Avoid Subway Hell By Losing Yourself In A Good Book, MTA Suggests

NEW YORK, NY — Dealing with infuriating delays, breakdowns, crowded platforms, mysterious oozes, unstable passengers and Showtime? You could always lose yourself in a good book.

The MTA is helping New Yorkers handle their notoriously - and increasingly - hellish commutes with a program offering online access to short stories, poems, essays and excerpts from more than 200 books accessed for free through Transit Wireless WiFi, available at all 281 New York City subway stations.

Now in its third year, the Subway Reads program is designed to highlight the availability of free WiFi, the MTA said, emphasizing the “historic relations” between reading and riding the subway.

"Reading brings people together and opens the world to them,” said Anthony Tassi, CEO of program co-organizer Literacy Reads.

“With short samples from best-selling books on a wide array of topics from Girl Power to immigrant stories to sports to food, and even easy-to-read stories for the many New Yorkers of all ages who are learning to read, there is truly something for everyone.”

Transit Wireless works on all major cellphone carriers. The subway's WiFi system was completed last year, bringing high-tech connectivity underground.

If music is more your mojo or you’re looking for that perfect playlist to match your free reads, check out Patch’s subway soundtrack. Got a song you think we’d like? Click here to submit your favorite tunes.

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