The Secrets That Subway Workers Will Never Share With You

The subways of New York run for more than 600 miles over and under the city. Each day of the week, more than five-and-a-half million people commute using the subway system from all over the five boroughs. Born of the merger of several subway systems, the Metropolitan Transit Authority has a few secrets that it keeps hidden from those commuters.

4. People got free rides in weird ways

Back when people used tokens to pay for travel, some discovered interesting ways to get around for free. In one, a person would stick a wrapper from gum or a scrap of paper in the token slot and then suck the token out after someone tried to use it. They’d also sometimes use Connecticut Turnpike’s cheaper tokens to get a cut-price ride.