Even though every subway car is equipped with an emergency brake, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority says the brakes shouldn't be used during most emergencies. If there's a crime, fire, or ...

The explanation, transit officials say, is simple. If someone gets caught between the train’s closing doors, or between subway cars, and is about to be dragged to an unenviable fate, pull the cord.

Transit Reporter Jose Martinez explains. They're inside every subway car. A chord that can bring a roaring subway train to a screeching stop. "It seems awfully easy to pull," said one straphanger.