Paul Fleuranges: I'm Paul Fleuranges and you're listening to TransitTrax, New York City Transit's podcast service.
(newspaper vendor's voice)
You've got your paper…and you're ready to join in on the morning rush.
(sound of MetroCard swiping)
But as you head down the stairs to the platform, something isn't quite right. Maybe it was the take-out last night, or lack of sleep - no matter…it hits you - that sickly feeling. So, as the train pulls in the station you've got to make a decision: should you or shouldn't you get on?
Betty Jones, Registered Nurse, NYC Transit: No!
Paul Fleuranges: Betty Jones is a Registered Nurse and a Supervisor of the Sick Customer Response Program at New York City Transit.
Betty Jones: If you want to receive immediate care, it's best to seek a worker that's on the platform or in the token booth, and this way they can make the necessary calls to get you assistance as quickly as possible.
Paul Fleuranges: Besides not being good for your health, boarding a train under the weather can also affect the health of your fellow passengers - specifically their blood pressure levels. In 2005, there were 911 sick customer incidents, responsible for 3,8612 delayed trains. Making it the 5th leading cause of delays for the year.
William Doyle, Train Dispatcher, Control Center: The impact of sick customers on the system can be very extensive, van be moderately extensive depending on where the sick customer is.
Paul Fleuranges: William Doyle is a Train Dispatcher, assigned to the Rapid Transit Operations Subway Control Center.
William Doyle: If the sick customer is on a train in the station, where all trains can run around, can be rerouted to other tracks on the same line, and it happens in the station, all the customers can discharge from that train, so the impact on the customers can be minimal
Paul Fleuranges: Unfortunately, that's not always the case, forcing dispatchers into action, as they try to minimize the delay.
Console Dispatcher/Tower Audio)
« I have one at 5-9, want to let him through the area? (unintelligible) No, let him get through the area. OK the one at 5-9 pass through the area… and then hold back – hold back – OK (unintelligible) the next one.»
William Doyle: It can be very extensive, on the other hand, if it happens in-between stations, therefore the entire - if the emergency brake is pulled - the entire population of that train will be stuck, creating an even more dangerous situation; other trains might be stuck behind it; also creating safety hazards; trains might have to be, and do, have to be re-routed to other lines.
Paul Fleuranges: And if you needed another reason to stay off the train, here's the most important:
William Doyle: Once you report that you are sick, a TA employee has to wait with you until the EMS arrives.
Paul Fleuranges: To help passengers who do get on board trains feeling under the weather, New York City Transit has EMTs posted at six busy stations across the system during rush hours: Grand Central-42nd Street, 125th Street-Lexington Avenue, Bowling Green, 5th Avenue-53rd Street, Queens Plaza and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue.
(Sound of subway train)
You've been down here for 5 years now. What do you see down here?
Asim Nelson, EMT: A lot of women mostly fainting, not feeling well, vomiting; I've had maybe two heart attacks since I've been down here.
Paul Fleuranges: Asim Nelson is an EMT who works at Grand Central on the Lexington Avenue line during rush hour.
Asim Nelson: If it's early in the morning, 7:30, it's mostly people who didn't eat, rushing around, they get faint, you exhaust that energy, so you get a little exhausted. Anxiety attack hits, a lot of those, but nothing major, mostly just fainting, people feeling ill, flu, sometimes drinking overnight, making them sick. Not too much serious stuff
Paul Fleuranges: So what should you do to avoid being one of Nelson's patients?
Asim Nelson: If you feel ill before you leave the house, make sure you can leave the house, don't come and get on the train, like if you're feeling faint, don't come on the platform, you might fall on the tracks.
Paul Fleuranges: And if you become ill while on board a train?
Betty Jones: Alert the conductor. Alert the conductor that you do have a problem and you need assistance, and he will contact the people so that you will receive care on the train or the next stop.
Paul Fleuranges: Back at the Control Center, Doyle adds there's one thing you should not do:
William Doyle: Do not pull the cord and don't have anyone else pull the cord for you, all that is going to do is to prevent medical assistance from getting to you in a timely manner. The crew will have to investigate, recharge the train and get the train ready for movement again, and just go to the next station where the help will be.
Paul Fleuranges: So the next time you feel sick in the morning, take two and stay in bed - your fellow passengers and those on other trains will thank you for it. For more information on riding the system safely, go to >www.mta.info. For Transit Trax, I'm Paul Fleuranges.