How is it to be a subway performer? I play classical guitar and have at times considered taking it down into the Chicago underground. [more inside]
posted on Jul 12, 2008 - 14 answers

What is the profitability of a small restaurant? [more inside]
posted on Jun 26, 2008 - 28 answers

I'm looking for a good printable map of nyc's subway system. NFT has lots of great maps, but not a big one that covers the whole system and can easily fit in my back pocket. Any suggestions?
posted on May 16, 2008 - 4 answers

Have you ever been riding on mass transit next to someone whose headphones are so loud you can hear them several feet away? If so, do you ask them to turn it down?
posted on May 9, 2008 - 50 answers

I was wondering about Patrick Moberg & Camille Hayton, the NYC subway couple from last year. Anyone know if they're still together? I suppose it's probably nobody's business but their own, but in a very cold world, sometimes the idea of "meant to be" is appealing.
posted on Apr 12, 2008 - 12 answers

If I witness a crime in the subway, what is the best way to intervene safely and productively? [more inside]
posted on Apr 4, 2008 - 23 answers

Subway ride from JFK to Yankee Stadium and back... how long and is it safe? [more inside]
posted on Feb 26, 2008 - 27 answers

What other cities (worldwide) have installed subway systems long after being "established?" [more inside]
posted on Jan 4, 2008 - 52 answers

I'm flying to New York tomorrow to tape an appearance on The Maury Show and I need your help. [more inside]
posted on Dec 17, 2007 - 10 answers

Every Subway smells the same, and it's rank and pervasive. What is it? [more inside]
posted on Dec 13, 2007 - 56 answers

Boston Metro Filter: Does the greenline riverside MBTA station parking lot fill to capacity during the day? [more inside]
posted on Nov 13, 2007 - 6 answers

Toronto transit filter: What does "299 St. Clair West" mean? [more inside]
posted on Aug 23, 2007 - 12 answers

Is there a default understanding the word "between," if the speaker/writer doesn't say whether he's being inclusive or exclusive? For instance, if I say "Pick a number between 1 and 10," would you assume that 1 and 10 are okay picks or just 2 through 9? I suspect there isn't a RIGHT answer, but is there a common, colloquial understanding? [more inside]
posted on Aug 8, 2007 - 50 answers

My iPhone and my Sennheiser noise cancelling headphones are not playing nicely. Periodically, I get an annoying buzzing/interference noise when I'm listening to music on my iPhone and have noise cancellation switched on. [more inside]
posted on Aug 7, 2007 - 11 answers

A friend of mine has received a job offer in the Flatbush Avenue/Brooklyn College area of Brooklyn -- the last stop on the #5 train. She knows nothing of this area, and wants to know if it's a safe area to work, and whether the commute back to Manhattan (often at night) will be a concern.
posted on Aug 2, 2007 - 7 answers

I'm trying to compile a list of subway or light rail systems that are open all night. So far all I have is the New York subway and the Chicago El, but there's got to be more than that. There's a lot of cities in the world!
posted on Jul 17, 2007 - 18 answers

Help me optimize my daily New York City Subway commute! A good question for those who love transportation puzzles: [more inside]
posted on Jun 19, 2007 - 16 answers

Most visually interesting parts of the New York City subway system? [more inside]
posted on Jun 13, 2007 - 20 answers

In the rain at my outdoor subway station in Brooklyn this morning, I observed once again a bizarre phenomenon: water drops appear to drip upwards from the third rail to the wooden cover above it. My wife saw this too. What's going on?
posted on Jun 4, 2007 - 21 answers

I'm moving to NYC soon and given my history of getting lost half the time I leave my house, I'd like to get a GPS to help me navigate my new city. However, I'm sort of stumped to as to whether or not I can actually get what I want... [more inside]
posted on May 31, 2007 - 17 answers

SarinGasFilter: in the Aum Shinrikyo sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995, 5 team members released a total of 5.5 litres of liquid sarin at 5 different locations. According to this Wikipedia article, "a single drop of sarin the size of the head of a pin can kill an adult," yet the total deaths = 12. Were Aum Shinrikyo aware that their sarin was spectacularly bad/ impure/ degraded, or were they aiming for significantly more fatalities?
posted on May 16, 2007 - 9 answers

What are these stickers I keep seeing on the NYC subway? [more inside]
posted on Apr 12, 2007 - 9 answers

1)Ordering a vegan subway. Due to religious reasons, when i eat at Subway restaurants, (in U.S.A) i prefer that while the subway is made, they use separate handcover while preparing my vegan order and not to intermix my order with other non-vegan orders. Is this something common/reasonable. Because whenever i say, the person who takes the order seems to get upset. 2)Any one liner message so that i can make them understand my preference. Sometimes they get confused. when i say please use separate handcover for my order.
posted on Mar 26, 2007 - 83 answers

I'm relatively new to New York and ride the subway every day. When I'm on the above-ground lines I notice another "fourth" rail in between the two running rails that doesn't look like it is used, but is securely tied down. Sometimes there's even a fifth rail, also in the middle. Usually this rail doesn't run continuously and it occasionally curves or has other oddities. What is this fourth rail for? [more inside]
posted on Mar 23, 2007 - 15 answers

What is the white scum that builds up on tunnel walls? [more inside]
posted on Feb 2, 2007 - 5 answers

