The Bwog
Clark Kent is a Columbia Facilities Worker
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Tipster Jason Patinkin relays to Bwog the following story: Apparently a man at the 116th subway stop fainted of what was perceived to be a heart attack or a stroke. The man tumbled off the platform and landed on the uptown track. Subway patrons waiting on the platform began yelling, and one ran upstairs to tell the MTA employees working in the booth on the ground level what had happened.

Suddenly, a Columbia facilities worker—identifiable as such because of the logo on his blue jacket—jumped down from the into the tracks and traversed the third rail and started to hoist the fallen man off the track. With help from those standing on the platform, the unconscious man was lifted up to safety, and the facilities worker sprinted across the tracks to the downtown side, "because he's that awesome." The entire subway platform burst into applause.

"A hero walks in our midst," writes Patinkin.

Read more: Subways, Superheroes, The One Line, The Subway Hero

March 14, 2008 @ 5:46 PM | Comments 32 comments | Add comment Post a comment | Link to this article | | Email this post | Share on Facebook

Posted by GAHHH!: [#1] [reply] [track]
( posted March 14, 2008 at 8:20 PM ) (from campus)
PATINKIN! not patankin! geez
Posted by the grammarian: [#2] [reply] [track]
( posted March 14, 2008 at 8:46 PM )
I don't think you can "traverse across" something.
Posted by really: [#3] [reply] [track] (in reply to #2)
( posted March 14, 2008 at 9:30 PM ) (from campus)
the only way you can traverse something is across it. so yeah, "traverse across" is poor usage. somebody inform the national department of redundancy department.
Posted by i think there's: [#4] [reply] [track]
( posted March 14, 2008 at 9:34 PM )
a word missing somewhere which made his sprinting a bit confusing...
Posted by wow: [#5] [reply] [track]
( posted March 14, 2008 at 9:38 PM ) (from campus)
that's really cool. you nitpickers need to chill on the word choice/ grammar complaints and just enjoy a good tale of heroism -- I needed this to get me through a paper that's due in a couple of hours. thanks bwog
Posted by okay: [#6] [reply] [track]
( posted March 14, 2008 at 9:39 PM ) (from campus)
So I guess while #2 and 3 grow old and die alone knitting on a rocking chair surrounded by cats, the rest of us could give props to this man's phenomenal courage & selflessness?
Posted by #6 again: [#7] [reply] [track]
( posted March 14, 2008 at 9:40 PM ) (from campus)
posted at the same time as 5
Posted by heart: [#8] [reply] [track]
( posted March 14, 2008 at 9:40 PM )
CUF
Posted by #5 again...: [#9] [reply] [track] (in reply to #7)
( posted March 14, 2008 at 9:45 PM ) (from campus)
's alright - they can hear that people think they're whiners more than once

does anybody know if the guy who fell / had the heart attack turned out okay?
Posted by ...: [#10] [reply] [track]
( posted March 14, 2008 at 11:22 PM ) (from campus)
knowing columbia, they'll probably fire him for wearing his uniform off the clock.
Posted by Max: [#11] [reply] [track]
( posted March 14, 2008 at 11:34 PM )
The third rail is on the far side of the tracks, farthest from the platform. Not sure why he'd have to cross it. Either way, very brave.
Posted by I think...: [#12] [reply] [track]
( posted March 14, 2008 at 11:44 PM )
...the man fell from the uptown platform and the facilities worker came across from the downtown platform to help.
Posted by patinkin: [#13] [reply] [track]
( posted March 14, 2008 at 11:47 PM )
!!!!
Posted by well: [#14] [reply] [track]
( posted March 14, 2008 at 11:58 PM )
CU Facilities Worker for Class Day Speaker!
Posted by 1231231: [#15] [reply] [track] (in reply to #14)
( posted March 15, 2008 at 12:06 AM ) (from campus)
I think this is a very decent suggestion. Does anyone else feel that CUFacilities workers are under-appreciated? There's this mutual but awkward acknowledgment between students and workers - like they're just MEANT to serve us, and it doesn't help that most of them are Hispanic/African American.

I think we should show them that we care.

Maybe something like a CU Facilities Employee Award, similar to Best LitHum professor award kinda thing?
Posted by props to him: [#16] [reply] [track]
( posted March 15, 2008 at 12:12 AM )
nitpicking grammar folks. seriously stfu for once.

but, yea the third rail is on the far side of the track right? so the man falling down probably didn't cross the third rail right? but the cu facility worker going uptown had to cross about three third rails? if so that is ballsy amazing. i hope he was like an electrician or something and new what he was doing or else the man is amazingly luck.

in conclusion, awesome work. that guy deserves a fruit basket from lee bollinger for his hard work.
Posted by nope...: [#17] [reply] [track] (in reply to #15)
( posted March 15, 2008 at 1:24 AM )
While some CUF workers are willing to go above and beyond (and I appreciate that), there are some who do the minimum possible and take offense when you call them out on it. Why is our stove still broken after multiple maintenance requests?
Posted by good thing: [#18] [reply] [track]
( posted March 15, 2008 at 7:27 AM ) (from campus)
the 1 train never comes. he probably had 15 minutes.

still braver than i.
Posted by 123123133: [#19] [reply] [track] (in reply to #17)
( posted March 15, 2008 at 7:34 AM ) (from campus)
But suppose the workers had an incentive to work? Suppose this incentive was some award, some recognition, maybe a small bonus?

