Author: subwayblogger

Is that bar really going to stop anyone

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The bar that you push past in the subway turnstile…that’s just more of a suggestion huh. If you’ve ever paid slightly more that average attention to the subway entry process (SUBWAYblogger has), then you have probably seen people hop the bar.

It really is more of a suggestion, because who is going to stop you? No one. The only way you are going to get caught is if a police officer is watching. If they see you, you can count on getting a summons. Otherwise, nada.

SUBWAYblogger is NOT suggesting that everyone start dodging fares. Not by any means. It’s merely an observation.

Why don’t they put more of the “iron maiden” style gates in? I guess those cause more issues than they are worth. People always seem to mess up, and lose a fare with those.

Anyway, if they could perfect the system, they could phase out the bar style ones. Think of all the fare money the would be saving! People would be forced to pay. Plus, those 17 year old “kids” that parents swear are 12 years old would have to start paying.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

Roger Toussaint: Back in Business

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TWU President Roger Toussaint is back in business, taking on his third three-year-term as President of the Transit Worker’s Union.

And not a bad way to start his new term, coming of the recently settled labor contract dispute.  The dispute was placed under binding arbitration.  So in other words, the final decision of the arbitrator is enforceable by law.

Good for Toyssaint why?  Because regardless of the outcome, he had no direct control over it.  His team representing the union workers needed only to present their case.  In the end, he cannot be pinned for “giving in” to the MTA since the final decision is out of his hands.

Even if the new contract really sucks (turns out it is just like the first one proposed), that gives him something to spend three years fighting.  If the Union ends up loving the new contract, then he’s a hero.

Talk about a Win – Win.

(Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein)

See the light at the end of the tunnel

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4.5 Days to go. Just keep telling yourself that. 🙂

SUBWAYblogger didn’t take its own advice this weekend. Somehow, I ended up in midtown, crossing 5th Ave too close to the tree at Rockefeller. As predicted, it was pretty crazy.

I figured, what the heck, it’s after 8pm on a Saturday. Most of the shopping crowd is probably gone. Uhhhh nope.

I thought for sure that I could get off well above the heart of Times Square and easily walk across town. Strike two.

The police were in the process of shutting down blocks around Rockefeller. The crowds were litterally spilling out into the streets blocks away. Eventually, there was no way traffic was going to get by, so they began throwing up the barricades.

The subway was no joke around there. At one of the Midtown Lexington Ave stops, the MetroCard machines all stopped working! They all had an Out of Service message on the screens. The line for the booth went all the way up the stairs. Why? Because the tourists don’t know that they could easily walk down to the next stop.

It was an interesting sea of humanity.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

Get ready for the worst weekend transit

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This weekend should be the worst of the holiday shopping rush. There will be plenty of last minute shoppers out next weekend, but the bulk will be out THIS weekend.

It won’t help things that Al Sharpton and crew will be out protesting the police shootings…this weekend, they take to 5th Ave.

So, for a weekend, the subway is going to look like a busy weekday morning. Lots of people. Lots of shopping bags. Little space. Yippee!

SUBWAYblogger suggests getting a nice early morning start. Get up. Grab a bagel, and get on the train. If you try to get to the midtown stores in the middle of the afternoon…well…you’ll want to kill people before you even get to the shopping.

Good luck!

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

MTA & Transit Workers Reach Binding Deal

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BREAKING NEWS:

150px-twu_america_logo.pngThe MTA and Transit Workers Union have reached a deal. They entered into binding arbitration to settle the dispute over the labor contract that caused last year’s transit strike.

The arbitrator has announced that the contract is almost identical to the contract proposed shortly after the strike. The contract went to vote before the 38,000 union members, and it was voted down. However, now it appears that they will have to live with that contract anyway, or at least a very similar one.

The NO vote landed the dispute in binding arbitration, led by Chief Arbitrator George Nicolau known for his work on Major League Baseball’s collusion case in the late 1980s.

State law gives the arbitration panel the right to impose the decision on the two groups.

Also today, transit workers are voting to keep or remove union President Roger Toussaint from office. Union members are split over Toussaint’s leadership. He spent 3 days in jail earlier this year for contempt of court when defending the union’s walkout. The Union is in the process of paying $2.5 million in fines over the walkout, which was prohibited by state law.

What is that smell and get a haircut

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First of all, what is that smell. More importantly WHO is that smell coming from. I know SUBWAYblogger just wrote about the smell in the subway, but this morning’s odor is pretty impressive.

Anyway, guys with ponytails look like idiots. Unless you are in an active rock band, you have no excuse, so go get a haircut. When you have to borrow an elastic from a girl, well, that’s just the stupidest thing ever.

Hey, a little shaggy top is ok. But if your ears are covered or have to keep flipping your bangs out of your eyes, there is a problem.

I have a question for Hispanic women. Do you find it attractive when your men have their hair pulled back, but then have their entire hairline shaved perfectly straight. You know, many Hispanic men obviously sit for hours with a razor to sculpt their bangs, side burns, and the rest of their hairline. Many of the men obviously went a little to far up! They shave off the widow’s peak or move their forehead’s hairline up a quarter inch.

Anyway, is that attractive to you? Maybe Hispanic ladies like it. In which case, it makes sense that the men would do it. Otherwise, don’t these guys look a little too…gay?

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

Can you read

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There’s a guy next to me. He’s an older gentleman. Possibly blind because he’s holding the newspaper 3 inches from his face. More importantly though, he is reading Tuesday’s newspaper.

Today is Thursday.

No, it isn’t just an article he pulled out. It is the entire New York Times.

Maybe I’ve mistaken his blindness…maybe he can’t read at all. That would explain why he hasn’t noticed that the paper is 2 days old.

I must say, the paper looks pretty new. I bet someone sold it to him as a new paper and he didn’t even notice.

See what happens when you start paying too close attention to people around you.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

Poor strategy

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SUBWAYblogger has been off its game lately in terms of standing strategy. The favorite spot to stand and blog happens to be in the doorway. The best place to stand with hands free is with your back to the door and hip against the seat rail on your left or right.

Don’t get your panties in a twist, SUBWAYblogger does not block the doors. If there’s a crowd, I always step off onto the platform to let people off and on. Then, I take back the door possition.

Well this week, I keep finding myself in the middle of an isle or something. Sometimes, not within reach of a grab rail. Even if a rail was in reach, it is very hard to type with only one free hand!

It’s my fault really. I haven’t been paying attention to the game plan, because when I finally do, it is too late. Already stuck 8 people deep in the isle. So, I have to start working my way back to the door which is easier said than done.

I need a vacation!

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

Mmmm smells like yum

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Just when you thought you’ve smelled every type of bad smell possible, you find yourself to be incorrect. 9 times out of 10, you discover your wrongness while standing somewhere on the subway.

Thw smells of filth down here are definately unique in the world to this very island. No where else really has this kind of “flavor” in its stink.

What amazes me is that much of the stink comes fresh off the bodies of our local bums. Think about how bad you smell when even hours after your bum ass has gotten off the train, it still stinks.

They should make the smell into a candle so we can send it to New Yorkers that have moved out of the city.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…