Most of us New Yorkers have a love-hate relationship with the Subway. We love to hate it.
Speaking for myself, I love the subway. So Happy Birthday, NYC subway. The first New York City underground line, the IRT, opened on October 27, 1904. Here is the triumphal New York Times coverage of the epochal day.
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/1027.html#article
Here’s a little more about the real greatest show on earth– riding the NYC subway system from Don’t Know Much About Anything
For 105 years, it has inspired jokes, legends, chance encounters, graffiti –and more than a few obscenities. On October 27, 1904, the first official New York City subway system opened. It wasn’t the first in the world or in America (Boston wins that one). But New York’s underground –love it or hate it– is certainly the most famous system. So watch the closing doors and test your underground knowledge in this quick quiz. (Answers below)
True-False
1. The subway token was introduced on the first day.
2. In 1980, New York’s first subway strike shut down public transit for a week
3. New York baseball teams have met in a “Subway series” 13 times.
4. According to the famous song, the “A Train” goes to Yankee Stadium.
5. The longest subway ride without changing trains is 31 miles.
6. If laid end to end, the subway would reach to Chicago.
7. Grand Central Terminal is the system’s busiest station.
Answers:
1. False. The first tokens were used in July 1953. At first, riders bought tickets. Then coin turnstiles were used. When the fare went to 15 cents, turnstiles could not handle two coins, so tokens were used.
2. False. The first strike was in 1966 and lasted for twelve days. The 1980 strike lasted 11 days and is credited with introducing the practice of wearing sneakers to the office.
3. True, even though the first two meetings were not true subway series because both teams shared the old Polo Grounds.
4. False. The A train goes to Harlem. The signature Duke Ellington song was composed by Billy Strayhorn.
5. True. The famed A train will take you from Upper Manhattan to Far Rockaway, Queens.
6. True. The system has 842 track miles –only 656 of those are for passengers; the rest are for yards and shops.
7. False. Times Square handles 35.6 million fares annually.
