Starting Monday, New York City subway riders received an early gift: cell service and Wi-Fi coverage at all underground stations. The MTA’s highly-touted cellphone launch is one year ahead of schedule, while its Wi-Fi installation was completed two years early. But serious delays for this morning’s commute overshadowed that sizable achievement, prompting many to turn to Twitter — without dipping into their data plans — to voice their complaints. Some questionedGov. Andrew Cuomo and the MTA’s priorities in installing the Wi-Fi service, while train service remains “lousy.”
Good job @MTA for installing phone and wifi service! Now we can email our bosses why we are late due to the lousy train service.
— Ary Benmayor (@ary_benmayor) January 9, 2017
@NYGovCuomo @MTA forget about phones and focus on upgrading the track system so people aren’t late to work! Get your priorities straight
— Cumoverbro (@cumoverbro) January 9, 2017
@NYGovCuomo @MTA Great! Now we can tell our bosses how late were going to be due to train delays…#priorities #nycsubway #mta #traindelays
— andy (@Roswellchika) January 9, 2017
@MTA you need to get your priorities in check. IDGAF about no damn wi-fi and cell service. I just want to get to work on time ?
— KDF (@KimbrlyDionisia) January 9, 2017
Others saw the irony in being able to tweet about delayed trains.
People using that new free MTA wifi to post pics of trains going nowhere. Hello, 2017. #NYC
— Jorge (@mediajorge) January 9, 2017
At least I can get wifi while I wait 30 minutes for an F train. Thanks, @MTA! #sarcasm #nyc #lateforwork
— Jeffrey Correa (@JCorreaNYC) January 9, 2017
Seriously @mta, what’s going on? (On the bright side there’s wifi now, so we can live tweet train problems from the train.) https://t.co/MsIjhvJE30
— Caitlin Keegan (@caitlin_keegan) January 9, 2017
Even conductors got in on the fun, seemingly trying to lighten up a dismal situation.
Report: An A train driver rolled down his window and yelled “GOD SAVE US” before leaving the station. #MTAdelay
— Emily C. Singer (@CahnEmily) January 9, 2017
My MTA conductor just announced that our current train delay was due to “the usual nonsense.”
— Jody Avirgan (@jodyavirgan) January 9, 2017
But most people were just frustrated. The MTA told riders melting snow was causing most of the intense rush-hour delays. Commuters weren’t impressed.
@mta @MelindaKatz how do we delay the trains for melting snow over an hour in a place where it snows every year?
— Ecks The Bad Hombre (@Rodrigeaux) January 9, 2017
#mta lies @MTA ya’ll knew there was snow on the ground. Come on! pic.twitter.com/HA5b3u5riJ
— 珊瑚 Sango (@FVaral) January 9, 2017
Really glad we have three new stations and wifi for 4.5 billion dollars, but the @MTA still can’t figure out melting snow.
— Natasha Simons (@ndotsimons) January 9, 2017
@MTA we had a snow storm on Saturday, meaning you should’ve cleaned up all the rails before Monday morning. You suck…
— Jorge Luis Valle (@jorge_valle88) January 9, 2017
A little snow in NYC and @MTA drops the ball. Way to go MTA. pic.twitter.com/Io9ryr3fnp
— Creativityx2 (@Creativityx2) January 9, 2017
To be fair, some straphangers were happy about the Wi-Fi intallation, and voiced their joy on Twitter.
Yay!!! ??RT @NYGovCuomo: Starting today, Wi-Fi and cell service is available in all MTA subway stations. pic.twitter.com/32Ex4M8p9o
— SquishiSushi (@SquishiSushi) January 9, 2017
Though the delays were a bit rough today, I have to thank the @MTA for adding cell service to the stations I was stuck in for 1.5 hours.
— Stefanie Waldek (@StefanieWaldek) January 9, 2017
Wireless AND cell service in subway stations – ahead of time even. Thanks @MTA! #nyc
— Keisha (@grlnxtdoorisblk) January 9, 2017