Air travel (in cold wx areas) rule #1: Don't check your coat. Always have hat, gloves, coat, etc. as part of your carry on. Yes, you may be boarding in sunny Cancun, but it's going to be cold when when you get there.

This philosophy really paid off big time when I arrived in Canada one day -- and my bags arrived the next.

HJ

Some people can learn from the mistakes of others. Other people have to learn the hard way first. The important thing is learning something.

Some people learn absolutely nothing from mishaps like the one in the original post. These people irritate me to no end, hard to be around.

"Dress to survive, not just arrive."

This is fairly close to a nightmare scenario. Cooped up with strangers whom you may or may not be able to trust; and in an urban desert where you can't lay your hands on resources to help yourself.

I've always been a fusspot about having adequate clothing, footwear, and a few minimal tools. I have never had reason to regret it.

I'm surprised that the first responders couldn't give them any materials. Even plastic sheeting and duct tape could have helped.

If any of us felt inclined to help the others in this situation, where would you start?

I've taken that same train twice this week alone. The article doesn't mention that the service on the A train is almost always awful, usually stops frequently for indeterminate lengths of time and almost always without explanation. The MTA handled this situation the same way they handle most - poorly.

NYC'ers typically treat weather the same way they treat most of the world: act like it doesn't exist because it doesn't impact them anyway (until it does).

Now THAT is an interesting question. Not only how would you help but who would you help?

I guess I'd give my hat to kid, maybe cut my scarf in two and give the pieces to other children. I keep a Heatsheet in my bag so that would be given to a family to huddle under (assuming my family wasn't there/didn't need it). A fire is always tempting but probably not safe in this situation.

-Blast

As the 24-hour mark rolls around, I think the fire option would become more appealing.

Even though it's probably unsafe, how would you make a fire in this situation? I don't mean how is it possible. I mean how would you construct a suitable fire given the available resources? What's the fuel? How do you provide adequate ventilation? What do you use to contain it?...etc.

According to the article they had access to a heated bathroom at the train station. They should also have been able to get a drink there. There was some heat on the trains, but it was feeble.

It is winter and has been very cold for weeks, probably most peops were wearing winter coats, scarves, gloves and hats. Would have been a good time for people to huddle.

Would not have been pleasant but it could have been a lot worse.

Once upon a time when a DC morning forecast of flurries turned into a foot of snow by early afternoon, I lived in Virginia and had to make it home via Metro (subway) and bus. Took six hours to go six miles. The trains were screwed up above ground and then our bus jack-knifed a mile from my place and we were left on our own to walk on the unplowed road. I had gone to work that morning wearing flats and nylons. Just as I was contemplating curling up in a snow drift to die, a woman I had never met pulled over and offered me a lift.

Never again trusted a forecast, especially not in the winter. Yet I haven't been carrying chemical and warmers in my purse. That would be a good plan -- hours of heat that takes little space.


Men would walk onto the platforms connecting subway cars and urinate onto the tracks. Eventually, the train workers allowed passengers into the bathroom inside the train station. When it turned out that bathroom was heated, it caused a commotion.

"One woman came back and said, 'Oh my God, the bathroom is SO warm,'" Mullen said. She was very excited. But the station had no heated space where the passengers could wait out the storm.

Twice, passengers called 911 and the Fire Department of New York responded. Passengers begged the emergency responders to take them away, but they were told they had to stay put, Mullen said.

Something like that happened to my little brother. He was traveling for work and he was in Cancun, was supposed to fly back to Florida(home) and then go to Steamboat Springs. Plans changed and he had to go directly from Cancun to Steamboat Springs. He had no cold weather clothes with him, his work shipped the tools and equipment along with cold weather clothes to the resort that he was working at. But that was a two hour drive from the airport. Said that as he was driving and looking UP at the snow piled along side of the road all he could think was that he hoped that the rental car wouldn't break down. Fortunately nothing happened, he finished his job there and made it home safely.

It was 40 degrees the week before. When they left their light jackets were appropriate. (Not that that's an excuse not to have some winter gear queued up just in case!)