NEW YORK — In a dimly lit room strung with fairy lights and ivy, transit workers file in and lie on inflated cots. Soothing piano notes play as a teacher rubs their ankles and toes.
“Breathe in,” she says. “Think of a balloon, filling up with fresh energy. Your spine dropping into softness.”
The relaxation class, held at a union hall for New York City transit employees, is one way transportation workers are managing fear and anxiety over a rise in violent crime on public transit. Concern has grown after a series of attacks against bus drivers, subway operators and station agents.
Transit Workers take part in a guided relaxation class May 17 in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The class, held at a union hall for New York City transit employees, has emerged as one of several ways in which transportation workers around the country are trying to manage their fear and anxiety over a rise in violent crime on subways and buses.
Frank Franklin II, Associated Press
Reports of crime against transit workers have been rising since the pandemic erupted in 2020, when millions of Americans bypassed subways and buses to avoid COVID-19, leaving transit workers more isolated.
Although many riders returned, the rate of violent assaults on subways and buses remained elevated.
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Nationally, the rate of reported major assaults against transit workers rose 47% from 2020 to 2023, according to an Associated Press analysis of Federal Transit Administration data.
By contrast, reports of overall violent crime in the United States have dropped every year since 2020, FBI data shows.
“We’re in the line of fire every day,” said Blanca Acosta De Avalos, a bus driver in in Omaha, Nebraska, who was severely beaten three years ago by a passenger. “We don’t have no protection.”
With transit workers trying to manage their stress over the threat of violence, some unions and transit agencies are seeking ways to reduce violence and ease anxieties.
Transit Workers take part in a guided relaxation class May 17 in the Brooklyn borough of New York.
Frank Franklin II, Associated Press
In New York, a transit union began offering free relaxation, yoga and meditation classes, which began after a subway operator’s throat was slashed. The victim was treated at a hospital and released.
“Being a bus operator, you’re pretty much worried about everything at every moment of every day…so you don’t really get a chance to relax,” said Grace Walker, a New York City bus driver. “You’re driving a pretty big machine, and you have a lot of customers’ lives at risk.”
Walker, who attended the relaxation class, said it helped her decompress.
Transit agencies in Omaha and elsewhere are teaching de-escalation techniques to help drivers defuse potential confrontations. If a passenger makes offensive remarks, for example, the driver is coached to remain respectful and quiet. Among other steps, some unions are pushing for partitions to isolate drivers and protect them from assaults.
Central Ohio Transit Authority driver Laticia Wright was driving a bus in Columbus, Ohio, last August when bullets flew through the windshield, just missing her head. Nearly a year after the shooting, Wright’s doctor thinks she may have post-traumatic stress disorder.
Patrick Orsagos, Associated Press
“My barriers are always up,” said Laticia Wright, who was driving a bus in Columbus, Ohio, last August when bullets flew through the windshield, just missing her head. “I look at people’s hands and their movements when they get on my bus.”
None of the bullets struck Wright. But broken glass did. She was so traumatized that she stayed home for three weeks and spoke daily with a counselor through an employee assistance program.
“I had to really just put it behind me,” she said.
Nearly a year after the shooting, Wright’s doctor thinks she may have post-traumatic stress disorder. “I find myself looking at every white SUV that passes by my car or my bus now,” she said. “Are they going to start shooting?”
To help relax, Wright receives chair massages offered through work. But her main coping mechanism is prayer.
Transit workers and officials largely blame lingering effects of the pandemic for the increased violence. After COVID-19 struck, many transit agencies let riders hop on for free. People struggling to stay housed rode buses for shelter. More riders overdosed on drugs.
Now, transit ridership nationally is at 75% of pre-COVID levels, according to the American Public Transportation Association.
Transit workers endure disproportionately high levels of anxiety, depression and stress-related illnesses, including heart disease and musculoskeletal disorders, according to a review of dozens of studies published in the Journal of Transport & Health.
“Sometimes it’s not just the severity of the traumatic experience — it’s the frequency, said Alexis Merdjanoff, co-investigator in a transit worker study conducted by New York University. “The verbal abuse is much more frequent, and we’re noticing that it has a really big impact on anxiety and depression and overall mental wellbeing.”
European researchers found that bus drivers, especially urban drivers, face among the highest risks of heart disease or high blood pressure of any occupational group, said Paul Landsbergis, a specialist in occupational health at State University of New York-Downstate.
