# Runaway, 13, Was Lost in Subway for 11 Days



## DET63 (Nov 26, 2009)

> By JENNIFER 8. LEE
> A 13-year-old Brooklyn boy with Asperger’s syndrome vanished in the New York subway system for 11 days despite frantic search by his parents, relatives, police and the Mexican consulate to find him.
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## Spokker (Nov 26, 2009)

The New York subway system is aspie heaven. So many lines, trains and details to memorize. No wonder that one guy suffering from Asperger's learned so much about the subway that he was able to steal a train full of people and successfully operate it for a number of stops, before derailing after taking a turn at high speed.

Here in Southern California there isn't much fun to be had when you're hopelessly into trains for no reason.


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## AlanB (Nov 26, 2009)

Spokker said:


> The New York subway system is aspie heaven. So many lines, trains and details to memorize. No wonder that one guy suffering from Asperger's learned so much about the subway that he was able to steal a train full of people and successfully operate it for a number of stops, before derailing after taking a turn at high speed.
> Here in Southern California there isn't much fun to be had when you're hopelessly into trains for no reason.


He didn't derail the train, he ran a grade timing signal and didn't know how to reset the braking system, which is why he got caught. Right up until that point, he had operated the train perfectly making all the stops properly, and probably would have gotten away with things but for his being fooled by the GT signal and not knowing how to reset things.


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## the_traveler (Nov 26, 2009)

Did I miss something in the article, or was there another story about someone with Asperger's syndrome stealing a subway? :huh: I only read that Francisco *RODE* the subways for 11 days! :blink:


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## Long Train Runnin' (Nov 26, 2009)

AlanB said:


> Spokker said:
> 
> 
> > The New York subway system is aspie heaven. So many lines, trains and details to memorize. No wonder that one guy suffering from Asperger's learned so much about the subway that he was able to steal a train full of people and successfully operate it for a number of stops, before derailing after taking a turn at high speed.
> ...


Are we talking about the same story or a different incident. None of the links in this thread point to this child running a subway train.


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## MrEd (Nov 26, 2009)

two stories, both sad.


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## Spokker (Nov 26, 2009)

Oh, sorry, I was talking about another guy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darius_McCollum


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## AlanB (Nov 26, 2009)

Yes, Darius is the guy who showed up at 207th Street many years ago and took an A Subway train many years ago by pretending to be a motorman sent to cover a shift. He made all stops successfully down the west side of Manhattan without incident, even the conductor didn't realize that he wasn't a real motorman. I believe it was when he started down the tunnel under the East River, although perhaps it was coming into West 4th Street, where he blew past a grade timing signal, which of course dropped his air on him stopping the train.

When control told him to reset the valve and recharge the train, it became clear that he didn't know how to do that and they realized that he wasn't an actual motorman.

This case has nothing to do with the recent news story that was linked to in the first post about another 11 year old boy who just spent several days just riding the trains because he was too scared to go home.


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## amtrakwolverine (Nov 28, 2009)

why did he runaway in the first place.


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## ALC Rail Writer (Nov 28, 2009)

amtrakwolverine said:


> why did he runaway in the first place.


He was afraid that his parents would be mad about his schoolwork, and he has asperger syndrome.


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## Phila 30th St (Dec 1, 2009)

I read a book when I was in Middle School called _Slake's Limbo_ about a boy who lived in the New York City Subway for months. Sounds like this guy lived it.


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## tp49 (Dec 1, 2009)

Phila 30th St said:


> I read a book when I was in Middle School called _Slake's Limbo_ about a boy who lived in the New York City Subway for months. Sounds like this guy lived it.


I read the same book in the 5th grade. That brought back some memories.


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## DET63 (Dec 12, 2009)

the_traveler said:


> Did I miss something in the article, or was there another story about someone with Asperger's syndrome stealing a subway? :huh: I only read that Francisco *RODE* the subways for 11 days! :blink:


Actually, without reading this, some of us would think that Francisco _was_ the_traveler.


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