21 St-Queensbridge — Local services in New York

Around 9:30 pm yesterday the conductor on the Queens-bound F train told all the passengers that due to a stopped train ahead of us (someone pulled the emergency brake cord) our train was returning to Manhattan. Everyone waited for the train to reverse direction and go back to Manhattan. About 5-10 minutes later the conductor suddenly announces in a condescending tone that everyone has to get off the train because (obviously) it was going to pass through the yard and won't be carrying passengers. Apparently, passengers are supposed to know this?? Everyone exits the train and it leaves the station. Two minutes later a Queens-bound F train enters the station. There is a mad rush of pushing, shoving people scrambling to get on that train. I couldn't get to it in time and missed the train.

In all my years of living in various cities the NYC subway system has consistently been the most poorly run, expensive, and dilapidated system. There are no platform barriers--not even in a SINGLE busy train station, like Times Square. Even the Paris Metro (even older than NYC's) has managed to install some barriers. The OMNY payment system readily accepts credit card payments but refuses to read Metrocards denying New Yorkers a modern, convenient way to travel. In San Francisco and Los Angeles passengers can add their transit cards to their phone and use Apple Pay or Google Pay App to go through the turnstiles.

New York is an old city and its age is really showing. The MTA seems to be motivated only by greed (why do we have hundreds of digital advertising kiosks in the subways stations but not a single platform barrier to people from falling on to the tracks?) This city is in decline and I think more people will be...

21st Street-Queensbridge is situated in the Queensbridge section of Queens, the station is primarily served by the F train and the E,M, and R trains if there are disruptions or works, built originally as a terminus in the 1970s, Queensbridge was a terminal for the Q and D trains before the routes were reassigned, even though it smells a little, and it's deep underground, Queensbridge is an elegant and modern station that is clean most of the time and it's open and spacious, The station is great, but please refrain from coming here at night, I have heard about how notorious the Queensbridge Houses are...

One of the better stations in the system. Quite spacious with 2 parallel platforms (tracks) alongside each other. No unnecessary pillars that block sign of view (as with most other underground stations) here. Uniquely tiled brown inside and out, with working escalators. Hence, proving accessibility. Ticket counter staff nature depends on the person itself. Some days good, some days bad. The F train from here doesn't really go into Lower Manhattan, had to change trains at Times Sq. Take note that the housing area nearby isn't particularly appealing/safe. Tourists...