In a report issued by the Metro Transportation Authority's board, free daily newspapers like amNY and Metro have been found to be responsible for fires and flooding in subways, and played a "major" role in a 2004 flood that crippled the system. As Gothamist notes, the MTA refuses to take blame for the 2004 flood.

Via the New York Post:

The papers, designed to be read quickly and then thrown away, blow on the tracks and clog up drains — which is what happened in the flood.

The irony to us, however, is not the MTA's refusal to take blame, but the Post's editorial on the report, which, while feigning full disclosure ("The Post is not a disinterested party in this affair. The free papers, after all, compete for readers and advertisers with the one you're reading right now") fails to mention that they are also at times handed out for free.

That they're doing it legally is irrelevant. What, exactly, does the Post think we do with their papers when we grab it on our way to down into the 6? Take them home and vacuum seal them?

Full disclosure: We've only done that twice.