Kind of like when your mom sent you into school with a note saying, "Please excuse my child for being late, blah blah blah," the MTA will issue you a delay voucher for work when the subway screws you over in the morning.
In fact, the Metropolitan Transit Authority issued almost 129,000 delay vouchers in 2014, which amounts to a 40.6% increase from the 92,000 issued the year before.
The program launched in 2010, and 31,000 vouchers were issued that year. Last year we saw almost four times that many.
What's the deal?
While 2015 isn't over yet, data shows that MTA has received almost 109,000 delay verification requests. Last year, MTA verified 97% of all delay voucher requests.
The largest portion of requests last year came from the notoriously overcrowded and delayed 4/5/6 lines on the East side, where 54,420 verifications were requested.
Seem like a lot? It is. Those three lines account for more than lines ranking 6th through 10th combined. And it makes sense as the data reflects that the 4, 5, and 6 lines arrived late 29% to 33% of the time.
According to MTA spokesperson Kevin Ortiz, the 4, 5, and 6 Lexington Avenue lines are the busiest in the system with an average of 1.95 million riders each day.
Executive Director of the Rider's Alliance John Raskin believes, "crowding can be a factor in train delays and breakdowns. With record subway ridership there is no room for error."
Raskin hits the nail on the head, adding that, "If one train has a mechanical problem that causes a ripple effect that makes literally thousands of people late for work."
So the next time you know you're not going to make it into work on time, don't forget that you can get a late slip from the MTA, because why shouldn't you be able to?
Check out 7 Moments When You Finally Realize You're a New Yorker.
[via DNA Info]
[Feature Image Courtesy PSFK.com]