2. Riders "boo" subway and bus crowding in the MTA's annual opinion poll of its customers. The poll found "crowding has led to a decrease in overall satisfaction with bus and subway service." (March 2000)

3. Atlanta Brave's John Rocker finds # 7 riders too scary to ride with. (December 1999)

4. Two derailments-one in Brooklyn, one in Manhattan-injure scores of riders and raise concerns about how well the subways are being maintained. (April and June 2000)

5. A "terrifying" plan to borrow $22 billion for vital transit repairs without the resources to pay them off is approved by Governor Pataki and state legislature, burying system in a mountain of debt and raising the "specter" of higher fares and less service. (May 2000)

6. An attempt to cool "hell-like" Union Square subway station flops, as new fans in the just-renovated station only blow hot air and debris. (July 2000)

7. Riders continue to be caught and dragged by subway car doors, as transit officials keep 1,400 "maroon" cars in service without retrofitting their doors to be more sensitive. (spring and summer 2000).

8. The MTA blocks fare discounts for the mentally ill, first evading a new law granting half-fare to Medicaid/SSI recipients with mental disabilities, then harshly administering the law. (spring and summer 2000)

9. Newer subway elevators and escalators are breaking down more often than older ones, according to a study by the office of Public Advocate Mark Green. (September 2000)

10. It's "trick, not treat" as transit officials propose to change how they rate subway and bus service; if adopted, on-time performance would skyrocket and bus bunching plummet-but only on paper! (Sept. 2000).

In late November, the Straphangers Campaign will release its annual list of things for subway and bus riders to be most thankful for in the last year.