Safety Watch: MBTA

Bostonist wonders when it’s all going to end. The electrocution of dogs, bicycles hitting innocent sidewalk walkers, and now a death, that happened almost two weeks ago. The Porter Square station on the MBTA Red Line was the incident of a strangulation on February 21, 2005. Kaya prep-cook Francisco Portillo was strangled to death after his sweatshirt was caught in the escalator. Bostonist always makes sure that our shoes are tied before we use the escalator. This latest incident makes us wonder if the stairs are a better health option in for more than just exercise. The incident was an unfortunate accident. Portillo had apparently either been sitting or "lying down" according to transit police. It has not been stated as fact, but there is a good chance Francisco was drunk on korean whisky. Sitting on an escalator seems like a feat of timing alone, lying down would be yet another challenge. The hood of his hoodie was caught at the top of the escalator and he was strangled before he could be helped. The MBTA has released the information that the escalator at the Porter Square stop did not have the emergency stop guards that are required in new escalators, the same kind of sensor that doesn’t let a garage door go all the way down when your little sister is still in the way. The MBTA has a whole page on their website about escalator safety, Bostonist recommends the stairs.

Picture is from howstuffworks.com