Fixing a Hole

ANOTHER FASHION VICTIM Pants

In an important A1 below-the-fold New York Times story today, William Neuman looks at the serious crisis facing commuters to New York City: Ripped pants. According to Neuman, the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North (which bring workers, shoppers, and Meatpacking District-diners to the city from Long Island and upstate, respectively), have had to shell out $102,009.17 to customers whose pants have been torn by poorly-designed armrests on the M7 trains:

The armrests are longer and narrower than those on older cars and can slide unobtrusively into a trouser pocket as a passenger sits down—and then snag as he settles into his seat or when he stands up to leave. They are made of a rubbery material that seems to grab onto fabric and not let go, and the armrests also seem to have an affinity for the pockets of coats and suit jackets.

Four-tenths of an inch might seem like a picayune matter in an 85-foot train car. Or, to a hand that would otherwise dangle from a longer-than-average forearm, it might seem like a godsend. But to the owners of countless pants, pockets and raincoats that have been torn on the armrests, four-tenths of an inch is a measure of frustration.

As of Thursday, 73 claims for torn clothing had been filed, said Brian P. Dolan, a spokesman for the railroad. He added that the number was a tiny fraction of the 274,000 daily rides.