Good morning, Greenpoint! It’s Friday, and time for the Hook-up. Sometimes, I think we should just rename this column “Another Week, the Same MTA,” since it seems that most of the things that get a line here are subway-related. That’s true as ever this week. Punch, Pepper-Spray, Hardware and High School are all, in their myriad and sundry ways, subway stories. So, step in, stand clear of the closing doors.
The punch took place in the Lorimer Street L Station, when one man socked another in the face. Police are on the hunt for the assailant.
Even more wild, a sprawled out subway rider pepper-sprayed fellow strap-hangers when they asked him to straighten up and share space. The ensuing chaos led the MTA to declare the station a crime scene, causing massive delays.
Many people believe that the MTA’s pre-war signal system contributes to the subway’s chronic delays, but this week, the MTA proved that even new equipment can break down. The signals at the Bergen St. F/G station were replaced in 2006, but fails regularly.
And finally, Vice explores a new facet of L-pocalypse: how the shutdown will affect students and their commutes to school.