Train Taken Out Of Service At DeKalb Subway Station For Bed Bugs
An N train was taken out of service for inspection yesterday at our very own DeKalb Avenue subway station after its conductor was bitten by a bed bug, says the Daily News. The paper reports that the train stopped carrying passengers Monday afternoon while the conductor sought medical attention.
“The subway system has 5.5 million riders every single day and we can’t check all of them for bedbugs before letting them on the train,” the MTA’s Adam Lisberg told the publication amidst previous concerns about bedbugs on trains, though the MTA had no immediate comment in response to yesterday’s incident. He called the issue “not a problem,” although the paper says reps from public transit union TWU Local 100 are concerned the MTA is not exterminating as well as they ought to be.
Earlier this month, bed bugs were found on three N trains–though we were just crossing our fingers hoping they were in (and somehow staying in) Queens. The Daily News adds that over the weekend, the pests were also found on other N trains, as well as on the Q and 6 lines. So, at least two opportunities for local commuters to pick up a parasitic pal on their already exhilarating respective morning commutes.
Gothamist called the conductor’s request for medical attention “confusing, since a dose of calamine lotion is typically the only medical attention a bedbug requires,” but we’re all itchy and nervous just thinking about it–so we hear you, girl.
What are you doing on your commute to stay bite-free? Do these recent concerns about bugs make you nervous, or have you always recognized them as an icky possibility on the underground?
