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MTA pushing for subway ban for disruptive riders
After the arrest of Isaiah Thompson for randomly shoving a woman into a subway car, along with a string of previous incidents, MTA officials are pushing for the ability to ban certain riders from the subway system.
NEW YORK - A shocking video of a man randomly shoving a woman into a subway car on Wednesday led to the arrest of Isaiah Thompson, a 28-year-old who has allegedly pulled emergency brakes on trains dozens of times this year, causing hundreds of delays.
Now, many subway riders are wondering how a person with over a dozen transit-related arrests is still allowed to use the subway. Neither the NYPD nor the MTA are allowed to prevent anyone from entering the subway system however, a fact that is beginning to irk the MTA’s top brass.
“There’s no place in this transit system for people who attack other customers, people who attack transit employees, people who behave in an antisocial manner, that’s just simply not acceptable,” Andy Byford, NYCT President told FOX 5 NY in May.
After Thompson was arrested in May, Byford had called for Thompson to be banned from the subway system before he hurts someone. Following this week’s video, Governor Andrew Cuomo agreed that a ban was needed.
However are 427 subway stations in the city, many of which have multiple entrances, leaving questions as to how authorities would be able to prevent someone who is banned from entering the system.
Law enforcement officials say that many repeat offenders are known to police who lack the authority to do anything about it when they see the individual, which would change if Albany passed a subway ban into law.