Many facilities workers do not care to work hard because they are disonnected from us. I don't blame them. It's really weird when some of these people cleaning are maybe 25, 26, and we're only 20 or so. I wish I could speak to them sometimes, but there's an unspoken taboo against this.

Why not dispel it?
Posted by taboo?: [#20] [reply] [track] (in reply to #19)
( posted March 15, 2008 at 8:44 AM ) (from campus)
I've always talked to the Facilities people on my floors. And the one for my office is great, too. If you want to talk to Facilities people, talk to them -- they're not Untouchables.
Posted by the porters: [#21] [reply] [track] (in reply to #19)
( posted March 15, 2008 at 10:33 AM )
if you are talking about the "porters" who do day-to-day cleaning and sometimes relamping, they are all very very nice and absolutely good people to be friends with when you need a little extra cleaning, etc

then there are the "heavy cleaners" who do spot cleaning, etc

then outside of custodial, you have mechanics, electricians, carpenters, etc (with multiple grades of each), and i think ~4-5 bonded locksmith. these are good people to know. particularly when you need your lock changed and don't want to pay the $50 fee.
Posted by nytimes: [#22] [reply] [track]
( posted March 15, 2008 at 3:35 PM )
Unrelated, but interesting article about transgender students at women's colleges (e.g. Barnard): [ external link to www.nytimes.com ]
Posted by I believe: [#23] [reply] [track]
( posted March 15, 2008 at 4:05 PM )
every CUF worker is at least to some extent like the Janitor on Scrubs. Respect them, or you may face the wrath of a dozen squirrel army battalions.
Posted by ?DD: [#24] [reply] [track]
( posted March 15, 2008 at 4:18 PM ) (from campus)
hmmm, what's this...

[ external link to www.10000women.org ]

unveiled one week ago at low library.
Posted by derps: [#25] [reply] [track]
( posted March 15, 2008 at 5:05 PM ) (from campus)
Bwog, there was a front page story on the Times, highlighted from the Magazine, about Rey, the transmale student from Barnard who transferred to GS this past fall. I think you and the Spec wrote about her then, but this new article is worth mentioning here.
Posted by the name: [#26] [reply] [track] (in reply to #25)
( posted March 15, 2008 at 5:27 PM )
makes me wonder. Queen = man who dresses as a woman. Rey = King in Spanish = woman who dresses as a man?
Posted by anonymous: [#27] [reply] [track]
( posted March 15, 2008 at 6:04 PM )
Once he/she knew that he/she didn't want to be a woman anymore, a women's college suddenly sounded like a bad idea...
Posted by Hmm: [#28] [reply] [track] (in reply to #27)
( posted March 15, 2008 at 6:17 PM ) (from campus)
I'm not sure that's entirely accurate. A close friend from Smith spoke to me at length, a year ago, about the trans community there. Apparently it was a super supportive environment. I think the problem is that perhaps Barnard does not have the queer/genderqueer community that Smith or Wellesley has.
Posted by 222222222: [#29] [reply] [track]
( posted March 15, 2008 at 8:04 PM ) (from campus)
Because Barnard is a bunch of women who want to suck Columbia !!!!!.
Posted by 456456456: [#30] [reply] [track]
( posted March 15, 2008 at 10:55 PM )
But suppose the workers had an incentive to work? Suppose this incentive was some payment, perhaps awarded on a schedule? Let's call this scheduled bonus a "salary".

Crazy I know; doing what you get paid to do...
Posted by man: [#31] [reply] [track]
( posted March 15, 2008 at 11:01 PM )
that guy rocks. hell yeah.
Posted by yeesh: [#32] [reply] [track] (in reply to #19)
( posted March 16, 2008 at 1:32 AM )
"But suppose the workers had an incentive to work? Suppose this incentive was some award, some recognition, maybe a small bonus?"

I'm sure you didn't mean it this way, but that sounds so incredibly condescending, like we should hold a "The Office" style awards ceremony for them and slip em a twenty for a job well done.

They don't want your charity. Just some respect. Acknowledgment isn't an employee of the month frame in the sub-basement of EC, but saying hello to them in the hallway, throwing a smile at them when you pass them on college walk.

The really telling part of your comment is your mention of the "taboo." Seriously? What the hell is wrong with you?
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