Former NYC Transit boss sucker-punched on street

Former New York City Transit Authority president Sarah Feinberg was the victim of an unprovoked, random attack near a subway station in Chelsea, according to reports.

Feinberg, who served as interim president through the COVID-19 pandemic before stepping down in July, was attacked at a street corner near the F train at 23rd Street on Oct. 20, reports the New York Post.

The suspect was walking the wrong way in a bike lane before suddenly turning around and punching Feinberg in the face, according to the source cited by The Post.

When police did not immediately respond to her 911 call, the former transit boss walked to the local precinct and filed a report in-person.

“Obviously I’m grateful the assault was not more serious but I don’t think there’s any question there’s just far, far too much of these kinds of attacks, and much more serious ones, happening,” Feinberg told The Post on Friday. Her face was swollen where the man struck her but she did not seek medical attention.

The brazen incident may be connected to the resurgence of the “knockout game,” a social media trend where people slug random passerby in broad daylight for attention online. Last trending in 2020, authorities say that around 20 “sucker-punch” incidents have been recorded this year.

The NYC Transit Authority is responsible for operating all subway trains and buses in the Big Apple.

During her 17-month tenure as interim president, Feinberg fought then-Mayor Bill de Blasio for increased police presence in the subways due to rampant violence.

Current mayor Eric Adams criticized de Blasio’s soft-on-crime policies and the “defund police movement” during his campaign.

 Crime in the country’s largest subway system has risen almost 40% since 2019 as of August. 

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin has closed a double-digit deficit with incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, by focusing on rising crime in the city.