Archive for February, 2007
Wednesday, February 14th, 2007
This Only Happens in Movies
After last week’s mad dash, I promised myself I wouldn’t be doing any 10-minute sprints from work to the train anymore. So I did a 9-minute sprint. Work ran long, something came across the transom late, blah blah blah. So I got a late start.
Sixteen blocks in nine minutes. Not bloody likely. I’d pretty much given […]
No Comments » - Posted in Gwyneth Paltrow, Metro North by TJ
Wednesday, February 14th, 2007
Nor’easter 2007: Journal News on Train vs. Car
Are trains the way to beat the weather?
WHITE PLAINS - Freezing rain, ice and sleet are a wicked trio for trains that rely on track switches working properly to deliver people on time.Still, by 9 a.m. today there were no delays or weather related problems to report from the Metro-North Commuter Railroad, a spokesman […]
No Comments » - Posted in Metro North by TJ
Wednesday, February 14th, 2007
Nor’easter 2007!
Today, I became the Man I mocked for so many years in Manhattan. You know that Man — bitter soul cursing the extreme weather as he chips the ice off his windshield and prepares for his perilous commute, as his Manhattan brethren gambol about on snowshoes.
Yes, compounding the excitement of my first commute in extreme […]
1 Comment » - Posted in 8:17, Hawthorne, News 12, White Plains by TJ
Tuesday, February 13th, 2007
BFFs on the 7:22!
I’d never seen this before. The 7:22’s about to leave. A guy—Lennon specs, preppy, clean cut–asks another guy—rumpled beige suit, loosened tie, tired, resembling Robin Williams when he has a beard–to let him in for the window seat. Robin Williams obliges.
The train takes off. Clean Cut makes a joke. Robin Williams, munching a bag […]
No Comments » - Posted in 7:22, Harlem, Hawthorne, Samuel Adams, White Plains, Window Seat by TJ
Monday, February 12th, 2007
Word of the Week: Mount Yearnin’
MOUNT YEARNIN’ \Mowwnt Yerrnin\ noun: Pangs of envy one feels when passing the stops at Bronxville, Pelham, Mount Vernon, etc., that are within 30 minutes of Grand Central.
Usage: I had a serious case of Mount Yearnin’ as the 7:22 rumbled along to Chappaqua.
1 Comment » - Posted in Bronxville, Chappaqua, Grand Central, Pelham, Word of the Week by TJ
Monday, February 12th, 2007
Babel, Indeed
Friday after work, and I’m enjoying a little life, liberty and pursuit of happiness on the 6:33. Guy next to me is young (28?) and nondescript. The second the train exits the tunnel, the guy whips out his cell phone.
He dials.
“What’s going on…”
“I’m on the train. I’m bored…”
“Forgot my book…” [Editor’s note: Yeah, right.]
“KFC? […]
No Comments » - Posted in 6:33, Samuel Adams, White Plains, cell phone by TJ
Sunday, February 11th, 2007
Five Things Straphanger Joe Likes About the Subway
1. No matter how many trains you miss there’s always another one coming (unless of course there’s a malfunction or breakdown, an injured passenger, or smoke either behind you or in front of you from some unexplained source).
2. There are no printed schedules. This saves trees and keeps the platform free of additional litter, which […]
No Comments » - Posted in Subway by TJ
Saturday, February 10th, 2007
I Thought My Commute Was Bad Part 2
From the NY Times yesterday, the English are going against type and rebelling against deplorable train service — specifically, sky-high fares and jam-packed cars. Unable to get on the train, much less get a seat, would-be riders protested by showing fake tickets to the guard (if I remember correctly, it’s something of an honor system […]
No Comments » - Posted in Metro North by TJ
Friday, February 9th, 2007
The New ‘Mileposts’
The February edition of Metro North’s Mileposts is out. If you haven’t seen the publication—and I’m fairly sure I’m the only one who reads it—it’s a surprisingly well-produced little rag with a sly wit.
The lead story in the Valentine’s Day-themed issue, titled “We’re Very Punctual (Unlike Your Last Date)…”–see, I told you it was […]
No Comments » - Posted in Arrival time, Hawthorne, Metro North, Mileposts by TJ
Thursday, February 8th, 2007
Straphanger Joe on “I’m a Widow…”
Straphanger Joe Says:
February 8th, 2007 at 4:11 am
Take the train to Queens. There are two or three homeless men who take the F or V train and a number of men who sing/play instruments for money, and one man who sells batteries. I’ve become so callous to it on a crowded subway with either […]