Monthly Archives: December 2008

MTA Service Alerts Actually Work

Posted on December 11, 2008 by TJ

It’s worth noting that I received my emailed service alert from Metro-North yesterday a full minute before getting one from the private-sector venture CleverCommute. There was a signal problem in the Bronx. I heard it on the Grand Central PA … Continue reading →

Posted in Clever Commute, Metro North | 1 Comment

The Season of Giving. And Taking.

Posted on December 10, 2008 by TJ

I’m strolling along this morning, feeling good about myself.   We’re having a coat drive at work that ends today. I’ve got a contribution to make, and it’s sandwiched between my hip and my briefcase. Formerly my wife’s, this coat … Continue reading →

Posted in Foot It, Tim Coleman | 2 Comments

Yankee Stadium, 30 Rock and Brooklyn Bridge Star in Holiday Train Show

Posted on December 9, 2008 by TJ

The NY Times gives the Holiday Train Show at the Botanical Gardens up in the Bronx a thumbs-up. The Guggenheim Museum is set in lush woodlands, shaded by a Norfolk Island hibiscus, its Frank Lloyd Wright organic spiral evoked by … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

125th At Midnight

Posted on December 8, 2008 by TJ

I had the pleasure of visiting the Metro-North station at 125th and Park around midnight Saturday, heading home after an annual gathering of the old rugby club at the famed Bohemian Beer Hall in Astoria. (The beer choice at the … Continue reading →

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I’m Tempted to Write ‘Manic Monday,’ But I Just Can’t Justify a Bangles Reference

Posted on December 8, 2008 by TJ

For the second time in a week, the wait was approaching 10 minutes for the downtown 6 at Grand Central around 9:30 this morning. So when the old girl finally waltzed in, the crowd on the platform was large and … Continue reading →

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THE TRAINJOTTING READER: ‘Trains, Planes and Bar Cars’

Posted on December 7, 2008 by TJ

Here’s a well-written and compelling essay on train travel from the literary journal Utne Reader. Author J.B. MacKinnon is a little preachy on the environmental matters, but he offers a pretty lyrical take on his train schlep from Vancouver to New … Continue reading →

Posted in Trainjotting Reader | Tagged | 1 Comment

The F*&$ Factor

Posted on December 5, 2008 by TJ

So TJ’s grandmother was none too pleased that we dropped an f-bomb in our recent post about taking Little G to the city on Black Friday, buying him a remote control Dodge Charger at Toys R Us, and leaving the … Continue reading →

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What ‘Rudolph’ Has to Do With Slippery Rail

Posted on December 4, 2008 by TJ

Little G thoroughly enjoyed the first 40 minutes of holiday clay-mation classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer last night, and was particularly intrigued by the Island of Misfit Toys. He couldn’t comprehend why a child would refuse an elephant with spots, … Continue reading →

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Pulling Ourselves Up by Our Pants

Posted on December 4, 2008 by TJ

  He leads. Then I lead.   Then he leads.   I’m walking to work. I imagine he is, too. We’re both marching headlong down Houston Street—frosty air escaping our mouths in the same ghost-y streams—but he and I are … Continue reading →

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NYC Bus System Operates On Honor System

Posted on December 3, 2008 by TJ

In the wake of the murder of New York City busdrive Edwin Thomas Monday, the NY Times has unearthed an interesting wrinkle about the city’s bus system: You don’t really have to pay your fare. Drivers are trained to encourage … Continue reading →

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