Transit Workers Union asks riders to submit pictures of the dirtiest subway cars
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Billed as a photo contest in which you could win $500, Transit Workers Union Local 100 wants to see what amounts to the trashiest subway cars that New York City riders encounter.
"On my everyday commute I see that, so that wouldn't be hard," said one rider.
The union hopes, through a website, to hear from riders, who have already started sending in their photos.
Some are disgusting, and some are downright vile. And it is clearly aimed at MTA Chairman Pat Foye, who the union claims cut dozens of car cleaner positions, resulting in more trash on the trains.
"We're not talking about coffee cups," TWU Administrative Vice President Nelson Rivera said. "We are talking about feces, blood and infectious waste."
The MTA's communications director said in a statement, "All 591 MTA subway cars in service every day, more than 5,000 train cars, are routinely cleaned multiple times throughout the day. NYC Transit mobile wash teams and daily cleaning staff are deployed to all 473 NYC Transit stations to address platforms."
But some riders think more could be done.
"Why would they have a contest, why don't they just clean it up?" one rider said.
Union officials claim they have lost 20 percent of the train cleaners in the last three years, many on overnight shifts.
"What we are hopeful is that if the MTA is not listening to the union, at least listen to the riding public," Rivera said.
Or catch a glimpse of what some are putting on the website.
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