Laticia Wright operates a bus for the Central Ohio Transit Authority on July 3 in Columbus, Ohio. Reports of crime against transit workers and passengers have been rising since the pandemic erupted in 2020, when millions of Americans suddenly avoided subways and buses. Their exodus left transit workers more isolated and vulnerable to attacks.
Patrick Orsagos, Associated Press
“Being a bus operator, you’re pretty much worried about everything at every moment of every day … so you don’t really get a chance to relax,” said Grace Walker, a New York City bus driver. “You’re driving a pretty big machine, and you have a lot of customers’ lives at risk.”
Frank Franklin II, Associated Press
In Europe, some buses include a cockpit that completely encloses the driver. So far, that’s uncommon in the U.S., leaving bus drivers feeling vulnerable.
This spring, the Federal Transit Administration imposed stricter requirements on the safety plans transit agencies must submit to receive federal funding. The agencies must now include an equal number of frontline transit workers and management representatives on the committees that draft safety plans.
Officials in Columbus created a response team trained in mental health, addiction and de-escalation which can be dispatched to buses if a passenger becomes dangerous.
Several years ago, some transit systems installed barriers on buses. But they don’t completely enclose drivers.
New York’s transit authority is testing barriers that stretch from the floor to the roof of the bus. On subways, it’s considering adding cameras inside operator cars. Gov. Kathy Hochul deployed 1,000 officers to check bags in the subways.
“I’ve had people pull a knife out just for telling somebody, ‘Can you please turn the radio down?’” Wright said. “I just wish that there was more security for us.”
10 wellness apps to help ease your anxiety
1. Headspace
Launched in 2012, the mindfulness and meditation app Headspace has been downloaded more than 70 million times. The app has multiple customizable paths, enabling users to work on meditation, mindfulness, sleep quality, and skills to manage stress and anxiety.
Headspace offers a daily personalized to-do list to keep users on track. Users can participate in group sessions if they want community support. Full access to Headspace’s courses costs $69.99 billed annually or $12.99 monthly.
2. Streaks
Streaks helps you keep up with your good habits by creating a daily to-do list of tasks like flossing your teeth and eating a healthy meal. It’s also compatible with Apple Health. If you break the streak, your count goes back to zero. At $4.99, it’s an affordable motivator to keep up your resolutions.
3. WaterMinder
It’s incredible how much better being hydrated can make you feel. If you’re always forgetting to top off your water glass, WaterMinder will give you a nudge. You can also track other beverages like tea, smoothies, or coffee for $4.99.
4. Calm
Calm is a meditation and sleep app with hundreds of stories, meditations, music, and soundscapes to support quality rest and mindfulness. The app also has stress relief and anxiety tools designed by clinical experts and meditation teachers. Calm costs $69.99 billed annually or $14.99 per month.
5. Lifesum
Lifesum is a popular app that can help you meet your healthy eating or weight loss goals. Users can try the food and exercise diary for free. Custom diet plans, recipes, body composition tracking, and macro counting are available with Lifesum Premium, which starts at $8.33 per month.
6. Noom
Noom is a little like having a nutritionist in your pocket. The app gives you access to custom meal plans, weekly challenges, and virtual coaches. Along the way, Noom educates users about nutrition, making your New Year’s resolution to eat a healthier diet something you can stick with for life. Most Noom users start with a 4-month plan billed at $169.
7. Nike Training Club
Nike Training Club offers an impressive catalog of workouts guided by trainers, athletes, and wellness experts. If you’re hesitant to drop a lot of money on a paid fitness app, Nike Training Club can help you build strength for free.
8. Down Dog
If you want to start doing yoga in 2024, Down Dog is the perfect app to help you develop your flow. Select the time, level, focus, voice, and music you want for a personalized practice. Down Dog also has HIIT and Barre workouts to help you build strength and stamina, and meditations for mental wellbeing. Membership costs $9.99 per month or $59.99 per year.
9. Daylio
Get in touch with how you’re feeling with Daylio. The bullet journal and mood tracker app can help you identify life stressors and the things that bring you joy. The well-designed, versatile app is free to use.
10. Breathwrk
Breathwork has a range of benefits, from helping you nail that cardio class at the gym to calming you down during stressful moments. The Breathwrk app can help you get started with immersive classes and guided programs. The premium version costs $5.75 per month billed annually and $12 per month billed monthly.
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