‘Ever since the [attack last month], I don't wear my headphones and I make sure I stay away from the platform edge,’ said West 18th Street straphanger Mariana Castillo, 25, referring to the near-fatal assault at the same station on Dec. 31. The fear of becoming a random victim has led her to alter her commuting habits in order to stay safe.
‘I’ve definitely started moving back as far as I can,’ said Hoboken resident Tanner Crochet, citing the same incident, while he waited for a train at East 51st Street. His comments reflect a widespread anxiety among riders who feel vulnerable, choosing to stay away from the platform edge and remain close to police officers for safety.
‘If there's not a lot of space . . . I will either walk very close to the wall and hug that wall, or I will stay where I am,’ stated MTA board member Lisa Daglian. 'This means I won't be in the place I want to be on the train, but if there are a lot of people lined up, I may not want to risk walking by them,’ highlighting a pervasive sense of insecurity in crowded transit areas.
‘It's my fear that somebody comes down from the street angry and the first person they see, they shove,’ said Sheila Rodgers, 62, as she waited at the West 18th Street subway station. Her cautiousness underscores the anxiety riders experience daily about random acts of violence while using the subway.
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