It's funny, almost sad about the amazing deteriation of the F line. Ever
since the much ballyhooed Rider Report Cards, the F is horribly dirty, has
an amazing amount of scratchiti/aciditi, much more so than ever before -
there almost no untouched cars, and many other problems.
The R-46's have many cars without working LCD signage. There are many cars
that have no working air movement or so little that sounds that used to be
subdued by the blowing air, warm or cold, is much more noticable. In fact,
some of the older cars are quieter.
For some reason, they will no longer use the express tracks in Brooklyn to
route trains around problem trains, so much so, now they will
inconvenience everyone from Coney Island to West 4 Street in the rusch
hour by rerouting the F on the B or D line when there is a problem at
Carroll Street! This has happened twice in the last few weeks. Never mind
the number of times trains are stuck and they will not switch the backed
up train to express so some people can get to work or home without 40
minute delyas for all F riders.
Plus, despite the MTA, since the fare increase, there have been service
cuts. There is an average of 1 to 2 minutes increased time between trains
especially in rush hour. Trains and platforms are much more croweded than
before the fare increase.
Never mind the complete incompetance in scheduling that forces the F to
wait while a G or a V is placed in front of the F. There is enouch time
for equal spacing so that this should hardly ever happen, yet it always
does.
Then again, maybe the enired 6th Avenue line is screwed up. I used to be
able to catch a B or D at either Broadway-Lafayette or West 4th, so that I
could skip 14th and 23rd Streets, Haven't been able to make that
connection in weeks.
MTA management is more incompetent than I ever thought they were.
-SCH! (Stuart C. Hellinger
sch@panix.com)
The Rapid decline of the F Train 
