Subway Operator Caught Allowing Minors to Take an Illegal Subway Joyride

Videos have surfaced appearing to show a New York City subway conductor letting minors operate a train outside authorized procedures, an act condemned as extremely dangerous by transit officials.

Two social media clips show the same subway worker seemingly permitting children to drive an MTA train in broad daylight. In one video, the operator encourages a young boy, saying, “Go, go, go, it’s green,” while the boy approaches an empty platform on a J train at 111th Street in Queens. The boy is then seen honking the train’s horn as the next station is announced via loudspeaker.

A separate clip depicts a different young boy, wearing a safety vest, operating another aboveground train. The transit worker in this footage appears distracted, on his phone and holding a coffee cup, as the young boy continues along the tracks.

The timing of these recordings remains uncertain, but the uploader claims the footage is recent. The videos have drawn strong criticism from transit officials.

NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow condemned the behavior, stating, “What appears on those videos is reckless and unacceptable. Any employee permitting untrained, unauthorized individuals to operate trains will face disciplinary action, including possible termination and prosecution.”

History shows minors attempting similar stunts, with two teenagers arrested in February for allegedly taking an empty subway train on a joyride through Brooklyn. Earlier incidents involved groups of young people briefly operating quiet trains outside stations, posing significant safety risks.