Security Theater
"Security theater" is a term that was first used in Bruce Schneier's book Beyond Fear (2003). Schneier wrote, "But some countermeasures provide the feeling of security instead…
Selkirk Hurdle
The "Selkirk hurdle" describes the route that freight trains must travel to enter New York City. There is no freight crossing across the Hudson River into New York City, so trains must…
Seven O’Clockers
"Seven o'clockers" were those people (about 200) who lived in Philadelphia and wrote the 7 a.m. Reading Railroad train to Penn Station in New York. Then, at 5 p.m., they'd take…
Shiti Bike (Citi Bike nickname)
New York City's "Citi Bike" program was launched on May 27, 2013. The program was named and funded (in large part) by Citigroup, which paid $41 million for a six-year sponsorship.…
Slam Gate (agent-operated gate, or AOG)
One subway entrance/exit that is not a turnstile is the "slam gate" or "agent-operated gate" (AOG). It's an easier entrance/exit for the handicapped and others. (Google…
SleazyJet or SleezyJet (easyJet nickname)
easyJet (often written as "EasyJet") is a British multinational low-cost airline group. An obvious easyJet nickname is "SleazyJet" (sometimes spelled "SleezyJet").…
Sleeping Policeman (speed bump)
A speed bump has been called a "sleeping policeman" (often in the plural "sleeping policemen") since at least 1968, when it was used in Jamaica. A "sleeping policeman"…
SleezyJet or SleazyJet (easyJet nickname)
easyJet (often written as "EasyJet") is a British multinational low-cost airline group. An obvious easyJet nickname is "SleazyJet" (sometimes spelled "SleezyJet").…
Southwaste Airlines (Southwest Airlines nickname)
"Southworst" is a derogatory term for "southwest." Southwest Airlines (based in Dallas) was nicknamed "Southworst" by at least 1991. The former Southwest Conference…
Southworst Airlines (Southwest Airlines nickname)
"Southworst" is a derogatory term for "southwest." Southwest Airlines (based in Dallas) was nicknamed "Southworst" by at least 1991. The former Southwest Conference…
Speed Bump
Entry in progress -- B.P.sleeping policeman Wikipedia: Speed bumpA speed bump, speed hump or ramp
Sprite Airlines (Spirit Airlines nickname)
Spirit Airlines is an American ultra-low-cost carrier. Some people rearrange the letters a bit and call it "Sprite Airlines." "Ppl Never take Sprite airlines it the worst airline I…
Straphanger
A "straphanger" is someone who rides the trains or buses. NYPIRG has a branch it calls "Straphangers Campaign" that studies transit issues. The subway is about 100 years old,…
Stress-A-Ride (Access-A-Ride nickname)
New York City's "Access-A-Ride" (AAR) program for people with disabilities began in 1991, after passage of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Disabled customers…
Stubway (shortened version of a longer proposed subway line)
Manhattan's Second Avenue Subway project has been talked about and delayed for over half a century. By the late 1990s, it was proposed to build a Second Avenue "Stubway" -- a…
Subway Acrobat
A "subway acrobat" is someone who performs gymnastic moves on the subway, often using the subway's poles (or straps). The show is done for free, but the performer usually asks for…
Subway Alumni
"Subway alumni" are supporters of a college team who have never gone to that college. Notre Dame had powerful football teams in the early 1900s, and the Fighting Irish often played games…
Subway Shmutz (Schmutz) Survey
The Straphangers Campaign of the New York Public Interest Research Group issues an annual "Subway Shmutz" (Yiddish for "dirt," and also spelled "schmutz") survey.…
Subway Warts
What are subway warts? A 2004 blog post named the large bumps on the yellow strips in the subway (that warn people not to come too close to the edge of the platform) as "subway warts." In…
Such A Bad Experience, Never Again (Sabena backronymic nickname)
Sabena stood for Societé Anonyme Belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation Aérienne and was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001. Sabena had one of aviation's oldest and…