After reading this NY Times story of a man jumping on the NY subway tracks to save a man who had fallen there after a seizure: How do you avoid getting electrocuted on a subway track? [more inside]
posted on Jan 4, 2007 - 22 answers

Is there a geographically accurate map of the DC metro system? Like this London tube map?
posted on Dec 28, 2006 - 11 answers

Looking for suggestions on how to organize and promote an exchange of unused subway fare cards for travelers from Ann Arbor to DC, NYC, SF. Leaning towards a design that minimizes writing code. I'm heading out to DC Sunday and had to dig around to find the remnants of the last fare - that should have been easy and an opportunity to socialize with the last person who came back with a partly full Metrocard.
posted on Dec 9, 2006 - 4 answers

I need help obtaining a specific NYC souvenir for Christmas. I can't find an online retailer that is willing to ship this item to Canada, and both of my AmeriFriends are already here for the holidays! [more inside]
posted on Dec 8, 2006 - 13 answers

I just watched the Scorsese-directed, 17-minute video for Michael Jackson's Bad, released on 1987, and I'm trying to figure out which subway station it was shot in. Most stations looked different back then, of course - there's been a lot of fixing up and adding of art since then. It looks like maybe it could be the 2nd Ave F stop, but it could also be the Broadway/Roosevelt/74th St multi-train express stop in Jackson Heights, Queens. Or.... where? Does anyone know? I haven't been successful finding anything about it via web searching.
posted on Nov 13, 2006 - 7 answers

How far from New York City can one get solely by using public transport? [more inside]
posted on Oct 10, 2006 - 22 answers

Teach me manners: when to give up my seat on public transportation. Much [more inside]
posted on Sep 21, 2006 - 67 answers

Besides NYC, what are the best American cities to live in--for a non-driver? [more inside]
posted on Sep 20, 2006 - 55 answers

What do our (United States) roads really cost? [more inside]
posted on Sep 19, 2006 - 10 answers

Where does my friend find this groovy poster? Why yes, there is... [more inside]
posted on Sep 14, 2006 - 3 answers

While riding on the subte (subway) in Buenos Aires I noticed an advert for the new Nike trainers. The advert was on the sides of the tunnels between stations (just before Carlos Gardel on Line B). There was a flick-book like movie showing the evolution of the shoes. You could see it from the main windows on the train but not from the windows in the doors. How does this work? [more inside]
posted on Aug 25, 2006 - 11 answers

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am not selling money for no basketball team. I am just trying to stay off the streets and raise a little cash..." Who is behind this scam? [more inside]
posted on Jul 1, 2006 - 57 answers

How can I make this TTC transit system map [pdf 1.6mb] Palm TX friendly? [more inside]
posted on Apr 26, 2006 - 12 answers

BostonFilter: I'm annoyed that I can't find info about this online anywhere, but is the MBTA doing their usual fare-free subway and bus rides on Earth Day this year (4/22)? I'm having a housewarming party that day, and I want to invite all my out-of-town friends up early to frolic around town. Their Web site tells me nothing, nor does Boston.com.
posted on Apr 19, 2006 - 5 answers

I'm planning to visit every stop on a major metropolitan subway system in a single day (long story), and need to plan the most efficient route. Anyone know of useful technology/mathematical theories that help with route planning?
posted on Mar 9, 2006 - 16 answers

So I found something of considerable value on the Queens bound F-Train...now what? [more inside]
posted on Feb 25, 2006 - 36 answers

Anyone have a recipe or method for making bread like they do a the Subway sandwich shops? Do they use special pans? How do they make their bread so good??
posted on Feb 17, 2006 - 26 answers

A friend of mine and I are going to Japan in a couple months and are getting our tickets now. We'll be leaving from Washington, DC and will be arriving in Tokyo and leaving from Osaka later. I'm worried about comfort, he's worried about price. We're both worried about the hassle of switching/transferring between the two Tokyo airports on the way back. Suggestions? [more inside]
posted on Jan 20, 2006 - 14 answers

TrainFilter: How long do subway rails last? Given the heavy pounding and near constant use that subway rails undergo, how long do they last? Are they simply replaced when I'm not looking? [more inside]
posted on Jan 3, 2006 - 19 answers

How can I find the best resources for travel in New York City? [more inside]
posted on Nov 20, 2005 - 14 answers

BostonFilter: After spending a few days visiting Boston, and having very, very little city experience, and having never been to the east coast before, I have a few questions. [more inside]
posted on Aug 18, 2005 - 20 answers

Why are New York subway platforms so hot? [more inside]
posted on Jul 28, 2005 - 22 answers

Is there a name for the things you hold on to for balance on buses and subways? Not the poles, of course, but the pivoty things that replaced the old-fashioned straps. [more inside]
posted on Apr 14, 2005 - 5 answers

Does anyone know where that curiously preserved and unintentionally hilarious church advert on the London Underground is? Everyone seems to have heard of it - it's a large ad, on one of the stops, and is styled is a page out of a comic book, with various mustachioed characters with leather jackets saying stuff like, 'Leave us alone, man, we just want to have some groovy fun,' and a nun replying 'The true way to fun is through Jesus' teachings', etc. I can't remember what stop it's on or find any information on the web about it.
posted on Dec 17, 2004 - 10 answers

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's Web site has a really neat application - RideGuide - that enables you to enter the addresses of your start point and destination and times, and it will crank out the subway and bus connections you need to get where you want to go.

Is there a New York City equivalent?
posted on Nov 10, 2004 - 14 answers