The New York City Subway system is full of craziness, rats, and all sorts of trash. But that trash doesn't usually come in the form of an entire bin propped between the tracks, and the third rail guard, and it's not usually incinerated by an oncoming Q train. 

"I don't know what I expected but it wasn't that," brendanpontes commented on the subsequent explosion, sending sparks flying onto both platforms. 

New York City subway trash bins are typically encased in an immovable metal casing to prevent accidents like this one, but attentive MTA employees, or the train's conductor also could have helped. 

"I know the conductor saw that," Thy, Mac joked. It certainly didn't appear that the train was moving too fast to stop. 

The explosion was likely a combination of the collision, pressure, and a bit of third rail electricity. Even typically stoic New Yorkers were forced to take cover. 

As magickmachkinations wrote, "So this is why i have to wait 46 minutes to go uptown."