Archive for December, 2007
Monday, December 31st, 2007
Word of the Week: THINKABLINKAPHOBIA
THINKABLINKAPHOBIA: \THINK uh BLINK uh FO beea\ noun: When running down the ramp to your platform in Grand Central, the optical illusion that the red lights on the side of the train are blinking–meaning the train is about to close its doors and depart.
USAGE: I thought I was about to miss the 6:17 to Waccabuc, […]
No Comments » - Posted in Word of the Week by TJ
Monday, December 31st, 2007
Commuting Gets its Close-Up
The Real Estate section of the NY Times has kicked off a month-long feature that sees the reporter try out different commutes from different corners of the Metro area. It feels a bit like Nick Paumgarten’s seminal New Yorker story on commuting — breaking down the trade-off of having a sizeable home and a mostly […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Billie Cohen, Nick Paumgarten by TJ
Friday, December 28th, 2007
Underground Movies
I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions. In fact, I’ve had the same one for eight years running, and still haven’t accomplished it: Learn to crack an egg with one hand like the guy at the old Cooper Diner.
But I have a new one this year, and I’m getting a head start on it now: […]
No Comments » - Posted in Money Train, Second Avenue Sagas by TJ
Friday, December 28th, 2007
Interchange Stage Left?
The train was half-full and quiet this morning, giving me time to reflect on a pretty dismal ride through the so-called Great State of New Jersey yesterday.
Like many, I’m a big fan of electronic highway media that keeps you up to date with traffic news (it’s not quite Clever Commute, but still). The best I’ve […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Uncategorized by TJ
Friday, December 21st, 2007
Word of the Week: PHANTOM OF THE STOPERA
PHANTOM OF THE STOPERA /FANN tum uv the STOPP ruh/ noun:
The people you see at your train stop each day that suddenly disappear, but pop into your mind weeks or months later and cause you to wonder what ever happened to them.
Usage: I was kind of making eyes at this young brunette at my stop, […]
No Comments » - Posted in Word of the Week by TJ
Thursday, December 20th, 2007
The Laziest Man in All of Westchester
We happened upon the grand opening bash for the Ritz-Carlton in White Plains last night, which brought out an odd mix of Bedford blueblood broads in iron-gray hair and builder-types in ill-fitting suits, white socks, and giant phones strapped to their belts.
Seating was hard to come by. The Missus and I spied a small table […]
No Comments » - Posted in Ritz-Carlton, White Plains by TJ
Wednesday, December 19th, 2007
5 Observations About Media Consumption on Metro-North
1. Everyone reads the Post on the ride home. It’s never the Daily News. Is it because the Post costs a quarter? Is it because the Post has people hand out free copies outside train stations? Is it because the Post has some Joel Sherman steroids scoop that someone told you about at the water […]
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by TJ
Wednesday, December 19th, 2007
Happy (Almost) Birthday to Us
According to our records, on January 13 last year, Trainjotting smashed into commuters’ collective consciousness like a Harlem Line express train hurtling toward White Plains. Over the course of a year, we’ve documented and detailed all sorts of Metro-North minutia as we slowly, painstakingly shifted from commuting newbie to a hard-bitten veteran of the Grand […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Derailed, Straphanger Joe by TJ
Tuesday, December 18th, 2007
I Thought My Commute Sucked Vol. XIXVI
This poor bugger profiled in AM New York has a three-hour commute each way. Sean Granahan works at a clinic for homeless children, so don’t even think about making fun of him.
The line of the story:
“If the farmers around Montrose [PA] are taking their cows across the highway, I have to drive very slow, and usually […]
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by TJ
Tuesday, December 18th, 2007
A Rare Time When I’m Completely Stumped For A Headline
I left work with more than enough time to catch the 6 to Grand Central, or so I thought. The platform was about a third full–typical for a workday evening.
A few minutes passed, and the platform started to fill. The first tickle of anxiety crept in.
A few more minutes passed, and the platform was good and […]