MIDTOWN — A drunk straphanger bit and scratched a female transit worker and pulled out her hair after the two got into an argument on a subway platform, police said.
The 59-year-old worker, from Manhattan, was sitting on a bench on the platform at the 57th St.-7th Ave. subway station at 1:08 a.m. on Friday when a 22-year-old woman got out of a downtown Q train and started arguing with the worker, who was conducting flagging duties, the NYPD said.
As the dispute escalated, the woman attacked the worker, scratching her face, pulling a plug of hair from her head and biting her left hand, police said.
The attacker fled the station, and the transit worker was transported to Roosevelt Hospital for treatment, according to police.
The worker told police she believed the attacker was drunk at the time.
Authorities are searching for the attacker, a Queens resident, who left her wallet with identification cards at the scene.
An MTA spokeswoman confirmed the incident on Tuesday.
“Any attack on our employees is an attack on all of us,” she said.
“We remain committed to the safety and security of our employees and will continue to work with the NYPD to track down these criminals and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
