Archive for June, 2007
Friday, June 29th, 2007
Thomas & Friends Conspiracy: Henry Knew All Along
As has been well-covered, China took a giant step in enhancing its business relationship with the U.S. by dousing Thomas & Friends toy trains with lead paint.
While we were playing with said trains (duh, the non-lead ones) with Little G, something struck us. The “character card” (think, baseball card for trains) for “Henry” made me […]
No Comments » - Posted in Thomas & Friends by TJ
Friday, June 29th, 2007
Straphanger Joe Has a Dream. A Short Dream.
Imagine This
Imagine this…
The subway doors open and six people enter an empty car. Each of them takes a seat next to the rail by the door.
At each successive stop as people step into the car, they sit down next to each other, no wasted space between them, hip to hip, no knees touching. […]
No Comments » - Posted in Straphanger Joe by TJ
Thursday, June 28th, 2007
On-Time Percentage: Trainjotting Puts Metro-North to the Test
We’re not thrilled about the MTA’s 5:59 rule, which says that a train is on time if it lumbers into the station within five minutes and 59 seconds of when it’s supposed to. And we don’t love the fact that the MTA trumpets its dubious 98% “on time” scores each month in Mileposts.
What if […]
4 Comments » - Posted in MTA by TJ
Thursday, June 28th, 2007
An Open Letter To: The Guy Who Consumed Three Beers By White Plains
Sir,
I hadn’t noticed you until I heard the clink of beer bottles stemming from your seat. You were pouring a full bottle of Corona into an empty bottle of Corona. I couldn’t figure out why, until I saw the wedge of lime in the bottom of the empty bottle. You like the citrus flavor in […]
No Comments » - Posted in Beer, Open Letter by TJ
Thursday, June 28th, 2007
Straphanger Joe Masters the Scootch
The Scootch
What would happen if you sat down next to someone on the subway when the car wasn’t crowded — when there was space available to not be next to someone?
Here’s what I mean. You get on the subway and it’s not crowded so there are five or six people seated along the bench […]
No Comments » - Posted in Open Seats, Straphanger Joe by TJ
Wednesday, June 27th, 2007
Power Problems Uptown
A power outtage on the Upper East Side and the Bronx is causing delays on the evening commute.
From lohud.com:
“Because we do not have full power, we are not able to run a full schedule of trains at this time,” [MTA spokesperson Marjorie Anders] said. ” We can operate only one train per track between Grand […]
No Comments » - Posted in delay by TJ
Wednesday, June 27th, 2007
There’s No Room on the N
The subway overcrowding problem is “scary,” according to MTA president Howard Roberts in the Times yesterday. The MTA is several years from building a solution to the problem, so the ever-expanding pool of subway riders will just have to deal.
“It’s bad news,” Roberts said. “There’s no room at the inn.”
Making matters worse is Mayor Bloomberg’s […]
No Comments » - Posted in Howard Roberts, MTA, Uncategorized by TJ
Wednesday, June 27th, 2007
The Old Man and the Seat
After Tuesday morning saw an elderly gent tossed into the gap like yesterday’s Post, we almost saw a repeat performance on the 5:27 home. The train was an old one, the type typically found on the New Haven Line. It was packed, and it was hot–not all that much different from the 90 and humid […]
No Comments » - Posted in New Haven Line, Old Folks by TJ
Tuesday, June 26th, 2007
Word of the Week: Elbonics
ELBONICS: \ell-BAHNN-icks\noun: The fierce battle between side-by-side riders to establish ownership of the space between them. [Adapted from Sniglets.]
Usage: The guy next to me on the 9:16 to the city was quite large, so the elbonics began pretty much right away.
No Comments » - Posted in Sniglets, Word of the Week by TJ
Tuesday, June 26th, 2007
Forget the Gap, Mind the Doors
Major action on the 8:43 today. We were docked in White Plains when a commotion suddenly broke out–metal clanging, someone yelling, several riders shrieking and jumping to their feet.
An elderly fellow had fallen at the edge of the platform.
By the time I got there, a crowd had surrounded the guy. Orders were barked as an […]