Graffiti artists hit several cars on an M train, completely disfiguring them from top to bottom with colored labels and causing tens of thousands of dollars in material damage, the MTA said on Wednesday.
The video posted on Instagram on Monday shows the subway train – featuring cartoon-like characters and depictions of a skyline exposed through a brick wall – advancing noisily along the tracks of an unspecified elevated Big Apple station.
Authorities discovered the vandalism at around 6:50 am on Monday, according to the MTA.
The vandals apparently hit the train in an area called the Queens waiting area near Forest Hills-71st Avenue, which is under the responsibility of the NYPD to patrol, the transit agency said, noting that the incident was reported to the police department. .
The graphite train was taken out of service.
“Vandalism costs New Yorkers – deprives customers of the service while cars are cleaned, requires traffic workers to clean graffiti instead of doing their regular chores and costs taxpayers money that could be used to improve the service” , said MTA spokesman Shams Tarek. The Post in a statement.
“We are cooperating with the NYPD in its investigation of this latest case of invaders who caused tens of thousands of dollars in damages, and we will seek restitution for anyone found guilty.”