Archive for March, 2007
Friday, March 30th, 2007
An Open Letter To:
…the woman on the 6 train platform at 42nd Street who nudged my knapsack forward yesterday.
The train was jammed tighter than Das Boot. I was the last one to get on. Dozens shuffled impatiently on the platform as they realized they weren’t getting on this one. While the doors hadn’t started to shut, my bag […]
No Comments » - Posted in Das Boot, Open Letter by TJ
Thursday, March 29th, 2007
April 1 Fun With the MTA
Metro North is announcing new schedule changes, and true to form, the railroad picked April 1 to launch them. The changes include better early PM peak service on the lower Hudson Line, more service on the Harlem Line thanks to new switches in Mt. Kisco, and faster service for those overachievers in New Canaan.
Good stuff, […]
2 Comments » - Posted in New Canaan by TJ
Thursday, March 29th, 2007
Ask Engine Bob: Should Conductors Hold the Door?
Q: Some fellow LIRR travelers say that the conductors won’t hold the doors for a passenger who’s boarding in the morning with a cup of coffee in his or her hand, because that suggests they’re lackadaisical about making the train. But if you’re free-handed and running, they’ll be far more accommodating. Is that true, or […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Ask Engine Bob, Engine Bob, LIRR, Schedule-padding by TJ
Wednesday, March 28th, 2007
The First Annual “When Will Metro North Be On Time?” Contest
An otherwise normal trip home on the 6:10 slowed to a crawl just before Scarsdale. After several minutes of putt-putting along, we got the dreaded announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, there’s a stalled train on the track between Hartsdale and White Plains, so we’re limited to one track in both directions.”
While seeing the white Rolls Royce parked in Scarsdale […]
1 Comment » - Posted in 6:10, Late trains by TJ
Wednesday, March 28th, 2007
PeterFromPort Says Move to the Right!
I view the need for instructions on shampoo bottles as a serious indictment of our school system. But the real condemnation has to be the big doh! that easily adds four minutes to my commute every morning. Any doubts were dashed this morning, when I once again had to stand rock-still in what should be […]
1 Comment » - Posted in PeterFromPort by TJ
Wednesday, March 28th, 2007
Unpleasantville
Generally, I like the Australian accent. It reminds of me beer and cute party girls named Sheila who backpack all over Europe and America.
But crikey, did the Aussie lady on the train this morning grate on my nerves. Sharing a five-seater with two male colleagues and a very displeased tweedy old gent, she offered the […]
No Comments » - Posted in Pleasantville by TJ
Tuesday, March 27th, 2007
Who’s Got the Worst Commute in America?
This is sort of funny. In conjunction with National Stress Awareness Day (yes, a real thing–April 17), Dodge is sponsoring an “Avenge Your Commute” contest in which the winner gets to beat on a car with a sledgehammer and drive off with a 2008 Dodge Avenger.
Simply write an essay about how much your commute sucks […]
No Comments » - Posted in Avenge Your Commute by TJ
Monday, March 26th, 2007
Phlegm Monster on Long Island Railroad!
My ride this morning convinced me that Long Island has a serious health problem on its hands. Yes, TB is back. I know because a sufferer was on my train, hacking up a lung aboard the 8:18.
I’d stag-leaped into my usual Long Island Rail Road car at 8:16 a.m., heady from having all that time […]
No Comments » - Posted in PeterFromPort, Ratso Rizzo by TJ
Monday, March 26th, 2007
Word of the Week: PREMATURE EVACUATION
PREMATURE EVACUATION: \PREEmachooer EEVackuayshun\ noun: The act of rising from your train seat and standing in the group at the door as Grand Central approaches, only to have the final few blocks last several minutes–causing one to wish one had remained in the comfort of one’s seat.
USAGE: I was a victim of premature evacuation on the […]
No Comments » - Posted in Word of the Week by TJ
Monday, March 26th, 2007
I Thought My Commute Sucked Vol. IV
The NY Times has a story about the increasing misery of riding the El train in Chicago. The trains and tracks are old, and there’s no money to replace them. The president of the Chicago Transit Authority (didn’t they sing that “25 or 6 to 4″ song?) admitted they’re on “borrowed time”, and one commuter said […]