Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the subway...

I've lived in New York City and the surrounding suburbs for over 40 years now, so I know what it was like in the '80s, when you feared for your life riding the subway at certain times and at certain stops. Now the "adventure underground" is returning. Here's a sample.

When Rudy Giuliani became mayor in 1994, he instigated a major turnaround throughout the city, which included the subway. He started with his own particular "broken windows" solution: prosecuting turnstile-jumpers and fare-evaders. The entire nation, not just those of us who lived here, took notice of the incredible transformation in the subway and throughout the city. But now, what is Mayor de Blasio's solution to the return of subway mayhem? Well, if you're one of many who are not paying for your ride, Watch Out! The mayor is coming after you with...signs in the subway cars:

Photo by author. Those of us who lived here for several decades also remember when citizens of this great city would put signs in their car windows specifically as an alert to the thieves who were smashing windows to steal car radios. This was one of those brainy ideas concocted to deter theft during the Mayor Koch and Mayor Dinkins tenures: "NO RADIO!" But, hey, who knows? Maybe those new subway signs will work. A scofflaw might want to ease his guilty conscience, stand in a long line at a token booth, and fork over $2.75. That's certainly a small price to pay for "better service" for himself and his fellow riders, right? In the meantime, to all you tourists visiting our "fare" city: Welcome! Happy days are here again. Cover image: Gary Bembridge via Flickr (cropped).