They need some broken windows policing!
Vandals wrecked commutes for hundreds-of-thousands of New Yorkers over the last two days by smashing windows on dozens of subway trains, forcing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to suspend service on the ‘W’ line and run limited schedules on the B,D N, Q and R.
Subway officials said that 36 trains were hit during the attacks and that 11 were still out of service for the morning commutes, forcing officials to trim back schedules, despite ridership surging as families return from summer vacations and with school back in session.
“This is, in no uncertain terms, outrageous. We will find you, we will to catch you, we’re going to throw the book at you,” said Rich Davey, the top boss of the city subway and bus systems. “It’s not just an inconvenience for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.”
Davey estimated the repair work could cost as much $500,000.
Authorities said that the repair work was ongoing they could not promise that full service would be restored by Wednesday evening’s commute.
The attacks come less than three years after vandals busted windows on trains running on the No. 7 line, leading officials to offer a $10,000 reward.
However, repairs have been made more complicated because — unlike the 7 line attacks in 2020 — the trains hit so far are some of the oldest in the system and date back to the Cold War.
That means replacement parts are hard to come by.
“We don’t have thousands of windows in stock,” Davey told reporters. “They just don’t make them anymore. So, we’re stealing windows off of our cars in our yards right now that aren’t in service to put these back in service.”
“It’s not like cleaning your window at home or changing from spring to fall to summer your screen door, this is complicated stuff,” he added.