I'd agree with that, Jesselp has put much thought into his situation.

Along the lines of water, consider a small backpack to carry stuff for the walk home. I don't know the specifics of your messenger bag, but if you need to walk home a backpack might be a better option. Then again, maybe a messenger bag is the best option in NYC. Does it have room for carrying water for the walk to your home? A couple of the new Camelbak models are bottle based rather than using a bladder for water -- I kinda like the Camelbak Sutra. I prefer to drink from a bottle than from a tube, but that's a personal preference thing.

Right now my get home backpack is a Camelbak Alpine Explorer. It's set up as a minimalist overnight pack. I have a 25 mile walk, so if TSHTF and a big earthquake out here tears up the roads or knocks down a certain bridge. . . For water I use a bottle but I have the bladder to carry additional water for the walk. Actually in the summer I might wait for the sun to go down. . . Naah, most likely I'll just hang out with my truck (food, tent, sleeping bag, camp stove, et al) and wait for the dust to settle. No need to become another casualty along the road.

Wow, this is pretty depressing. All the gadgets and the kit in the world at the end of day means very little anyway if the Will To Live (WTL) is not there in the first place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuqyN9wWthU

Thing is, NYC Transit ACTIVELY drills into the passengers "Do Not leave the train without the assistance of the train crew or rescue personel" - Fire? Move to the next car, don't hit the emergency brake - Medical? Wait till the next station - etc etc/ "The Tracks are more dangerious and you are better off waiting in the train"

The NYCTA is probably HAPPY this kit failed

Actually I think in most cases that’s good. Touching the third rail is lethal, so when passengers just pull the emergency brakes and brake out, this will be a hazard. Even rescue personnel, won’t accesses these places without having the power switched off first.

When there is fire, you really don’t want to stop in the middle of a tunnel. It allows little accesses to those who want to flee and the rescue personnel to enter. Stopping at a station will allow passengers to exit the train much quicker and allows fire-fighters to put out the fire quicker and more easily. Although the advantages vary depending on the design of the stations. I’m not familiar with the trains in the US, but carriages should contain the fire long enough to stop at a appropriate location.

Same story for the medical problems, EMT can easily enter stations, but tracks are a totally different story. EMT’s will generally be quicker on the scene when the patient is at a station.

I'm not saying that drilling folks not to go into a tunnel isn't a good thing, and most things they say make sense - MOST of the time

I'm just saying that it puts the ridership in the "just sit there, listen to your iPod, and read a book, and you'll be OK" mindset, and that anything else is "anal"

I know the folks on the train I was on during the blackout were happy I had a flashlight (Got lucky, my train was actually IN Times Square Station)

So how hard is it to open the doors when the train system loses power? IMO a good flashlight is a top priority for any kit in the city.

I keep hearing about the 'third rail'. So, which rail is it? Is it the one farthest to the right when you're facing the same way the train is facing?

Do people who routinely ride the trains KNOW which is the third rail?

Sue

I have been told that it is the center rail, but don't know for sure...

I always thought center rail also, the two outer rails being for the wheels.

It's on one side OR the other, depends - switches back and fort (there is no center rail) - it looks different, and usually has a wood/fibreglass cover over it (up about 4" or so) - it's WIDER than a regular rail too

In the city subway, it's 600 Volts (660 actually - I think) and at least used to be 25Hz (think it still is)

Interestingly - the communter trains around here are also 3rd rail - Now the LIRR has "top shoe" 3rd rail - like the subways - aka the "shoe" (which is on both sides of the car - and BTW both sides are hot - they are connected together) rides on TOP of the 3rd rail, but Metro North has Bottom Running 3rd rail - the rail is suspended, and the shoe slides on the BOTTOM of the 3rd rail - each as it's advantages

if you look at this photo - the 3rd rail is up aginst the wall (in stations, they try to put the rail away from the platform, so that in case someone does fall, and someone tries to pull them up, there is no 3rd rail to step on)

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?54488