New Yorkers really missed their subways!
Straphangers — desperate for service after a five-day transit drought — endured Tokyo-style packed subways and enormous waits for service yesterday during rush hour.
“It was terrible. They’re extremely packed,” said Domenic Vermilion, 19, a comedian from the Upper West Side who rode an uptown 2 train during the evening rush.
“People’s faces were pressed up against the glass. Don’t even try it. I only went one stop. I’ll walk the rest of the way.”
Crowding was particularly bad on the F train — one of only two lines serving Manhattan from Queens. The other line was the N.
At the 63rd Street F station in Manhattan, the line to enter during the evening rush spilled out of the station and up Lexington Avenue.
In the morning the F was so crowded, the train was stuck in stations for several minutes because the operator couldn’t close the doors.
Grand Central was also packed at rush hour, in part because 4 and 6 trains from the Bronx terminated there.
Despite the limited service and severe crowding, nearly every rider said they were just happy to be underground.
“You don’t realize how much you love the subway until it’s gone,” said Natalie Becerra, 32, a student from Harlem.