Monthly Archives: March 2011

An Open Letter To:

Posted on March 31, 2011 by TJ

The woman “holding” the door open on the 5:27 yesterday. It was 5:23. That is an essential bit of information in this sad parable. I was hustling along the Track 29 platform, looking for an increasingly rare seat on the 5:27, … Continue reading →

Posted in Open Letter, Open Seats | 1 Comment

Bermuda or Bust

Posted on March 30, 2011 by TJ

Some pretty substantial delays on the ride in this morning. We crawled through central Westchester before the conductor got on the horn and told us everything was a bit slow, due to signal problems below 125th Street–perhaps the Bronx Zoo … Continue reading →

Posted in 125th Street, Vanderbilt Hall | 1 Comment

Surviving the Seat Shortage

Posted on March 25, 2011 by TJ

So you’re chugging through the cars on your evening train, lamenting the lack of A or B level seats (aisles, unopposed seats in the five-pack, etc). You come across one of the beloved 1 3/4-seaters, the folding all-by-yourself seats next … Continue reading →

Posted in 1-3/4-Seater, New Haven Line | Leave a comment

Lost in Translation

Posted on March 23, 2011 by TJ

As I noted here the other day, all this rain/snow/sleet/wintry-mix-in-spring lets me see my little town as a pedestrian, instead of zooming to the train on my bike. There are not many pedestrians around town. Typically they are Hispanic males … Continue reading →

Posted in Hawthorne, Walk to Work | Leave a comment

Things We Found While Walking Home From the Train

Posted on March 22, 2011 by TJ

These rainy/snowy days provide us with the pleasure of walking to and from the train station, instead of our usual two-wheeled (two-tired? too tired?) approach. Late last week, I spied a compelling sight off the side of the road going … Continue reading →

Posted in Bradhurst, Joan Maybury, Mount Pleasant, Walk to Work | Leave a comment

Straphanger Joe’s Book Hits Stores This Spring

Posted on March 21, 2011 by TJ

It is with abundant pride that I announce the pending publication of yet another book from the Trainjotting correspondent family: Straphanger Joe’s brilliant novel Open Wounds. Open Wounds is a very unique book; it’s the life story of an aging … Continue reading →

Posted in Engine Bob, Straphanger Joe | Leave a comment

Mardi Bragh!

Posted on March 17, 2011 by TJ

It’s a lethal combination: St. Patrick’s Day, and a beautiful sunny day in the 60s. The diehards in cheesy green boas and bowlers were out in force on the 8:16 this morning. (Anyone else notice how the St. Paddy’s costumes are … Continue reading →

Posted in 1-3/4-Seater, St. Patrick's Day | Leave a comment

Word of the Week: PAYING DUMB

Posted on March 15, 2011 by TJ

PAYING DUMB /PAY inng DUMM/ verb: Trying to pass off an off-peak ticket on an on-peak train in hopes that the conductor won’t notice and won’t hit you with the extra charge. [Also known as "Vig-norant"] Usage: I tried paying dumb with … Continue reading →

Posted in Conductor, Word of the Week | Leave a comment

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