New York MTA Might Ban Food On Subway

While eating on subways is illegal in Washington DC, San Fransisco and Chicago, it might soon be illegal for New York subways as well. The suggestion came from Joe Lhota, Chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) after a garbage-fueled fire disrupted the morning rush hour on Monday in Harlem.

“I want to get to the point where we have no fires in the system. These fires all start with trash being thrown down there. We need to stop throwing trash on the tracks.” said Lhota in a press conference at Penn Station. However will all food be banned or partial is still a debate.”There have been a lot of recommendations about what foods are appropriate and what foods are not . . . I fully get it.” added Lhota.

It’s also difficult to streamline as to what kind of food should be allowed and which shouldn’t. “Would a frankfurter not be OK but Pez would be OK? How do you say what’s OK and what isn’t?” wondered Andrew Albert, a board member of MTA while talking to The Post. He also heads the New York City Transit Riders Council.

Albert does however feel that its a good idea as it also curbs many other issues as well. He said, “It’s probably a good idea considering the rodent problem, the overflowing-trash-can problem, and the track-fire problem.” Lhota is also suggesting that it may not be a ban at all as he added, “It may be an education program about what kinds of foods really shouldn’t be brought on (the subway).”

This may come as a surprise to many as he himself wasn’t in support of such an action back in 2012 when he told New York Times in an interview that he had seen a lot of kids eating breakfast items, like bagels and muffins and wasn’t in support of banning food on the subway.