LIRR Elevator Has So Much Pee MTA Says It's a 'Vertical Urinal'

[rdamon]

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130313/woodside/urinators-make-woodside-lirr-station-elevator-first-stop-on-p-train

NEW YORK CITY — Call it the M "Pee" A.

Public urination in the city's transit system isn't just making stations reek — it's actually damaging equipment, Metropolitan Transportation Authorityofficials revealed this week.

One unfortunate elevator at the Long Island Rail Road's Woodside station in Queens has been inundated with so much urine that its floor has rusted and warped, interfering with its door mechanics and frequently forcing it out of commission.

"The mechanics of the elevator are constantly being contaminated," said LIRR President Helena Williams during an LIRR committee meeting Monday, where she described the lift as having a "vertical urinal problem."

As a result, the elevator, which shuttles riders from the station's mezzanine-level to an LIRR platform, was only in commission 58 percent of the time in February — versus 97 percent for elevators across the LIRR system — making it the worst-performing lift in any LIRR station, an MTA spokesman said.

“The deterioration is significant," he said, adding that maintenance crews weren't sure exactly why the elevator was such a target, considering it was just one of five lifts at the station.

Adding to the mystery is that the station also offers rare public toilets on the mezzanine level.

But the elevators also aren't the only parts of the transit system that have needed to be overhauled because of frequent toilet stops.

Years ago, subway cars had vinyl floor tiles that were laid over plywood. But over time, the plywood floors began to rot and smell foul — which subway officials attributed to urine damage.

In response, New York City Transit switched to "an epoxy floor with marine-grade plywood sub floor," helping to seal out liquids and eliminate the smell.

The agency also switched from aluminum alloy to brass door saddles after it found urine was damaging the devices, which sit under doorways.

The "vertical urinal problem" was mentioned as Williams was updating the LIRR committee on the agency's efforts to bring the system's elevators and escalators into good repair, following the death of an 88-year-old woman on an escalator at the Lindenhurst station last year.

Officials were still working to determine whether the elevator-turned-toilet would need to be replaced or repaired.

[Overmod]

rdamon

The "vertical urinal problem" was mentioned as Williams was updating the LIRR committee on the agency's efforts to bring the system's elevators and escalators into good repair, following the death of an 88-year-old woman on an escalator at the Lindenhurst station last year.

Not to be 'flip' about this tragedy, but a fairly similar incident caused near disaster when I was training in the news department at WPRB in New Jersey.

We would get stories on the old UPI teletype to read on the air.  There was a rule that it was wise to pre-read your copy, and mark it up along the general lines Mark Twain did to avoid having to stop and repeat sentences or whatever.  It also turned out to be wise when terrible disaster of the wrong kind lurked in the way the prose was written...

This came up during morning drive news.  The two people 'on the air' had grabbed up a story without reading it, which dealt with a very similar situation: injury from an escalator problem.  And so they started reading it. 

The first deadly trap in the story was that the UPI guys, not always the best writers or grammaticians even under ideal circumstances, had spelled the footgear in question "sneeker" -- a word that even now I defy you to look at without starting to laugh.  Then they got into the progressive details.

This was a concert at Madison Square Garden.  A Grateful Dead concert.

Somebody was riding the escalator and had the sneeker pulled off his foot (probably due to laces being untied).  When this happened it took two of his toes with it.

Now you can form an image in your mind of this poor fellow, limping and bleeding, trying to find help.  The situation became complicated when he ... well, could not remember exactly which escalator it was.  They call the emergency trauma team at a local hospital!  They open up escalators looking for the sneeker with the toes in it, so they can provide emergency surgery to reattach them (which was at that time fairly new).  They finally get to the critical escalator, and open it up, and find...

... Now remember the folks hadn't read their copy, so they had no idea what was about to happen to them.  Perfectly straight news story, right? ...

They open up the escalator, and inside it there are THIRTY-TWO SNEEKERS.

Your imagination can quickly fill in some of the gaps.  Thirty-one stoners have probably had the shoes torn from their feet, and didn't say anything about it to anyone.  Imagine the fun as the emergency responders go through sneeker after sneeker, looking for the one with the toes inside...

Result was 1:20 of dead air.  Every time one of the readers was going to let off the cough switch, the other would look over and mouth the word 'sneeker'.  The engineer was flat on his back in Control A laughing helplessly.  It was even worse because there really was nothing 'funny' about this situation at all... but just try not to laugh yourself under the circumstances!

There might have been some serious disciplinary action going on for the personnel involved in this situation.  If it hadn't been the program director (!) and the station manager (!!) doing the reading...

RESULT: I put a black border around this story and posted it on the training bulletin board, with a very large note that said "This is why you always pre-read your copy." 

[vsmith]

Time to install an electric fence supply to the elevator walls?... just enough voltage to get the message across. 

