There has been an increase in the number of police crackdowns on fare evasion and the sale of food and other products without a permit.

These people are being arrested for breaking the law, but they should not be perceived as criminals. In most cases, such as the infamous incident involving the “churro lady,” simply known as Elsa, these individuals are only trying to support their families and make a living. 

Like most New Yorkers, these people are hustlers and should not be treated any differently than white-collar workers. The only reason that they are being perceived as criminals is due to the fact that they are often poor and minorities.

Instead of cracking down on petty crimes, there should be more of a focus on improving the Metropolitan Transportation Authority service, which has not been reliable over the years.

“The MTA says it will hire 500 new transit police officers, after Gov. Andrew Cuomo complained about ‘quality of life’ issues on the subway,” according to the Gothamist. However, this is counterintuitive, due to the fact that there are already enough police officers, but not enough train cleaning jobs. The lack of these jobs results in major delays and unhappy passengers. 

The MTA should focus more on making its service more reliable. New Yorkers are tired of hearing the usual “train traffic ahead” announcements.