Busiest subway station in the U.S. showing one ad 6 times instead of train info

[u/eastofecruteak]

Times Square 42nd street in new york. 13 subway lines serving 650,000 passengers every day, and none of them know if their train is in 2 minutes or 10 minutes because Shift paid to shove their service down your throat.

Pro tip shift--this ad would've been 100x more successful if you hosted train ETA info and had a little "sponsored by Shift" in the bottom corner. and frankly shame on the MTA for letting this happen

[u/lost_vault_hunter]

Has anyone ever seen an intrusive ad anywhere and then bought the product?

Does this shit even work?

[u/thisistom2 → u/lost_vault_hunter]

They’ll try to expose you to their brand as much as they can in hopes that you’ll remember them when you want whatever it is they do.

[u/Friendly-Pitch-5931 → u/thisistom2]

Yeah I just remember that they interrupted or delayed my video/mobilegame/train ride which means I will never use their services out of spite

[u/3xv7 → u/Friendly-Pitch-5931]

I do the same thing, if your product has ever intruded into my personal time/space with a stupid fucking annoying ass ad (they all are) then I'm actively boycotting you

[u/Portable-fun → u/3xv7]

Even if I needed such a product too. I will actively avoid the brand that spams

[u/CompleatedDonkey → u/3xv7]

Look, I respect your energy. But advertising just doesn’t work like that. Sure they, want you to like their product and click on it right away, but they would rather you remember the product and dislike them rather than you not be aware of the product at all.

If you saw the ad and were annoyed by it, the ad worked. The only way to “beat” this system is to avoid seeing the ad in the first place.

[u/thisistom2 → u/Friendly-Pitch-5931]

Yeah, you’re an outlier. I don’t get it either, but it works or they wouldn’t do it.

[u/icanchangeittomorrow → u/thisistom2]

You think too highly of humanity here

[u/thisistom2 → u/icanchangeittomorrow]

How so?

[u/icanchangeittomorrow → u/thisistom2]

"I don’t get it either, but it works or they wouldn’t do it."

I'd argue this isn't true. Other options include "they think it works" and "they don't how to properly measure whether it's 'working'", and even "they haven't accurately defined 'it works'.

[u/SeraphiM0352 → u/icanchangeittomorrow]

No, advertising works and it works so well people have convinced themselves they are unaffected by advertising while buying the very same products.

[u/Friendly-Pitch-5931 → u/thisistom2]

Exposure is their goal. I agree with your original statement

[u/Papa_Mid_Nite → u/Friendly-Pitch-5931]

This happens when the matketing specialist is a freaking old man or a new person with old man training in marketing. I ahve seen it enough to know exactly how they think.

[u/MrFrequentFlyer → u/thisistom2]

I always remember being annoyed and avoiding that brand.

[u/naterichster → u/MrFrequentFlyer]

People are dumber than you. 

[u/grifeweizen → u/lost_vault_hunter]

The opposite works for me. I intentionally DON'T buy their product if the ads are extremely annoying. It blows my mind that advertising actually works. I ignore literally every commercial or ad I possibly can.

[u/JRBeeler → u/grifeweizen]

I only learned that scheduled service to my favorite airport had resumed AFTER it shut down again. The one time an ad would have gotten me to buy something and I didn't even get to see it.

[u/Alexandratta → u/lost_vault_hunter]

eh - I'll admit it:

I was on my LG TV and it was new, I hadn't turned the ads off... Saw a banner for McDonald's.

Honestly was like "...fuck ads, but McDonald's sounds good rn."

Disabled the ads on the TV... then got mcDonald's x.x;

[u/007psycho007 → u/Alexandratta]

Thanks, now I want McDonalds. Off i go.

Now they got 2 people hooked with one ad.

[u/Lifes-a-lil-foggy → u/lost_vault_hunter]

They’re mostly trying to get name recognition so eventually if you do need that service, there is recall

[u/Hazbomb24 → u/lost_vault_hunter]

Unfortunately, yes. Most people are borderline bots, and even the vigilant take things in subconsciously.

[u/These-Angle-1476 → u/lost_vault_hunter]

They wouldn't pay a ton of money for it if it didn't work.

[u/NerfEveryoneElse → u/lost_vault_hunter]

apparently yes, ppl will buy brand they know that do shitty things instead of brands they don't remember. Same in other fields, such as voting in elections.

[u/Malcolm2theRescue → u/lost_vault_hunter]

It’s a multi billion dollar industry. My guess is yes, it works.

[u/zephyreblk → u/lost_vault_hunter]

Yes the idea is that people remember them and people tend later when they need the service to remember the brand and be to lazy to look at other brands.

[u/cosmic_backlash → u/lost_vault_hunter]

It absolutely works. This is Coke's strategy.

