Monthly Archives: August 2009

UPDATED, WITH PHOTOS!: NJ Transit Riders Get New Entrance

Posted on August 31, 2009 by TJ

Penn Station, whose 1964 destruction and ensuing rebuild is a vital plot point in Mad Men this season, unveiled a new entrance/exit for New Jersey Transit commuters today, reports LoHud.com. JerseyJim reports: Autumn in New York has always been a … Continue reading →

Posted in Mad Men, New Jersey Transit, Penn Station | Leave a comment

Conductor Bobby’s Celeb Sightings a Dunne Deal

Posted on August 28, 2009 by TJ

Besides elicting one of the most bizarre obit second paragraphs as I’ve seen in some time, the passing of famous writer Dominick Dunne earlier this week prompted an entertaining yard from Conductor Bobby, the New Haven Line staffer with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Conductor, Derailed, New Haven Line | Tagged | Leave a comment

JerseyJim Says Meadowlands Express Open For Biz

Posted on August 28, 2009 by TJ

Our morning trains this week were leaflet-bombed with the August issue of “FYI Customer Update”, which informed our New Jersey Transit ridership that (among other things) the Meadowlands rail service is now in operation! Back in the spring I made … Continue reading →

Posted in jerseyjim, New Jersey Transit | Leave a comment

JerseyJim: Fur Flies at Jersey Bike Rack

Posted on August 27, 2009 by TJ

This is a bit hard to rap one’s head around, but let us try. A bike-to-the-station type erroneously chained not only his bike, but the bike next to his, to the rack at a Jersey Transit station. So when the owner … Continue reading →

Posted in Bike Rack, Bike to Work, jerseyjim, Summit | 1 Comment

Can Someone Please Help This Man?

Posted on August 26, 2009 by TJ

I get the sense this letter-writer has put some thought into his commute. Any advice for the Man Who Thinks of Everything is appreciated. Dear Trainjotting, I have been really appreciating your internet blog, since you have the precious qualities of … Continue reading →

Posted in Hawthorne, Reverse Commute | 5 Comments

David’s Car

Posted on August 25, 2009 by TJ

NY Times columnist David Carr is probably the best media critic on the planet, as evidenced by his claiming the Mirror Award for Commentary, given out by media types to those who do the best job of covering the media, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bus, Montclair, Trainjotting Reader | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Ashleigh Banfield Looks Young For ’50′

Posted on August 24, 2009 by TJ

The year 2000. The towers stood tall, Mike Piazza hit mammoth home runs, and Ashleigh Banfield was all over MSNBC. Conductor to the Stars Bobby has an Ashleigh sighting on Metro-North (she lives in Connecticut), along with a topless woman … Continue reading →

Posted in Conductor, Derailed | Tagged | Leave a comment

Hawthorne Rivals Portland in Pedestrian-Friendliness

Posted on August 24, 2009 by TJ

I mentioned late last week that there was a new crosswalk spanning the driveway at Hawthorne’s train station, a rare moment in the former hamlet of Hummerville where pedestrians score some rights over the almighty automobile. Well, that crosswalk isn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Hawthorne, Mount Pleasant | Leave a comment

Straphanger Joe is Feeling a Little Punchy This Morning

Posted on August 24, 2009 by TJ

Salt and Pepper   There’s a poster above me.   It’s hot outside, cool inside. The AC in this car is working. It’s too crowded to be able to read and I’m tired, swaying a little with the motion of … Continue reading →

Posted in iPod, MTA, Straphanger Joe | Leave a comment

The Mean Streets of Scarsdale

Posted on August 21, 2009 by TJ

It was an exceedingly rare night out in the Big Town for TJ last night–a coworker’s 40th, and the whole crew tipping a few on a sticky summer night. Festivities wound down around 9, so I commenced my schlep to … Continue reading →

Posted in Mad Men, Scarsdale | 2 Comments