New York City subway cars are pretty versatile pieces of machinery. For one, they're the primary means of transport for most New Yorkers, besides their feet. 

But the subway is so much more than that. It's the universal scapegoat. It's an adventurous place to sleep for less than $3. Subway cars themselves have been the focus of tons of comedic skits and shows. 

Remember the Seinfeld episode where Jerry hangs out with the naked guy on the subway while Elaine has that famous gyro?

George gets picked up by a kinky prostitute who leaves him handcuffed to a bed when she realizes he's broke, and Kramer is paranoid about being robbed of his horse race winnings. All of it went down on the subway... except for the handcuffs part, that's after the subway.

So what happens to these houses of the holy once they're all used up? Back in 2008, the idea was floated to dump retired subway cars into the ocean to create artificial reefs to support and create wildlife habitats down the east coast. And it's been successful. 

[anad]

But the subway is gross, wouldn't these cars pollute the areas they're supposed to be helping? Nope. Not when they're stripped down and steam cleaned, so, no worries.

Check out the video below, thanks to Panasonic Eco Ideas Net, for a mermaid's-eye view of what it's like when NYC subway cars go to "sleep with the fishes." Spoiler alert: there's a backhoe with a forklift attachment hurling the cars into the deep, that's bad-ass.

Check out Power Rankings: 6 Main Transportation Hubs in NYC. 

[via Panasonic Eco Ideas Net YouTube Channel]

[Feature Image Courtesy Harvard Pulse]