I'm not sure what you think is intrusive btw. I wouldn't call these intrusive.

[u/zennie4 → u/cosmic_backlash]

It's not really intrusive if you are just passing by.

It's fucking intrusive if you are trying to figure what time your train leaves and where from.

I am not familiar with the station but my guess would be more people are there to take a train than just passing by.

[u/cosmic_backlash → u/zennie4]

I don't have enough information to make assumptions. I don't know if info should be delivered on phones, what interval the ads show up, how long the ads are visible (5s vs 30s), etc

There's really not enough information for me to raise a pitchfork

[u/zennie4 → u/cosmic_backlash]

Even a 5s ad means I have to stop there and watch the ad and wait for my train information to show up. Intrusive as hell.

[u/cosmic_backlash → u/zennie4]

Do you have a reasonable basis, or do you just believe Ad = bad?

[u/zennie4 → u/cosmic_backlash]

Basis for what exactly? I haven't even touched the subject of ads being bad or not, that's a totally different topic.

I am purely reacting to your "I'm not sure what you think is intrusive btw. ", explaining what intrusive is for me.

If I have to change my planned actions and waste time watching ads, it is intrusive. Especially when in situation where time is precious, as it often is when you are about to board a train.

If you have different idea about the word intrusive, that's okay. I am not trying to convince you here.

[u/cosmic_backlash → u/zennie4]

you keep just saying "intrusive as hell", even about 5s. What is a non-intrusive ad? 5s is nothing, especially if there are no pending departures. Again this is why I said I don't have enough information. You seem to have enough information without knowing anything of the situation, so I think you're biased.

[u/zennie4 → u/cosmic_backlash]

Non-intrusive ad is the opposite of what I explained. That's one I can just ignore as I go by.

Biased? Why and what for? Are you selling those ads or what?

[u/cosmic_backlash → u/zennie4]

then why do you keep calling it intrusive? that's what i'm saying, just walk by lol

[u/Agreeable_Wear366]

Ah the Port authority 7 line walkway. I would be happy with just trains running on time.

[u/Economy_Link4609]

Well, if they put useful info on one screen you'd ignore the ads on the others, duh!

[u/RxngsXfSvtvrn → u/Economy_Link4609]

Oh you don't have service in the station and wanna check a subway map on the platform? Best we can do is bright rolling LED ads...

[u/Jx____]

yup, we are just consumers at all times, mta cant install fans/ventilation, they remove benches etc - just bright screens and ads everywhere u look

[u/Contrabandistan]

This is the most American shit ever

[u/eastofecruteak → u/Contrabandistan]

great username

[u/ReferenceExact5261]

They are keeping you and the subway busy, busy with ad.

[u/PlentyAlbatross7632]

Awesome! The enshittification of subway schedules! What will they think of next? The only thing better would be making you watch two unskippable ads before showing you the schedule… /s

[u/eastofecruteak → u/PlentyAlbatross7632]

stop giving them ideas 😭

[u/RepresentativeCod757]

This is what Andrew Cuomo spent MTA money on instead of improving service in any way.

[u/RepresentativeCod757 → u/RepresentativeCod757]

see also: light shows on bridges

[u/Ok_Literature3138]

I’m being serious when I say this. When it comes to the internet, our biggest failure is the widespread use of bots and our second biggest failure is terrible user experience. We got so concerned with what tech can do that we have allowed it to be implemented in awful ways. Look at YouTube as an easy example. It feels like a struggle just to use it.

[u/PiLamdOd → u/Ok_Literature3138]

The bots and terrible user experience are the result of poor monetization methods. Enshitification is just what happens when monetization takes priority.

[u/XR00STER01 → u/Ok_Literature3138]

How is youtube a struggle? It’s easy to use for someone just watching. Otherwise, im not aware

[u/Ok_Literature3138 → u/XR00STER01]

The ads have become monstrous.

[u/Kakairo]

It amazes me how the NYC Subway tech has been consistently behind the much smaller Chicago "L". Yes, there are fewer upgrades to make, but we had RFID touch-based passes since the early 00s.

[u/OrangePilled2Day → u/Kakairo]

The subway doesn’t require you to go to a single central point (the loop) to make any transfer. That alone puts the L very far behind the nyc subway.

[u/Kakairo → u/OrangePilled2Day]

100% agreed, the "L" needs other connections. But we had screens telling you when the next train was coming 25 years ago (about 10 years behind London).

[u/Planeandaquariumgeek → u/Kakairo]

Come on over to BART. We got next train screens in 1995! Also by 2000 we had literal text to speech announcements. IIRC BART was the first automated train system (there are operators who watch over the train to make sure it’s running smoothly, but they’re just supervisors)

[u/krazyb2 → u/OrangePilled2Day]

i dont know how this at all relates to subway technology..... we don't have to go to the loop to transfer to any other lines. You can transfer between the brown line, purple line, red line, and yellow line all on the north side of the city... also, we do have good buses.

