From: douglas@panix.com   
      
   ruben safir  wrote:   
   : But how exactly does overcrowding cause delays? Subway officials say   
   : trains slow down as they face an onslaught of passengers at each   
   : station. ?Dwell time? ? the period a train spends in the station loading   
   : and unloading ? balloons.   
      
   : After a train starts to pick up large crowds, it becomes harder for   
   : people to get on and off, said Brussard Alston, a train operator for   
   : nearly two decades. The delay reverberates down the line as a queue of   
   : trains behind it backs up.   
      
   : Once the damage is done, it takes a while for it to dissipate,? Mr.   
   : Alston said.   
      
   There isn't enough money in the coffers to build new trunk lines.  At least   
   there won't be at a pallatable fare price.   
      
   The simple solution is to limit the amount of passengers allowed entry   
   to the system, like ramp metering on expressways...   
      
   Have the turnstiles count the number of passengers in the system, and   
   prevent new fares from being paid based on the number of people who are   
   currently in the system.  This way, there is no overcrowding.  Passengers   
   can wait in the street instead, so that those already in the system can   
   get to their destination on time.  Hell, we could have estimated wait   
   times (for system entry) like at the TSA checkpoints at JFK...   
      
      
   -Doug   
   --   
       "How would you like it if you were a business executive, and when you   
          made a mistake, a red light went on and 18,000 people started   
                      screaming?" - Jacques Plante, goalie   
                   METS = My Entire Team Sucks    GO RANGERS!!!   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)