'It Was Something Indescribable': Video Of Disgusting, Trash-Strewn Subway Car Goes Viral
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A video of garbage piled up on a subway car has gone viral on social media.
Riders are livid after seeing the dirty conditions and now want to see accountability.
On Monday, CBS2's Reena Roy demanded answers from elected officials to find out how this happened.
Heaps of filthy garbage, piles of trash bags, and a random assortment of items were scattered all over the subway car on a southbound 2 train in the Bronx.
Two people who appear to be homeless were at the center of it all, plus Timothy Brown, the rider who documented the mess.
"When I got on the train it was just something indescribable," Brown said. "Garbage shopping carts, garbage bags. The garbage is on the seats, is on the floor. The smell was unbearable."
The video quickly went viral on social media, with many wondering how things got so bad.
The Transport Workers Union asked the same thing, saying the subway increasingly seems like a homeless shelter and the union has been calling on officials to address it.
"Why are we paying $2.75 to get on this?" Brown asked. "The fares goes up and it feels like people are living on trains now. There's a lot of questions, not enough answers."
Roy took concerns directly to Mayor Bill de Blasio at a rally earlier in the day, telling him New Yorkers should not have to put up with this.
"You're going to see more police presence in the subways. You're going to see more outreach workers dealing with homeless in the subways, but when it comes to the basic cleanliness of the subways, that's at MTA responsibility and the MTA has to step up," de Blasio said.
CBS2 requested an on-camera interview with New York City Transit President Andy Byford, but was told he was not available. Instead, a spokesperson sent along a statement saying the incident was a clear violation of subway rules and referred the matter to the NYPD.
Roy then asked the NYPD to speak with us on camera, but was denied. The department said the train was cleaned before officers could intervene.
Government officials simply pointing fingers, as New Yorkers shake their heads at a public transportation system that just cant seem to get it right.
The MTA said it's working closely with the Department of Homeless Services and other outreach programs to get people the help they need.