Readers sound off on subway crashes, Jan. 6 ‘hostages’ and Jimmy Carter’s legacy

Better communication can avert train collisions

Floral Park: As I listened to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy describe the circumstances of the collision of two subway trains on Jan. 4, I was struck by the similarities to an earlier incident that resulted in two fatalities.

On May 20, 1970, a GG local train (now the G) developed brake trouble after leaving the Continental Ave. station was emptied of passengers and the lead pair of cars was cut out. The operator took control of the train from the third car’s cab to move it, with the conductor at the front to signal the operator with a flashlight. Local trains leaving Continental Ave. were rerouted to the express track to bypass the stalled train and rerouted back to the local track west of the Roosevelt Ave. station. As the disabled train moved through Roosevelt Ave., another GG train was crossing over from the express track. With the first pair of cars cut out, the track trip for the red signal at the crossover was ineffective, and the conductor’s attempts to signal the operator were ineffective, and the operator continued moving the train, with the first car of the disabled train striking the sixth car of the eight-car train crossing over.

In both cases, there was inadequate communication between the front of the cut-out car set and the operator of the cars pushing it. The technician or supervisor dispatched to assist should have a battery-powered walkie-talkie. The flashlight signaling method is ineffective on curved track, and operating with five dead cars between the train’s front and its operator is proving to be a sure path to an accident. Vincent A. Syrek

Classic characters

Maspeth: Sad to hear the news about David Soul’s passing. He delighted many with his characters in movies, “Starsky & Hutch” and as Joshua, the middle brother of the Bolt brothers, in “Here Come the Brides.” He will be missed. Veronica Kwiecinski

Repeated

North Babylon, L.I.: The word “abacus” was used in the question to solve Sunday’s Jumble and also as the first scrambled word. What’s with that? Alan Stanley

Stay in your lane

Commack, L.I.: When I open up the sports section of the Daily News, I should be able to read about sports, not Mike Lupica’s opinion about the Aaron Rodgers-Jimmy Kimmel debacle. Lupica should keep to real sports or go home and continue watching the second season of “Reacher.” John Flanagan

What’s their story?

Barryville, N.Y.: Reading “Subway stab detailed” (Jan. 7) left me nearly speechless. In no way does it make any sense. A man feeling the holiday spirit bids four teens a Happy New Year in the subway and gets beaten and stabbed by them! Look at them! Who are they and what are they doing with their lives? Do they have caring parents or relatives? Obviously not. Does anybody care about them? Have they ever had proper and humane education? Now, after they’re caught and arrested, we the people will have to pay for their incarceration. Most New Yorkers would rather be paying for their education. John Tomlinson

The buck don’t stop

Staten Island: I would not have an iota of remorse if the U.S. Supreme Court was to be disbanded. Donald Trump’s grousing has convinced the high court to decide if he should be allowed on ballots in states that have refused to allow him on the ballots. I became irate when the high court listened to Anna Nicole Smith’s case about money she should be given when her husband died. That was when I lost respect for the Supreme Court. Also, Roe v. Wade. Another point is if the Constitution’s amendments and articles are not taken seriously, then let all individuals run amuck and commit crimes with no consequences. Enough is enough. When will Trump be castigated for his actions? Jeffrey Van Pelt

Doesn’t make sense

Bronx: If former President Trump and his supporters believe that the Jan. 6 insurrection was orchestrated by the FBI and Antifa, and those attacking the Capitol were associated with the FBI and Antifa, then many of the people convicted of the insurrection must have been FBI agents and Antifa sympathizers. How can they also be “patriots” and “hostages” who deserve our sympathy and future pardons? Or do the Trumpists believe that in some miraculous way, the Department of Justice weeded out for conviction only people who supported Trump and had no connection to the FBI and Antifa? There is a glaring inconsistency here. Miriam Levine Helbok

In denial

San Francisco: For several years now, the MAGA madness folks have used the term TDS — Trump Derangement Syndrome — to belittle anyone who is critical of Trump. I think TDS should stand for Trump Denial Syndrome, which describes the MAGAts more accurately. They deny that he lost the 2020 election; they deny that he executed a multi-pronged coup attempt to remain in power illegally; they deny that he incited an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021 (they even deny that there was violence on Jan. 6); they deny that he stole top-secret documents from the government; they deny that he obstructed the investigation into those missing documents. Basically, for the last eight years or so, they have denied every wrongdoing and every lie that he has perpetrated. They are simply denying reality. Jimmy Layton

No more chances

Hampton Bays, L.I.: Trump violated his oath of office on Jan. 6 by doing nothing for three hours to stop the riot at the Capitol, even sending out a tweet that resulted in his followers chanting to “hang Mike Pence!” and now he wants to take that oath again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Gene Kelly

Mixed messages

Bellerose Village: I went to mass this Sunday. It was the Epiphany. The priest said that God sent his only begotten Son to save us. I got a little confused. I thought God sent Trump to save us. Peter O’Connor

Slim pickings

Newark: I’m saddened and disgusted by the position this nation is in. How is it possible that we are still talking about Joe Biden and Donald Trump as if they are the only two choices we have for this country’s presidential candidacy? One is obviously bordering on dementia and the other, by his own actions, has no morals. When are we going to say enough is enough? David Figueroa

Upstanding statesman

Itasca, Ill.: My father and I were sitting on our front steps months before the 1980 presidential election. There was a lot of discontent with then-President Jimmy Carter over foreign affairs, inflation and other issues. Dad asked who I thought would be a good president. I mentioned a columnist who prophesied that eventual President Ronald Reagan could come “roaring back” at age 69 in 1980. It seems quaint today, but 69 was once considered too old to be president. I took no pleasure in Carter’s loss because he struck me as an earnest man who tried but came up short — until you look closer. Almost lost among his detractors are Carter’s efforts to conserve energy in America, and the historic Camp David Accords. And his 77-year marriage to the late Rosalynn Carter reminds us that “in sickness and in health” are more than just words. That alone should be worth something. Jim Newton

Targeted for criticism

West Hempstead, L.I.: To Voicer Jagjit Singh: You quote a Palestinian spokesman as to deaths, but Hamas doesn’t differentiate between civilians and terrorists. UNRWA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hamas. They allow their facilities to be used for terror purposes. Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the other cowards hide in civilian areas, sell hostages, steal aid that comes in and even kill little boys who want the food and try to get some. That is public record. It isn’t a violation of the right to dissent or a denial of democracy to disallow actions helpful to criminal terrorist organizations. I don’t remember hearing you complain about Syrian, Iranian, Turkish, Russian or Chinese intentional mass murder and displacement of populations. One can only guess why! It is fairly obvious. Samuel J. Mark