[NEMDF]

What is a “straphanger”?

[presently no screen name]

Anyone who rides the subway. Years ago they actually had straps attached to the over head pole to hand onto when all the seats were taken (rush hour).

[I still care]

The old cars had straps hanging. If you had no seats, you would grab a strap to help stablize you. I also remember big metal loops that hinged downward you could grab. He's basically saying the car was so crowded that people were hanging from the straps.