Author: subwayblogger

The Crazies are Active

subwaybloggerLeave a comment

I’ve experienced an unprecedented amount of encounters with crazy bums this week.  Like, a LOT of encounters.  Almost every time I ride the train.

A few of the highlights.

The Crazy Bum Couple. I’m standing on the platform one afternoon this week waiting for my train.  I hear a loud fight half in English, half Spanish.  Turn around, and there’s a homeless couple yelling at each other about the direction the train is going to run (uptown or downtown).  It was the uptown side.  They were also oddly short people.

Anyway, the guy has a purple bandage around his arm at the elbow.  When I noticed it again, I saw that his elbow was broken.  The joint totally did not line up at all.  This purple bandage was the equivelant of an ace bandage, but there was a huge bump below where it ended the size of a baseball.  It was his elbow.  There’s no way it was in the socket.

Of course, they got right in the same car I did where the discussion continued.  It was also interlaced with him screaming about how he wasn’t going to effing move out of the doorway when people tried to get on and off.

The Pundit. Yesterday, there was a guy waiting on the platform having a very detailed discussion about the qualifications for being President of the USA.  He was very up to date on current events.  I thought he was talking to someone on the phone with a bluetooth or something.  Turns out…nope.  He was talking to himself.

He also got on the same car as me where the “debate” continued about how many rights do Americans really need.  Does new technology really help us?  Did anyone really ask for the microwave to be invented?  This discussion was at full volume as if he were talking to everyone on that end of the train.   Not at all angry, and he actually made some good points.  Unfortunately, he was just talking to himself.

How did I know he was crazy?  He had a pair of black nylon stockings tied around his mouth like a surgeon’s mask.

Keith Urban Performs in Columbus Circle

subwayblogger2 Comments

On my way home today, I checked out what I had predicted to be insanity in Columbus Circle…the NFL Kickoff show.  I shot this quick clip of Keith Urban performing on stage.

http://www.viddler.com/player/9a10a2f0/

I didn’t stick around long.

Shockingly, the subway was not at all busy.  This morning, I asked a transit cop if the entrances would be closed.  He said yes, but they were all open when I got there.

I didn’t stick around for Usher’s performance, so maybe it got more crowded then.  Overall, wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

NFL Kickoff Sh*tshow in Columbus Circle

subwayblogger1 Comment

If you haven’t seen or heard, the NFL has taken over all of Columbus Circle.  Tomorrow, it grows even more.

It’s all for the “NFL Kickoff” celebration tomorrow featuring performances by Usher, Keith Urban, and Natasha Bedingfield.

There’s an enormous stage taking up the width of Central Park South.  The stage is set up on Columbus Circle facing down CPS toward 5th Avenue.

However, all of the Circle will be closed to traffic and much of it to foot traffic tomorrow.  Streets all the way up to the 60’s on Broadway and Central Park West. And all of Central Park South from Columbus Circle to 5th Avenue.  Insane!

It’s going to make subway traffic in that area interesting.

The Columbus Circle subway is a complete disaster as it is right now from the never ending construction.  So I don’t know how they plan to handle all of the afternoon commute traffic.  The concert starts at about 3PM and ends by 6:45p.  So the rush should be fun.

Getting in and out of the half open stairways, half width platforms, etc is going to be epic.

September Freebies: Ads On SUBWAYblogger.com

subwaybloggerLeave a comment

Back by popular demand, free ads on SUBWAYblogger.com. The free banner ads are available on a first come, first served basis only a week of your choosing in September.

We are offering a free, week long banner ad in our left sidebar (premium space!). You can pick any 7 days you like so it doesn’t have to be Mon-Sun.

If you are interested, just send an email to:

free [[at]] subwayblogger.com

You’ll get an email back with instructions within 5 minutes or less.

Once they are gone, they’re gone, but we will do it again next month.  They’ve been going faster and faster every month, so get going!

Welcome Home Kids

subwaybloggerLeave a comment

The kids are back on the train.  They’re back from their summers in the Hamptons, and they look excited…haha.

Schools in the city have officially started, so students are back with us on the platforms in the morning.

It’s fun to watch the high school dynamics.  It’s like a flashback for me.  They cluster in little groups.  The hot chicks in one group, with the obligatory gay guy friend.  The punk rock kids in as much black as possible.  Cracks me up.

The trick is figuring out how to avoid the train door they are going to use.  They’ll only get on the train if they can all fit at once.  So you don’t want to be caught in the middle of that for an entire ride.

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend.

College Students Are Back

subwayblogger1 Comment

The freshmen are in town.  I’ve seen a lot of tour groups riding the subway.  I know they are tour groups because one kid has a t-shirt on that says “orientation leader.”

I guess part of the orientation process is learning how to get around the city.  If so, that’s pretty cool that they take the out of town kids around to get them acclimated to city life.

I overheard some in depth discussions about uptown vs downtown and express vs local…haha.

Honestly, the orientation leaders should just talk about the subway and stops in terms of bars.  Instead of calling the stop West 4th Street, call it Off the Wagon, Down the Hatch, and 124 Rabbit Club…etc.

Over Energetic Train Conductor

subwayblogger5 Comments

Have you ever been riding to subway and heard an over energetic subway conductor that looooves to use the PA system?

There’s one guy on my line that gets into his little announcements way too much.  On the one hand, it’s awesome because you can always hear him loud and clear.  On the other hand, it gets a bit overwhelming.

He gets everyone psyched up to make the transfer to the train across the platform.

“Ok passengers.  There’s an express train right across the platform that just opened it’s doors.  Let’s do this…here we go.”

“C’mon everybody.  Be nice.  Make some room…I know you’re thinner than that.”

He can be kinda funny and nerdy at the same time.

Some are just a**holes with it.  They scream at you the whole time about blocking the doors.  As if that’s actually going to make people move faster.

Escalator Service at 59th Street Subway 50% Restored

subwaybloggerLeave a comment

Well, I guess that’s at least half way cool.  It seems that the up escalator at the 59th Street/Columbus Circle station has been restored.  After what’s been about 4 months or more (?), that thing is finally getting back up and running.

Unfortunately, I can’t get on the MTA’s case for this because it is not controlled by them.  The escalators are actually run by the Time Warner Center itself.

What’s funny is that they can fix the mall escalator in a matter of hours.  Hell, it only took a week to install them new in the first place.  However, when it comes to the subway, it takes forever.

Anyone have some Double Mint gum?

subwayblogger2 Comments

A funny improv mob hit the 6 train to create the human mirror.

Fifteen sets of twins, dressed identically, boarded a train and sat directly across from each other.  They mimicked each other’s every move.  They then waited for people on the train to notice the real life human mirror, then taped their reactions.

Pretty funny.  That would be pretty freaky to see in person.  I would probably have stood there for five minutes or more before realizing it.  The whole time though knowing that “something is strange here…but I can’t quite put my finger in it.”