Q: Now that riders are not allowed to use the end doors to change subway cars, how are we supposed to get to the first five cars on the 1 train for the South Ferry?

A: For years, passengers have reacted with panic when hearing a conductor’s warning that only passengers on the first five cars of a South Ferrybound train will be able to get off. The result has been a mass exodus of people through the end doors of subway cars. By the end of the year, this will no longer be allowed. For the past year, however, New York City Transit has allowed passengers extra time at the Chambers Street station to get off the train and walk to the first five cars. The question most have is: How do I know when I’ve reached the first five cars? You’ve reached the fifth car when you pass the conductor, whose cab is in the front of the sixth car. On many 1 trains now, the conductor’s cab is as wide as the car itself. The door is locked and passengers must step onto the platform and walk to the fifth car.

Q: I know there are rules prohibiting certain conduct on the subway. I have never once seen a police officer hand out a ticket for such an infraction. Are the rules enforced?

A: There are plenty of rules, from jumping a turnstile to littering, and now there is a rule prohibiting moving between cars. But even as the number of rules grows, the number of tickets issued has declined, statistics from New York City Transit show. In 2004, transit police issued 165,700 tickets, down from 171,000 in 2003. The number of citations issued through May 5 of this year totaled 64,700, a rate of nearly 13,000 a month or 156,000 for the year. Interestingly, tickets for the most commonly seen rule infraction – unauthorized selling – were issued 1,332 times last year, down from 1,934 in 2003.