Pain Validation Transcript

Raw commuter responses on late-evening pain hypotheses

Following the toolkit naming conventions, this file is named exp-10.b-pain-validation-detail-2025-03-20.qmd.

Overview

This file contains the raw responses from a small intercept survey of late-evening subway commuters in Queens.
It supports the demo: Pain Validation with Maya Patel.

  • Date: March 20, 2025
  • Location: Queens subway stations, after 9:00pm
  • Sample size: 10 respondents (n=10)
  • Format: Short intercept questions (5–7 minutes each)

Protocol

Questions asked (from the Pain Testing Guide):

  1. In the past 30 days, have you felt unsafe walking alone at night after exiting the subway?
  2. When was the last time this happened?
  3. How often has this come up in the past month?
  4. Rank these pains from most to least disruptive:
    • Dark/unlit blocks
    • Crowded train exits
    • Unexpected detours

Respondent Summaries

R1 — 26, grad student

  • Recognition: Yes
  • Last time: “Two nights ago, walking back from class.”
  • Frequency: “At least 3 times this month.”
  • Ranking: 1. Dark/unlit blocks 2. Crowded exits 3. Detours
  • Quote: “I’ll walk an extra 10 minutes just to stay under the lights.”

R2 — 46, offic manager

  • Recognition: Yes
  • Last time: “Last week, after closing shift.”
  • Frequency: “Once or twice a week.”
  • Ranking: 1. Detours 2. Dark/unlit blocks 3. Crowded exits
  • Quote: “The worst is when the train is delayed and then I miss the busy sidewalks — it feels sketchy walking alone.”

R3 — 29, office assistant

  • Recognition: Yes
  • Last time: “Last Friday night.”
  • Frequency: “Maybe 4 times this month.”
  • Ranking: 1. Dark/unlit blocks 2. Detours 3. Crowded exits
  • Quote: “I text my roommate every time I leave the station. It helps me feel calmer.”

R4 — 41, delivery driver

  • Recognition: No
  • Last time: —
  • Frequency: —
  • Ranking: 1. Crowded exits 2. Detours 3. —
  • Quote: “I don’t mind the walk, but subway crowds stress me more than the streets.”

(Continue through R5–R10 with similar format.)

Data Table (Compiled)

Respondent Segment Recognition Last Time Frequency (30d) Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Quote (short)
R1 Grad student Yes 2 days ago 3× Dark Crowded Detours “I’ll walk extra for lights.”
R2 Restaurant worker Yes 7 days ago 4× Detours Dark Crowded “Missing busy sidewalks feels sketchy.”
R3 Office assistant Yes 5 days ago 4× Dark Detours Crowded “I text my roommate every time.”
R4 Delivery driver No — — Crowded Detours — “Crowds stress me more.”
… … … … … … … … …

Notes & Reflections

  • Recognition rate: 8 of 10 respondents reported dark/unlit block anxiety in the past 30 days.
  • Recency: Most could recall an incident within the past 1–2 weeks.
  • Frequency: Average ≈ 3×/month.
  • Ranking: Dark/unlit blocks most frequently ranked #1.
  • Unexpected theme: Some commuters said delays (detours) trigger the dark-block issue by making them walk later.

Traceability