covered a variety of subway-based topics. I spoke on abandoned stations, tips for minimize wait times late at night and some subway etiquette no-no’s.
My favorite question though concerned the tried-and-true seat. What cars, asked Shatzman, tend to be emptier and what’s the best way to score a seat? David Holland from Transit Blogger, Tom Sibley of Subway Douchery fame and I gave the answer:
Know the flow of ridership patterns and locations. Benjamin Kabak is the blogger behind Second Avenue Sagas, which has tracked the progress of the Second Avenue subway and other transit news since 2006. He explains that because of the way entrances are staggered, back cars are less full. To get a seat, try to board at a major transfer point, where people tend to exit en masse. David Holland, who runs Transit Blogger, recommends looking for wear and tear on the edges of platforms, near the tracks—this allows you to guess where the doors will open, so you can swoop in quickly and grab a seat. “There are certain spots that will stand out, because [the doors on] each train open in practically the same spot every time,” he explains. “The repeated foot traffic will eventually leave marks.”And if all else fails? “Start coughing,” suggests comedian Tom Sibley, the guy behind Subway Douchery. “It makes people nervous. They’ll be too worried about getting whatever disease they are certain you have to grab the empty seat.”
Unfortunately, due to the demands of space, I couldn’t elaborate much on the differences between train lines and original systems, but something as simple as station design at one end of the train can impact the way trains load throughout the route. Take, for instance, the IND stations built after the IRT and BMT systems. The IND stations are three-block behemoths that make room for long cars with lots of room, but a design quirk means that trains fill up at the ends and not in the middle.
That quirk is one of convenience. Most — but not all — of the IND stations have entrances at the northern and southern ends of their platforms but not in between. At 14th St. on 6th Ave., for instance, passengers can enter at 16th St. or 14th St. At West 4th St., riders board at 3rd St. or closer to 8th St. At Bryant Park, passengers are funneled underground at one end of the park or the other. Thus, it’s possible to find more space, if not an errant seat or two, in the middle of the IND trains at certain stations.
Meanwhile, the designs of IRT and BMT stations seem to spread straphangers out through the natural flow. Take, for instance, a 1 train going south from 96th St. At the express stop there, the station entrances are at the extreme ends of the train, but at 86th and 79th Sts., the entrances are a few cars from the front. At 72nd St., with the new stationhouse, passengers can board at various points along the train, and 66th and 59th Sts. have multiple egress points at opposite ends of the platform. (For what it’s worth, the Phase 1 Second Ave. Subway stations will naturally push passengers to either the front or the back of the trains.)
Of course, this is a simplified look at the boarding process. Generally, people board their trains in the morning, as the popular mobile app Exit Strategy has noted, based upon where they have to get off. If the train isn’t there, straphangers will walk to the car closest to their exit even if seats are harder to come by. I know my B train is emptier at the front of the train, but I’d rather save the two minutes walking from the 7th Ave. entrance to the back car for my exit at West 4th St.
The trick then is to know the hot spots. I know that my train empties out at De Kalb Ave. as workers bound for the hospital there, Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus or Downtown Brooklyn head to work. If I’m quick, I can nab a seat, and if not, I can find space to move in the car. As veteran riders know, it’s all about the flow of passengers. If you ride long enough, you’ll find a seat, and you’ll know just when it’s going to open up.
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