Thanks for the very positive feedback before. I can see why it took weeks for it to finally be rejected, and I can tell it was a hard choice. Thanks for telling me those facts I didn't know. True, some people wouldn't know that you can get pinched. But, I can tell you that I myself would know FOR SURE that standing insecure, in between two subway cars, would be dangerous in its own right. Urinating while on a shaking vehicle would be worse. Now, my question is, how did his head get pinched? The only way I can think of is by leaning forward as it turned in. If he stood straight up, chances are he would have not been in such a tight squeeze, pardon the pun.

I did some research (as I live in Canada, not in Queens like you are, James), and I saw that, unlike actual passenger trains, there is no shroud protecting the person crossing in between the two cars. The only thing that protects you is flimsy-looking bars. I got my examples from here:

http://www.chicago-l.org/multimedia/Spiderman2/images/Spiderman2-2200s02.jpg

http://www.chicago-l.org/multimedia/Spiderman2/images/Spiderman2-2200s03.jpg

The first image shows a good example of the real lack of safeties when crossing. The second though shows that there is no real floor between them, so I can see how the person fell onto the tracks. If I was him, I would have a heck of a time staying balanced while the train was moving at speed, and I know when I'm doing my thing, I have to concentrate to aim, and balance. I've been on an actual train to have to go on the on-board toilets, so I have an understand how hard that could be. If this 'toilet' was as exposed as those two pictures suggest, I'd be freaking out! And getting pinched, well, not everyone may know, but it's common sense to me.

Another thing to consider is that there would be washrooms all over the place. Thanks about telling me about the washrooms being locked out, but what about the ones in stores above ground level?

One last thing to consider; why couldn't he just stand at the far end of the train platform (to the side, not the front! The area where there is a door for maintenance to get down), and do his thing from there?

That ends my theories and suggestions. And keep in mind that he was over fifty when it happened.

You can find my previous version here:

http://darwinawards.com/reject/new/pending20070710-101042.html

Anyways, the writeup...

-----Revised Writeup-----

When nature calls to most people, it's a natural instinctive reaction to urinate. However, in today's society, it has been driven into our minds that going to the restroom requires privacy. When we use privacy to do our call of nature, we usually do it in purpose built shelters, and using a special device that we call a toilet. Or, if unavailable, we tend to urinate in front of a tree, or some sort of enclosed space where we will not be seen by others.

Not so, thought a fifty-eight year old man in New York City. He decided that the most private place to urinate was in between two Subway cars. You see, subway cars are unlike trains, as they have no protective shrowd in between the two cars, unlike passenger trains and jointed flex busses. No, subways instead only protect passengers, or in this case the nature seaker, with a few metal bars, and rounded lips extruding from the cars. Under normal circumstances, crossing between cars would be risky for those with poor balance, by possibly falling off the side of the lip, and ending up under the tracks. But in this case, the nature calling man decided that, perhaps it was a good place to answer.

He went on his business in between the cars. It was obviously a dangerous endeavor, the shaking and turning of the car, throwing him back and forth as he did his business, but what was worse was that the subway car was at the end of its run, where it would arrive at a turnaround inside the tunnel. The subway cars are designed to turn at quite an angle, and unbeknown to the nature calling person, the subway entered the corner...

The subway cars ended up pinching the man's head between the cars, probably from him trying to compensate for the sudden G-Forces in the opposite direction, and caused him to fall onto the tracks below. The most odd thing about the whole situation is that, although most New York City subway stations have long since closed their washrooms, there would be restrooms at stores above ground, which would have made a whole lot more sense.

So next time you feel the urge to go, look where you're planning on urinating before you start!

-----Eligibility-----

Reproduction

Well, the man was definitely dead, whether by being pinched, or by being run over from his precarious perch. Check!

Excellence

Standing between two subway cars while moving, the cars being very insecure on holding passengers safely for longer than a few seconds, and not being aware of the subway car slowly down, to turn? Check.

Self-Selection

He was the only one in danger, and the only one to get hurt. The staff had no idea. Check!

Maturity

He was over fifty years old, so you can only guess how much growing up he's had. And besides, he should have had long experience on what subway trains are like. Big check!

Veracity

New York Times. If that isn't accurate, then what is? Check!

I think that qualifies.

-----Reference------

Metro Briefing | New York: Manhattan: Subway Rider Dies On Tracks

Article Tools Sponsored By By EMILY VASQUEZ; COMPILED BY ANDY NEWMAN Published: January 16, 2007

A 58-year-old subway rider died early yesterday when he fell to the tracks beneath a moving No. 6 train just south of Brooklyn Bridge station, the police said. The man, Jose Montanez, of Brooklyn, was standing between two cars, urinating, when the train began to loop around, having come to the last stop on the line, the police said. During the tight turn, Mr. Montanez's head was pinched between the ends of the cars and he was thrown to the tracks, the police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. EMILY VASQUEZ

Submitted on 07/10/2007

Reference: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990DE0D81030F935A25752C0A9619C8B63

Original Submission: http://darwinawards.com/reject/new/pending20070710-101042.html

Submitted on 08/13/2007

Submitted by: James
Reference: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990DE0D81030F935A25752C0A9619C8B63

Copyright © 2007 DarwinAwards.com

Bruce said:
Neutral: Darwin Award
I'm still not entirely sure about this story but after seeing those photos of the train cars and the space between them I'll give this rewrite the nod. Whether this guy knew about the danger of getting pinched the way he did (and my original decision to vote against this) the space between the cars as shown in those photos seems to be a rather dangerous place to relieve oneself when the train is moving. Thanks again, James.

Chip said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
Well, like Bruce I am still unsure. The photos are from a movie set in Chicago (not NYC) which makes those suspect as to veracity. I'll leave this one up to Darwin herself. Thanks James

James said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
I rather liked it when it first came out, but I was unsure what to do with it! Seeing as most of our readers probably aren't as familiar with day to day life in NYC as I am, I will give it the benefit of a full DA. Good effort, James!

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