That sounds horrendous! I'm glad I spent Halloween night in JC. There are three holidays I boycott the PATH: Halloween, New Years Eve and St. Patty's Day. On all three days, it's like boarding the Vomit Comet. Who knows how much worse it will get with the overcrowding in the years to come...

I had the great misfortune to be on the PATH train last night NJ bound on the 33St-Journal Sq line. At around 3:30am the Path pulled into the 14th St. station in Manhattan. At which time the train was beyond capacity already, yet passengers on the platform tried to push their way on the dangerously over crowded train. The air conditioning was not operating on the train. Because of the over crowding, the train sat at 14th St. for about 15 minutes. After waiting for about 10 minutes at a stand still, the train conductor closed the doors and the train continued to sit in the station for about 30 minutes. It was a cattle car with passengers packed in way beyond capacity to a dangerous level. Combined with the lack of air and the heat, all the passengers were in a highly agitated state. People were beginning to panic and some were starting fights. Even as PA cops came down the station as we could see through the windows, passengers were begging for the train doors to be opened, nothing was done to alleviate these horrendous conditions. After about 30 minutes the train moved onto the next station, 9th St. As scary as the experience was so far, the train stopped in the tunnel before reaching 9th St. We sat there with no air conditioning or announcement in sardine-can conditions for another 30 minutes. Passengers were beginning to pass out and a lot of people were getting volatile. Eventually someone had the good sense to hit the Emergency button and miraculously the train moved into 9th Street. Hoards of passengers escaped the train once we arrived at 9th Street. Why the train was sitting in the tunnel was never explained.

I cannot begin to describe how extremely dangerous and scary this whole situation was. Not once did any PA personnel make an announcement explaining the situation. Passengers were begging to be let off the train at 14th St but the doors were kept closed which was an outrage and beyond dangerous. This was a major public safety hazard and an outrage that the Port Authority can run the PATH system in such a reckless and dangerous manner putting the safety of passengers at risk.

I encourage anyone who was on that train on Halloween night coming home to Jersey City to register a complaint with the PA at this email address. PATHCustomerService@panynj.gov