Actually I think they should have the security cameras tied to an elevator kill switch, security sees someone relieving themselves and the power gets cut, trapping the offender until security guards can arrive and arrest them. Sounds like a bit of a hassle but do it a few times, make sure its well covered by the media, complete with mug shots on the evening news, and you can bet the number of incidents will get slashed to a fraction. 

[Overmod]

vsmith

Actually I think they should have the security cameras tied to an elevator kill switch, security sees someone relieving themselves and the power gets cut, trapping the offender until security guards can arrive and arrest them. Sounds like a bit of a hassle but do it a few times, make sure its well covered by the media, complete with mug shots on the evening news, and you can bet the number of incidents will get slashed to a fraction. 

No, you're missing it.  Rig wires in the elevator with a HV voltage source like a non-intermittent fence controller wired to them.  Trigger the alarm and the elevator shutoff with the 'high' signal from the controller.  Put in side and front cameras that automatically take HD movies from which, very likely, you can get mug shots, and why not draw calibrated height marks on the opposite walls just to simplify the subsequent booking.  The micturator will probably be nice and straight up when the cameras start...

Pity man-trapping is illegal in New York.

;-}

RME

[John WR]

I love New York.  

[Metro Red Line]

John WR

I love New York.  

Actually this problem is common n most large American cities. Here in Los Angeles, the elevators in our rail transit system also reek of urine as well.

Someone should invent a sensor device that would detect human urine on the floor of an elevator car and stop and lock the elevator. The only way the perpetrator can get out is to call for help, and they'd instantly get busted when rescued.

[John WR]

Metro Red Line

Someone should invent a sensor device that would detect human urine on the floor of an elevator car and stop and lock the elevator. The only way the perpetrator can get out is to call for help, and they'd instantly get busted when rescued.

I'm sure such sensors do exist and would not be all that hard to install.  I suspect that the authorities are simply unwilling to enforce the laws in this situation.  

[blue streak 1]

Not to be too crass   ---  why is there not a urinal opening in the elevator that can be opened to use and when the elevator aligns with the bottom a trip mechanisim emptys the urinal into the sewer system  ??

[henry6]

blue streak 1

Not to be too crass   ---  why is there not a urinal opening in the elevator that can be opened to use and when the elevator aligns with the bottom a trip mechanisim emptys the urinal into the sewer system  ??

In NYC that's what streets, curbs, subway and rail station platforms, alleyways, drainpipes, buildings, walls, fences., etc. are without needing alignment to anything....everything is assumed to be so aligned.

[John WR]

This reminds me of a time I was waiting for the bus at the Journal Square Bus Station in Jersey City.  A lady tells her young son to turn toward the wall and go.  At first I was flabbergasted.  Then I yelled at her. The bus station has perfectly good rest rooms and there is no need to pee against the wall.  She was surprised but she did what I told her.  

I hate to get on my soap box but public amenities are important.  I can be critical of New Jersey Transit for not providing more of them but members of the public have to cooperate too.  You can't get much more irresponsible that refusing to use a safe public restroom.  

[henry6]

There are no facilities at any PATH station, HBLRT station, Newark City Subway or Light Rail station, or RiverLine station.  Even on the NYC subways are scarce if any at all...

[John WR]

henry6

There are no facilities at any PATH station, HBLRT station, Newark City Subway or Light Rail station, or RiverLine station.  Even on the NYC subways are scarce if any at all...

PATH has access to restrooms at Hoboken Terminal and Journal Square.  Hudson Bergen Light Rail also at Hoboken Terminal.  Newark Light Rail at Newark Penn Station.  The RiverLine at Trenton Transit Center.  I suspect restrooms are available at the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden but I'm not sure. 

[henry6]

But none are on their properties nor are they responsible for them...none on their cars, either, as one would assume.

[Metro Red Line]

John WR

This reminds me of a time I was waiting for the bus at the Journal Square Bus Station in Jersey City.  A lady tells her young son to turn toward the wall and go.  At first I was flabbergasted.  Then I yelled at her. The bus station has perfectly good rest rooms and there is no need to pee against the wall.  She was surprised but she did what I told her.  

I hate to get on my soap box but public amenities are important.  I can be critical of New Jersey Transit for not providing more of them but members of the public have to cooperate too.  You can't get much more irresponsible that refusing to use a safe public restroom.  

Put more hotels next to transit facilities. Hotels tend to have the cleanest and safest public restrooms anywhere.

[John WR]

henry6

But none are on their properties nor are they responsible for them...none on their cars, either, as one would assume.

I agree that there are no restrooms on PATH property.  But to the extent that the systems you cite are New Jersey Transit's there are rest rooms on NJT property.  

[John WR]

Metro Red Line

Put more hotels next to transit facilities. Hotels tend to have the cleanest and safest public restrooms anywhere.

Well, if you come into the PATH 33rd Street Station in Manhattan and walk one block you are right in front of the Hotel Pennsylvanian.  I've never gone in to use their rest room though.  I continue across the street to New York Penn Station.  

At one time the YMCA had a branch in Hoboken Terminal.  It is long gone.  Perhaps it could be re-established.