Woman gives birth on New York subway train, nickname may be ‘Metro’

With no mention of free transit for the baby, perks of being born in strange places are much better in Canada

When Shireen Anderson suddenly gave birth to her daughter Azauria last month in a Windsor Tim Hortons, a company spokesperson said she could have timbits for life.

The baby quickly received the nickname of Timbit. But what happens if a baby is born on a subway train in the U.S.? Apparently they only get a nickname and no actual perks.

Early Wednesday morning, a 24-year-old woman gave birth to a health baby boy on the J train underneath downtown Manhattan.

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The woman was alone in the train car and heading home to the Bronx when she went into labour. She used the train's intercom to call for help, but the baby arrived on scene before the conductor.

The baby and mother were taken to a nearby hospital and are both said to be healthy and in good condition.

"Looking forward to meeting this little baby," said Metro Transit Authority Chairman Joseph Lhota at the morning's board meeting, according to NBC New York. "I want to have something to do with naming him Metro, or something like that."

The New York Post also suggests calling him Baby Jay.

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Trains in both directions were halted temporarily while police cleaned the train, according to the New York Post.

This isn't the only New York train birth this month. Less than two weeks ago a New Jersey woman gave birth while heading to a doctor's appointment on a commuter train. That baby picked up the nickname "Jhatpat," Hindu for "Fast".

Subway births have also happened in New York in 2008 and 2009.

Unfortunately for those little ones, there was nothing mentioned about free travel on the trains because of where they were born.

But being born on a Canadian mode of transportation comes with some perks, not just a nickname.

In 2006, a girl named Mary Kim was born at Wellesley subway station in Toronto. She was delivered by her father and EMS arrived on scene later to finish the birth and transport the mother and child to St. Michael's hospital.

Toronto transit officials promised to provide Mary with a lifetime transit pass.

B.C. Ferries also has a program called "Born on Board" that entitles anyone born on a ferry to free passenger travel. Since the program began in 1960, there have been 24 babies born on ferries.

(Getty Images)