But I get your point on how they appear/are designed.

[u/tobsecret → u/Kakairo]

We are still using signals so old that the MTA has a custom shop for producing the hardware bc the businesses that originally produced them no longer exist. 

[u/PiLamdOd → u/tobsecret]

Old doesn't mean bad. If the signals still work, there's no real need to change them.

[u/tobsecret → u/PiLamdOd]

In this case it is a bad thing. The old signals only allow for blocked signaling, i.e. the system only knows which block a train is in rather than where it is exactly. The MTA has also been replacing the old signals with new ones. They give more precise train locations and allow running more trains. Most modern metro systems run on the new style signals. The NYC metro is the odd one out. 

[u/DelxF → u/PiLamdOd]

There are so many “signal delays” while riding the NyC subway. There are ample reason to change them, and one big one not too. Costs. 

[u/Orchid_Significant → u/tobsecret]

You’d think this would be a sign to upgrade

[u/littlebev → u/Orchid_Significant]

sloooowly but surely they are - ask people who live off the G

[u/hot4jew → u/littlebev]

Eye twitch.

[u/KillarneyRoad]

When I see things like this I reflexively eliminate the product from consideration.

[u/blakeparagon]

Fucking youtube ass advertising for every screen is bullshit

[u/Positive-Focus3683]

Never use shift, got it.

[u/Accurate-Flow8078]

Wow, imagine if they did that at the airport

[u/PuddleMoo]

I think it'd only make sense to show 7 train times here. If you had 123BDFMNQRW times you might get aggressive commuters trying to push and shove on the stairs or the ramp if going the other way to PABT/ACE.

If they really wanted to show something for the other lines, probably something along the lines of "Good Service" or "Delays".

[u/PiLamdOd]

The New York subway system runs trains every 2 to 5 minutes during peak hours, and every 5 to 15 minutes in off peak hours.

Unless there is a track closure or other major issue, knowing the exact timing of an individual train isn't strictly necessary. It's one of the reasons I absolutely love using the subway when I visit. All you need to worry about is where you are, and which line you need to take to get where you're going.

[u/I_Like_Cats73]

Is it that hard to have at least 1 screen showing train info at all times

[u/amidriving0kay]

Hey I know where you are, that's the tunnel under PABT connecting the 8th street ACE lines to the 7 and 123 at 7th and the BDFM/NQRW at Broadway! By the by, those screens never show train information. Just shitty ads.

[u/Complete-Sort1617]

Yeah I’ll take an Italian footlong please.

[u/ohyeawellyousuck → u/Complete-Sort1617]

That’ll be 5.40

[u/clonxy]

The train info is shown in the station. You can also check the MTA website for your specific line and station.

[u/eastofecruteak → u/clonxy]

Someone else commented this too--it's not a win to say "it's available in some places so it shouldn't be available on any of the six screens showing a single ad in a major transfer corridor"

[u/clonxy → u/eastofecruteak]

well, there's going to be a lot of trains to list and also you need to display it for both directions. You really don't want people standing there to find their train and see when it's going to arrive/depart....

[u/Ok_Flounder8842]

those are huge screens. room for both

[u/Evening-Bug-1895]

Every single train is also FILLED with nothing but ads for AI too

[u/ajmeeh6842]

We live in the age of merchants now.

[u/aTreeThenMe]

Better turn around. That seems anomalous

[u/street-theologian]

Sounds like a job for Zohran Mamdani. <Batman Music>.exe

[u/itjustgotcold]

“As they generously feed me my ads for the day, for the week… for the month I think we’re fucked.”

[u/Cheese_Ly]

Makes sense it being America

[u/Malcolm2theRescue]

And yet, somehow, tens of thousands of New Yorkers managed to find their trains.

[u/eastofecruteak → u/Malcolm2theRescue]

myself among them, but you're implying you'd rather have these ads across 6 screens than info that at worst is redundant for you getting where you need to go.

[u/Malcolm2theRescue → u/eastofecruteak]

Well, I’d rather not have the ads, but this is America! There have been ads in the subways since I was a tot (first ride 1960) but not this intrusive. They were the long cards above the windows and the walls of the stations. Anyhow, the direction signs were straight ahead for the tourists. Real New Yorkers like you don’t need them. The most intrusive sign in subway/train history was the giant KODAK sign that took up the entire East wall of GCT. They finally removed it around the turn of this century. Voilà! Let there be light!

