Fainting dieters delay New York City subways
Passengers ill from not eating are a top reason for disruptions, study finds

Updated: 7:33 p.m. PT Jan 2, 2007

NEW YORK - Sick subway passengers, most of them dieters who faint from dizziness, are among the top causes of train delays, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

After track work and signal problems, ill passengers rated among the main reasons for subway disruptions between October 2005 and October 2006, according to an analysis of MTA statistics, AM New York reported Tuesday.

Asim Nelson, a transit emergency medical technician, told the paper that fainting dieters topped the "sick customer" list.

"Not eating for three or four days, you are going to go down," Nelson said. "If you don't eat for 12 hours, you are going to get weak."

Although the agency doesn't keep an official record of the nature of each rider's illness, the paper said that an average 395 delays each month are caused by sick customers.

The notion that fainting dieters are causing transit delays was previously reported by the newspaper Metro in a 2005 article.

Fainting spells caused by missed meals topped other "sick customer" causes, including flu symptoms, anxiety attacks, hangovers and heat exhaustion, according to Nelson.

Nelson is part of the MTA's "sick Customer Response Program," which consists of emergency medical technicians and registered nurses. When a rider becomes sick, the train conductor must stay with the passenger until emergency responders arrive.

(AP article text can be found here)

They're fainting from low blood sugar I bet.

I caught the tail end of a mention of this on the radio last night. They mentioned women trying to slim down, but I'm willing to bet the cases include diabetics and people who are short on money for food.

Personally, I'm surprised this is even reported as "news" - 395 delays a month, on a subway system that carries more than FIVE-MILLION riders each day!....that a handful of them (13) faint each day....heck, I'm shocked it's not more!

If you live here it's easy to understand why so few faint inside the subway. We know better. When the conductor announces that the train will be delayed as EMS is tending to a sick passenger inside a train at the next station -- take a look at around. You do not see sympathetic faces, no sirree.

I grew up in NY, lived in NY....heck, my dad worked for MABSTOA and other family members the TA or the TP, so I totally "get" what you're saying!

Never mind me.

That was me once. It was horrible. I fainted from low blood sugar and not eating right there at the times square station. It was not fun. That was many years ago. At least I dont feel like as much of a freak knowing that it happens to many others.

My friend, one of my maids of honor, fainted at my wedding - right smack in the middle of my vows!

Lots of people faint at weddings; partly because they're wearing too-hot or too-tight clothes, or possibly also because they haven't gotten enough fluids or haven't been eating at their usual times. I once discussed fainting with a fellow chorister before a service in a church where we'd only sung once before after I joined the choir, and I told her "The last time the choir was here I got VERY dizzy and nearly fainted." After the service I learned that she really HAD fainted, and been helped to get to another room, and the show just went on... I didn't notice! It's ironic that she did that right after I told her about my dizzy-spell, lol...

I think part of the wedding fainting phenomenon also has to do with people goign on crash diets to fit in to their dresses. I know this happened to a friend of mine... she went on a pretty radical diet to fit in to her gown, and nearly passed out before she could get her "I do" out because she just hadn't been eating enough. That coupled with the stress and the things you pointed out is a disaster waiting to happen!