The MTA has a porn problem: Metro-North station websites feature X-rated search titles
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A metro-north train (censored). photo by AEMoreira042281, Illustration by david brand
By David Brand
UPDATE (July 27, 11:03 a.m.): The MTA has responded with a longer statement.
The MTA has a porn problem.
The website titles for at least 16 Metro-North stations contain an X-rated message in the Google search results — quite a surprise for anyone looking up Hudson Line train times.
Take a second to Google “Cold Spring Metro-North station” to find out what we mean.
The website title stored in Google for the Cold Spring Metro-North station as of 11:28 p.m. July 26. Screenshot
The same dirty description — Flirtatious An*l D*ldo For C*ck Hungry Blonde Sl*t — accompanies 13 stations along the Hudson Line, including Metro-North platforms in Riverdale, Greystone, Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, Tarrytown, Scarborough, Ossining, Croton Harmon, Cortlandt, Garrison, Cold Spring and Breakneck Ridge.
That’s one way to get page views. But the MTA says the issue is actually Google’s fault.
Though website titles and descriptions are typically crafted by individual website managers, problems can arise on the search engine’s end, too.
“This is offensive and inappropriate language that is being generated by a Google search algorithm,” an MTA spokesperson said. “There is no issue with the MTA’s website. We reached out to Google yesterday to ask them to fix this immediately. Google needs to fix this now.”
The spokesperson directed questions to Google Monday morning. Google did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
The transit agency also acknowledged the porn issue when someone tweeted at them Sunday afternoon.
Thanks for alerting us! We have passed along your tweet so it can be fixed as soon as we can.
— Metro-North Railroad. Wear a Mask-Stop the Spread. (@MetroNorth) July 26, 2020
The obscene web titles apply to several other Metro-North stations, including Mount Kisco, Waterbury and Yonkers as well. Good SEO?
Wow. We see you Mount Kisco. Screenshot from Google
