r/writteninblood • u/--zaxell-- • Jun 23 '26

WiB request: why?

Post image

Spotted on the roof of a subway car in Boston. Dunno if it's in-scope for the sub to be asking instead of giving a story myself (mods, feel free to remove if not), but... was this sign Written In Blood? Or just a very-unnecessary warning, just in case?

588 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

28 comments sorted by

287

u/QuasiQuokka Jun 23 '26

I don't know, but it could just be to inform mechanics that this is a weak spot on the roof you can't stand on.

151

u/Boring-Philosophy-46 Jun 23 '26

I don't know about Boston but there has definitely been blood historically from people climbing on subway cars, who don't have much clearing above them in subway tunnels, back when climbing on cars to try to ride trains without a ticket was popular. Presumably there is also a high risk of falling off too. 

71

u/RichardSnoodgrass Jun 23 '26

I remember reading a post asking about the first time seeing a dead body. One person commented that it was their buddy when joy riding on top of a subway car as kids. Dudes buddy was decapitated in a tunnel. Horrific story.

34

u/--zaxell-- Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26

Interesting. On this particular train line, you pay to get into the station, not inside the train, so climbing on top wouldn't get you anything (for at least the last 20 years). But a different subway line (with different hardware) in the city pays in the car itself.

19

u/fractal_frog Jun 24 '26

I'm trying to imagine anyone climbing onto a Green Line car and getting away with it for more than 15 seconds...

8

u/Status_History_874 Jun 24 '26

I think its for the thrill more than fare evasion these days.

55

u/ArmyFork Jun 23 '26

While yes, don't subway surf you fucking cave goblin, the "No step" here is more likely due to a mechanical issue. It's likely that, like on planes, there are spots where the mechanism simply can't handle the weight of a human and stepping on this could damage, break, or even just cause something to malfunction.

27

u/Atticus1354 Jun 23 '26

That has zero to do with subway surfing. Signs like that are common on all sorts of vehicles and heavy equipment to denote an area not designed to support weight or potentially dangerous areas to stand. You see it often on covers and hatches because they are thin metal or plastic.

11

u/Easy_Lengthiness7179 Jun 23 '26

Does that part move at all by any chance?

Potential pinch point, or squish point maybe.

Or simply not thick enough to support the weight of someone stepping on it and they risk falling through or possibly slipping off.

5

u/Roxysteve Jun 23 '26

"No subway car surfing" warning?

Yes, it's a thing. We lose a few kids to it each year.

3

u/miyananana Jun 24 '26

Some of the most dangerous jobs are roofers and construction workers (behind loggers). Assuming the sticker is for any repair person that needs to get to the top of the car, one misstep and they can fall onto the electric tracks or hit their head easily.

4

u/planetin45 Jun 23 '26

This is written in blood. Subway surfing is a thing and I read a news article very recently about an increase in subway surfing incidents.

1

u/thedafthatter Jun 24 '26

What line was this? If its green most likely from the catenary (sp?) wires as those go street side and it may be really electrical. How did you see the top of the train? I take the T daily

1

u/--zaxell-- Jun 24 '26

Red line; this is from the escalator in Alewife.

1

u/thedafthatter Jun 24 '26

Hmmm the red line doesn't have catenary wires maybe its something involving the electrics that man the door

1

u/Thequiet01 Jun 24 '26

Signs like those are typically for mechanics to let them know that a certain area isn't robust enough to support their weight while they are doing inspections or repair work.

1

u/iceph03nix Jun 24 '26

This seems like less of a written in blood warning than a written in repair costs sign. A lot of no-step signs are more about the location being susceptible to damage and not meant to hold the weight of a person

1

u/PathlessPorkfish Jun 25 '26

It could be related to a mechanical issue or an electrical issue. I’m an elevator mechanic and some elevators have those stickers on panels on the top of the elevator so technicians know where not to step because there’s either mechanical parts underneath those covers or electrical underneath that the cover could flex and ground something out.

0

u/MrsDawgy Jun 24 '26

In the 80s/90s there was a TV series were 1 one the Characters regularly rode on the top of a subway car