
Any real New Yorker knows the best way to navigate the city is via subway, but in the late '70s and early '80s the underground was one of the most dangerous places to be.

Swiss photographer Willy Spiller was living in the once crime-riddled city when documented his underground travels from 1977 to 1984, sharing the images in his photography book, Hell On Wheels.

Spiller captured not only the graffiti filled subway lines, but he also offered a glimpse into the lives of the people who rode subway system, which was once plagued with robberies and murder.

According to nycsubway.org, there were an outbreak of violent crimes underground in the last week of 1978, and the first two months of 1979 started off with six murders on the subway.

There were over 250 felonies per week being recorded on the subway by September 1979, making the crime rate much higher than any other mass transits system in the world.

However, despite the risks he was taking by documenting the photos, Spiller's colorful series sheds a different light on the New York's underground, which was still bustling despite its dangers.

Swiss photographer Willy Spiller was living in New York when began documenting his underground travels from 1977 to 1984

The colorful images of New York's underground are featured in his 1984 book 'Hell On Wheels', which was republished in 2016

'These images hardly tell a story of crime and danger,' Dr. Tobia Bezzola wrote in the book's forward. 'Willy Spiller doesn’t discover darkness in the underground but rather an idiosyncratic, vivid realm of its own'

Spiller's series sheds a different light on the New York's underground, which was still bustling despite its dangers

During this time period, passengers were struggling with fears of crime, long wait times, malfunctioning trains, noise, and other deplorable conditions

Between June 30th 1976 and June 30th 1977, subway ridership dropped by 25 million passengers. This was the start of an eight-year declined that saw 327 million passengers leave the metro system, according to nycsubway.org

In the late '70s, Brooklyn man named Curtis Sliwa (not pictured) headed a group called the 'Magnificent 13', which began unarmed patrols on the subway between 8pm and 4am to discourage crime. The Magnificent 13 eventually changed its name to the Guardian Angels before expanding the operation to include of five of New York City's boroughs

In 1979, Mayor Ed Koch was looking for law enforcement officials to come up with a plant to combat the outbreak of violence and crime on the subways

By September 1979, there were over 250 felonies per week being recorded on the subway, making the crime rate much higher than any other mass transits system in the world

At the time, Transit Police Chief Sanford Garelik was insisting that crime was actually worse on the streets, suggesting that the fear of violence was exaggerated by adults who were uncomfortable sharing close quarters with their younger counterparts

In September 1979, Transit Police Chief Sanford Garelik was fired after cop publicly requested his resignation. He was replaced by Deputy Chief of Personnel James B. Meehan

During this time, the subways were covered with graffiti both in and outside the train's cars, and Spiller captured this image of a teenage boy hanging off the side of the subway car as its doors were closing

During New York City's most crime-riddled years, the Lexington Avenue Express (not pictured) was dubbed 'mugger's express'

Despite the dangers that kept some New Yorkers from braving the subway, Spiller was able to capture the seemingly glamorous hustle and bustle of city life

Spiller photographed numerous people getting on and off the subway without fear, including these two women walking together

Although the subway was not as nearly as safe as it is today, people still fell asleep and read during their commutes

Spiller captured the images as part of his daily routine, which often involved him taking the subway from downtown to Lincoln Center

Spiller photographed these train passengers through a window on the subway cart, and they didn't appear to notice his peering camera lens

Graffiti wasn't limited to just subway cars. Entrances to New York's underground featured spray painted names, initials and ominous messages

'When you're sitting in a graffiti-covered car, you don't feel safe,' David L. Gunn, the president of the Transit Authority told the New York Times in 1989 when the New York Transit Authority celebrated the final journey of what it said was the last graffiti covered train. Spiller took this photo sometime between 1977 and 1984, before the subway was cleaned up

Danger? The images capture the variety of characters who traveled on the subway - which looks far more dirty and graffiti-covered than it does today

Relaxing: Despite the crime spree that took place on the underground trains, they were still used by young women such as this duo who can be seen relaxing with their feet up on the seats

Happy as can be: One of Willy's images shows an older couple smiling with joy as the sit next to other passengers

One of the images captures young people, who appear to be homeless, sleeping in the stations - something which still occurs frequently today

Art? Many of the trains were covered from top to bottom in bold graffiti designs