Against the background of flashing emergency signals, a conductor tells a colleague that someone jumped off the train, shouting "something about Willoughby".
On a train, the only people who are trained to handle most emergencies are the conductor and the train operator, he said.
"The normal protocol for a medical emergency is for the conductor to administer first aid, but it is likely he would have had to put a message out to ask for help," the spokesman said.
It was accompanied by the vague burning smell of the emergency brakes, which the conductor was kind enough to inform us didn't mean that the train was on fire.
The only exception is in emergencies, when subway conductors, fire personnel or other authorities supervise the evacuation of subway cars, often when trains are not running.
The emergency cord activates compressed-air brakes; an onboard conductor must then notify train traffic controllers, who can contact the Police Department.
The conductor heard the shots and engaged the emergency brake, bringing the train to a stop.
In an emergency, the train's on-board computer can override the conductor & apply the brakes.
Sian Edwards, the original conductor, had to withdraw here because of a family emergency; the young Estonian Anu Tali, on short notice, showed excellent command.
He was unable to find a last-minute replacement for the conductor, Lorin Maazel, the music director of the New York Philharmonic, who canceled because of emergency eye surgery.
