If you sit on a bench at Grand Central Madison for too long, you could be fined

Those lucky enough to find a bench at the newly opened Grand Central Madison station will only be able to sit on it for an hour and a half, according to Gothamist.

On March 29, the board of the MTA (New York Transportation Authority) voted on a code of conduct for the Grand Central Madison Terminal. One of them limits the amount of time passengers can sit on benches in the station building to no more than 90 minutes. People are also not allowed to lie down on the benches or anywhere in the station, so as not to “obstruct the free movement of another person.” It is also forbidden to sit on platforms, ladders, tables or counters.

The AIT said the 90-minute rule is just a continuation of an old policy that has been in place at Grand Central for years.

“This rule applies to Grand Central Terminal and has now been extended to Grand Central Madison to ensure a single set of rules for the entire building,” said MTA spokesman Michael Cortez. “No one will have to wait more than 90 minutes for a train, barring significant service disruptions.”

However, human rights activists said that these rules are directed against the homeless in New York, and do not apply to passengers. The approved measures also include an official ban on defecation at the station outside of toilets, as well as a ban on carts over 76 centimeters long.

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“The rules are clearly targeting homeless New Yorkers, there’s no doubt about that,” said Dave Giffen, executive director of the Homeless Coalition. – To sit on a bench when you are tired is a fairly simple request. And imposing rules designed specifically to ensure that people who have nowhere else to go can sit down and rest is just cruel and inhuman.”

There is a $50 fine for violating MTA rules.