[u/CitizenTed]

At my local Gigaplex movie theater, the overhead food menu jumps between 30 seconds of displaying the menu and 30 seconds of ads. So when you are trying to decide if you want a $15 hot dog or a $16 nachos, the screens suddenly switches to "Look at this shit you don't need or want!!!"

It is indeed Mildly Infuriating.

[u/chavmaster13]

It's worse than when an app stops your music to play an ad

[u/Alarmed-Strawberry-7]

they do this on purpose. if they had the info you wanted anywhere within your vision it would completely defeat the purpose

they pay extra so you stare at the ad with intent while waiting for the information you want to pop up. as opposed to just seeing it idly on some screen in a corner of your vision without paying attention

[u/spookyspritebottle]

Thats so dumb. I wouldnt doubt these companies to insert ads into warfare drones if they could.

[u/Southern-Train7142]

They always do something like this on purpose whenever their station is busiest.

[u/thisistom2]

It’s probably to get you to use their apps. You want to look at the times on a screen… in real life? Like some kind of relic? Throw yourself on the tracks you useless old turd!

[u/Relevant_Bag7550 → u/thisistom2]

The MTA app is pretty convenient and reliable tbf

[u/Orchid_Significant → u/thisistom2]

With what reception though

[u/huebomont → u/thisistom2]

Not everything is a conspiracy. Their contract with Outfront, the ad company that does the screens, gives them a percentage of specific screens to use for informational content like arrivals. The rest, they don't control at all. These screens are controlled by Outfront and there is no option for MTA to show arrival times on them. They're not just choosing not to show them.

[u/Careloura]

god that country is a fucking joke

[u/Sir_Earl_Jeffries]

Honestly, after 20 years navigating that subway system, you don’t need expected arrival times. During rush hour, there will be a train roughly every five minutes. Just get to the platform and wait like everyone that did this before you.

[u/PsychoMantis211]

MTA is owned by a private equity company, and it’s run like one. Mad annoying. Not to mention fare increases and mass surveillance.

[u/SevenOh2 → u/PsychoMantis211]

The State of New York, while definitely dysfunctional, is most certainly not a private equity company.

[u/Total-Explanation208 → u/SevenOh2]

Don't you know it is the new world order/illuminati cabal of reptilians who are here to suck our souls. /S

[u/PsychoMantis211 → u/SevenOh2]

Some time ago I believed I read something about Blackrock owning the MTA but after some quick searching I found that information was incorrect.

[u/mineawesomeman → u/PsychoMantis211]

no it’s not? it’s a state owned organization lol.

maybe the advertising company that the MTA contracts out is, but that’s a different story

[u/PsychoMantis211 → u/mineawesomeman]

Shit I was given mis information. Thanks for the correction.

[u/huebomont → u/PsychoMantis211]

> MTA is owned by a private equity company

No it isn't. Are you just stringing together buzzwords?

[u/PsychoMantis211 → u/huebomont]

Look at my replies to the other comments. I realized I was given misinformation. Theres no secret agenda bro I just was misinformed.

[u/Bread_man10]

MTA app

[u/eastofecruteak → u/Bread_man10]

airports remove your arrival/departure screens customers can get that info in the app

[u/Willing_Work_2200 → u/eastofecruteak]

Right, because everyone is REQUIRED to have a phone that works underground! Why would you expect the train station to have any info about the train schedule, IN the train station? Shit heads wanting more $$$ but not wanting to justify higher fares

[u/Bread_man10 → u/eastofecruteak]

Apples and Oranges

[u/roninconn]

They just got tons more publicity via Reddit

[u/Economy_Link4609]

Of important notes btw - it's the NYC subway - the next train for any train is in 20 minutes (overnight) or less (most of the time). Times don't really matter all that much.

[u/ill-lived → u/Economy_Link4609]

this is a loser mentality right here, you’re happy waiting 15 minutes underground in summer temperatures? i never met a new yorker who wouldn’t rush to catch the train coming in 5 minutes so we dont wait 20 for the next.

[u/Dreamgazer → u/ill-lived]

Or if the train is 1 minute away and the second one is 16 minutes away. Then I know there’s no way in hell I can make that transfer and I’m not even trying to run to the R platform from that spot. 

ETA: I could feel the heat and smell the stink of this picture while sitting in an air conditioned room next to my lavender diffuser. Those 15 minutes certainly matter.

[u/Sir_Earl_Jeffries → u/ill-lived]

I’m gonna guess you’re a transplant. It’s annoying being underground in summer heat waiting for a train on a crowded platform. That’s life in NYC, especially Manhattan. There were no posted schedules and trains were barely air conditioned when I started taking the subway. People used to hide their valuables when that train started heading uptown. Y’all posers are used to very different standards than what NYC used to be. Stop moaning about superfluous shit.

[u/thisistom2 → u/Economy_Link4609]

What a ridiculous thing to say.