Hillary Clinton rides NYC subway while campaigning in Bronx

NEW YORK, April 7 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took her New York campaign underground Thursday when she hopped on the New York City subway during a trip through the Bronx.

Clinton, who lives in Chappaqua, N.Y., in Westchester County, said the last time she rode the New York City subway was about two years ago.

Clinton represented New York in the U.S. Senate for eight years and the subway jaunt appeared at least subtly as a dig at her opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who in an interview with the New York Daily News said he thought the subway still used tokens.

Subway tokens went the way of the phone booth in 2003, when the city eliminated them, and switched to a reusable swipe card.

Unfortunately for Clinton, she experienced something many New Yorkers experience -- a card that doesn't want to swipe. The former secretary of state had to swipe her card five times and a fellow passenger appeared to offer some advice before the card finally worked and the turnstile opened.

Clinton, with her Secret Service detail, a throng of media, campaign staff and Bronx Borough President Reuben Diaz Jr. all climbed aboard the No. 4 train at the Yankee Stadium stop on 161st Street to travel two stops uptown.

Clinton was greeted warmly by the train passengers while she shook hands and posed for photos. But in typically tough-to-impress New Yorker fashion, one passenger was overheard talking on a cellphone, explaining to someone he would be late because "Hillary Clinton is on the train."