Author Archive
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
To bug or not to bug
We all know the cars on the New Haven line are gross. To be honest though, as a regular on the “bloodline,” (named for the red motif used on the trains,) the squalor isn’t usually forefront on my mind. I learned pretty quickly to recognize and avoid the dreaded bathroom cars and to keep my […]
3 Comments » - Posted in New Haven Line, filth by G. Francis
Monday, May 14th, 2007
Word of the Week - Seatenfreude
Seatenfreude/seat’n-froi’d?/noun - The guilty pleasure one gets when sitting in a train packed with aisle surfers. (Note: seatenfreude is best enjoyed from the comfy confines of the object of one’s O. Seat D.)
Usage: I missed the 5:56, but I consoled myself with a beer and a hot pretzel and boarded the 6:18 15 minutes early. […]
No Comments » - Posted in Word of the Week by G. Francis
Wednesday, April 25th, 2007
There but for the grace of God sit I
My first glimpse of the Mamaroneck platform this morning told me something was wrong. There were way too many people standing around looking even less happy than usual.
While I’m used to standing on the ride home, not getting a seat in the morning is not something I can recover from easily so to preserve my […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Catenary, Mamaroneck, Metro North, New Haven Line, delay, getting a seat, sleep by G. Francis
Wednesday, April 18th, 2007
Why I didn’t commute Monday
Well our fearless leader Malone5a has put out a call for all noreaster-themed commuter stories and as I’m a resident of storm-addled Mamaroneck he’s looking for me to come up with something.
Having not gone into the office the day after the storm I don’t have a storm-related commuting story exactly, but I guess showing a […]
No Comments » - Posted in Mamaroneck, flooding, governor spitzer, noreaster, weather by G. Francis
Tuesday, April 10th, 2007
G. Francis: Um, That Was My Stop
Ever zone out while driving and miss an exit? Embarrassing, right? It’s bad enough if it’s just your wife and kids in the car, imagine what it might feel like if you were driving, say, several hundred commuters on their way home. If you’re really curious, the conductor of a recent train to Harrison might […]
2 Comments » - Posted in Harrison, Mamaroneck, mishaps, missed stop by G. Francis
Friday, March 2nd, 2007
Dropping the ball in Times Square
Amateurs. With their giant bags, lackadaisical meanderings, screaming children and other etiquette violations, they’re high on the list of commuter annoyances.
Luckily however we professionals don’t often interact with rookies during the main leg of our rush hour travels. Once we leave the friendly confines of our commuter rail systems however, the amateur quotient rises. The […]
No Comments » - Posted in Amateurs, Annoyances, HEETs, Subway, Times Square by G. Francis
Wednesday, February 28th, 2007
Little Big Board
Your guest editor is of a geekier bent than your regular virtual conductor, so here’s my favorite train-related tech tip. Did you know that the MTA’s Web site contains its own version of the Big Board — the Grand Central Terminal departure info displayed on monitors around the station?
Of course you didn’t. That’s because the […]
3 Comments » - Posted in Al Qaeda, Amateurs, Beer, Beer guy, Blackberry, Departure time, Metro North, Tech, Tech Tips, treo by G. Francis
Tuesday, February 27th, 2007
Ask Engine Bob: The Secret Platform
Q: Engine Bob, is there any truth to that old story about a secret train platform beneath the Waldorf-Astoria hotel that Andy Warhol gave a party on? Or is this just urban legend?
A: Actually, the story’s true-a good portion of it, anyway. You’re referring to what Grand Central maintenance crew (and Metro North brass, though […]
4 Comments » - Posted in Engine Bob, Grand Central, Secrets, Track 61 by G. Francis
Monday, February 26th, 2007
Word of the Week: Stenchbench
STENCHBENCH \STENNCH-bennch\noun: The almost always
available trio of seats directly across from the
toilet.
Usage: I was a little late boarding the 7:22, so I had
to sit on the f***ing stenchbench.