Antonio, a “former NYCT employee”, knows all about the new subway rules and regs for riders:
I have heard the announcements on the newer trains regarding moving from train to train. I have also read the “list” on a poster just the other day of these “violations”. I don’t believe they are actual laws, just rules of conduct that you (the Public) must adhere to once you have paid your 2 bucks. It’s a way for the Police to have some teeth into moving people who are “violating” these violations. If the “violations/rules” are posted for all to see, then you must adhere to them. Just like no spitting, no radios, etc..
Interestingly enough one of the “violations” is listening to any portable music device that disturbs other riders (or something along those lines) which in my eyes targets not only the historic boom boxes of the 70’s – 80’s but the loud iPod listener too.
Go here for “the violations” http://www.lirr.org/nyct/rules/index.html
Actually tried to post this earlier today with no luck. But those are more than just suggestions or guidelines. Those are punishable offenses. A cop can give a rider a $60 ticket for having feet on a seat. A cop can give a rider a ticket for disturbing other passengers. It doesn’t happen as often as it should to have a deterrent effect on most riders, but based on the Google searches for Second Ave. Sagas, it happens now and then.
Upon further investigation into the MTA’s web site, these violations ARE punishable. But it seems they are really left to the discretion of the officer making the observation in the first place to decide to fine/eject/arrest. I know that when they started catching turnstile jumpers in the early nineties and fingerprinting them etc… it was really a way to catch criminals who were more than a casual fare beater.