Archive for March, 2009
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
‘Blood’ Shed at Bel Paese
One thing one notices when relocated from the city to the ‘burbs is all the flags. The only flags you see in the city are the orange, blue and white of New York City itself, waving in the breeze at the city’s various parks.
But once you hit the suburbs, you see all sorts of American […]
No Comments » - Posted in Hawthorne by TJ
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
Jack Johnson Riding Metro-North?
As we’ve detailed on these cyber-pages, Metro-North has been the inspiration for at least one popular troubadour–Larchmont songster Michael Nappi even put the ol’ railroad on the cover of his album, and named a song after the 7:26 morning train to the city.
Well, surfer lame-o Jack Johnson has tapped the train as a muse as […]
No Comments » - Posted in Larchmont, Michael Nappi by TJ
Monday, March 30th, 2009
An Open Letter from Jersey Jim To:
The Suburbs.
It is late March, Suburbs. Why do you still have a Christmas wreath on your front door? I can see you from here.
Oh, okay, Suburbs…I hear ya…those are NOT Christmas decorations. It really is a “Winter Welcome Circle of Peace.” That faded red bow just breathes a ribbon of warmth to all! Indeed.
And those […]
No Comments » - Posted in Open Letter, jerseyjim by TJ
Monday, March 30th, 2009
Well, They Do Call the Back of the Dress a Train
Reader Michele has long harbored a dream of getting married in a train station. Can someone please offer some suggestions?
And be nice, damnit.
Hi– I am getting married and thought it would be cool to have the ceremony in a beautiful restored (or not) railway station in NY/NJ. Any thoughts from the pros here on which […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Train Stations by TJ
Sunday, March 29th, 2009
Now We’re a Big Schott
Big thanks to the NY Times for highlighting one of Trainjotting’s world renowned Words of the Week in the new word blog Schott’s Vocab.
The one that linguist/wordplay maven (wordplayah?) Ben Schott published was the peculiar afflication that consumes countless regular commuters which sees them need to sit in the same seat (i.e. “their” seat) on […]
No Comments » - Posted in Word of the Week by TJ
Friday, March 27th, 2009
For THY Reading Pleasure…
Reader Lisa, a fluent speaker of the ancient tongue of Biblese, has some suggestions and tweaks for Trainjotting’s Commuter’s Ten Commandments.
She writes:
Peace be unto you. Please consider fixing a few grammatical errors in the commandments (corrections in all caps)
1. Thou shalt leave the seat next to thou unadorned with books and bags until the train […]
No Comments » - Posted in Ten Commandments, iPod by TJ
Friday, March 27th, 2009
I Love ‘Loosie’: One-Ride MetroCards a Dying Breed
It’s the subway equivalent of buying two bucks’ worth of gas with quarters and dimes you scrounged up in the couch cushions.
The New York Times has a fun little piece on those goofy white MetroCards that cost $2 and are useless after a single run through the turnstile. Around 3% of subway purchases are for […]
No Comments » - Posted in Metrocard, Subway by TJ
Thursday, March 26th, 2009
Why Isn’t Connecticut Footing the Doomsday Bill?
Don’t hate on Metro-North riders from the Nutmeg State because they’re blueblood banker guys who won’t let a bunch of kids build a wiffleball park.
Hate on them because Connecticut is exempt from the major price hikes that seem to be in the works, sayeth a dear rider/reader.
Greetings,
I’m curious as to why there’s been so little […]
2 Comments » - Posted in Doomsday, Metro North, New Haven Line by TJ
Thursday, March 26th, 2009
Doomsday Approaches
The MTA has voted for its so-called doomsday budget that would see subway fare hiked up 50 cents and the commuter rails costing another 20-30%.
The latter would go into effect June 1. A commuter riding Long Island Railroad from Hicksville to Penn Station each day, reports the New York Times, would see his monthly nut go from […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Doomsday, MTA, Michael Bloomberg by TJ
Thursday, March 26th, 2009
The Idiot Box and the Idiot Carrying It
I’m hustling down the steps toward the 6 train under Grand Central.
I see the train on the platform, doors open like the arms of a hardy wife after a farmer’s long day in the fields. (It’s early, I’ll work on that metaphor.)
In front of me is man lugging a giant television, like a 29-incher, big […]