Ever wonder why the subway is so damn hot? Well the MTA has a podcast to explain all about it.
By the way, does anyone else find it strange that the MTA has a regular podcast program? This is honestly what resources are being spent on. Kind of makes SUBWAYblogger do a double take when we find stuff like this. Anyway, the podcast is actually very well produced. Enjoy.
This week, a report was released ranking the cities with the worst commutes. Guess what? New York City was ranked number 2…as in the second worst in the country. Vineland, NJ was ranked number 1, but we think that’s total bull. Who’s ever heard of Vineland, NJ? We think they made that one up so that New Yorkers wouldn’t riot in the streets.
What is so sad is that a college had to go back and look at the official data that was released by the government agency. Why you ask? Probably because the kids there are smart and suspicious of the government…like they should be.
In the report, Queens College discovered that there are actually more commuters than ever before. How ’bout that. Instead of just ranking the cities, we had to rely on a bunch of Queens College coeds to extract some useful information. Furthermore, they found that tens of thousands of working class people have stopped driving their cars in favor of public transportation including buses, trains, and subways.
SUBWAYblogger, of course, believes that the NYC Subway system is the absolute best way to get around the city. Unfortunately, it sounds like the word is getting out. More and more people are saying, “Screw driving in this sh*t,” and heading for the subways. Guess that’s job security for SUBWAYblogger!
So apparently you are taking your life in your hands if you venture onto the yellow or orange subway lines these days. The other day, there was that father that killed his kids then threw himself in front of the Q train. Yesterday, some little punks stabbed a 15 year old on the D train.
The police thinks it could have been gang related (shocker). All of the suspects were between 13 and 16.
I say, if convicted, they should be thrown in front of a moving subway. Oooor made to grab the third rail. We can let them pick. And no, it doesn’t matter that they are minors. If that is the crap you pull, then you face the punishment as an adult.
Oops. I am running a bit late today, and it is completely my fault. What’s a little sad is that today’s a half day anyway. The office is closing after lunch. So its in late and out early. Oh well.
As for the holiday weekend, I have no idea what’s in store. Just to give you a heads up, there won’t be any regular postings on Monday. I will resume the normal routine on Tuesday.
Between now and then, I hope to do some writing from home. Maybe a few holiday bonus stories…if you will. I have no idea at this point if/when I will be on the subway so we’ll play it by ear. (I hate that stupid saying…play it by ear.)
On another note, since I am leaving early, it will be cool to check out the activity during the midday. I’ll be heading further downtown for lunch this afternoon. Look forward to a unique post on that.
THIS JUST IN: Ok so I am writing this administrative post while riding the subway a normal, but I just saw the funniest thing. There’s this woman standing across from me who is attempting to put on lipstick and balance herself at the same time. The train just jerked around a little and she bumped her face into the lipstick tube as she was putting it on. So now their is red lipstick on her cheek. She thinks she got it all off, but nooo.
What’s the proper protocol here? New Yorker code of conduct states not to say anything to anyone at any time. Do I break the code and say something? I think not. Its Friday and I am sure her coworkers could use a laugh.
Live from the subway, back to you in studio…
Did you hear about the mother who came home last night only to find her two kids dead in the bathtub? The mother got home around midnight after work. Daddy was home “taking care” of the kids.
Allegedly, he drowned the two little ones in the bathtub. He then went down to the subway and threw himself in front of the Q train.
Also, he apparently left 7 or 8 suicide notes, one of which he kept on his person.
What the hell do you do when you see something like that? Can you even imagine standing there waiting for your train when all of a sudden a dude jumps on the tracks in front of it? I guess that’s a textbook “See something, say something” moment. That’s something that’s just going to ruin your night.
Of course, the murder portion is a shame. No one wants that to happen. But there have to be better ways to kill yourself. Yeah, a train can kill you, but there are people who survive that!
Creepy sh*t man…creepy.
Live from the subway, back to you in studio…
It is annoying how one little problem on a subway line can screw things up EVERYWHERE. A five minute diversion on the C train can cause hours of backups on the 1 train. Stuff like that.
This morning, there must have been a holdup somewhere because the entire platform was 10 people deep. Even then, it took forever for the next train to arrive.
You know how this goes. Even when the train finally did come, it was already packed to the roof with people. The doors open up and one person gets off. That’s always promising. So an additional 30 people try to get in each door of an already full car.
There’s always that asshole that yells, “Could you move in please?!” Yeah ok buddy. Like we all have tons of room around us.
I had to shove a guy out of the train today. He ran up to the door and tried to push people in so he could squeeze in. I shoved him back right in the middle of his chest and said, “You are out of your mind.”
All of this because somewhere a single train threw off the schedule, and the rest of us have to suffer.
Live from the subway, back to you in studio…
Sorry to everyone who was expecting the usual afternoon post. I left work 30 minutes early and headed to the Bronx to catch the tonight’s game. On the way up here I rode by car with a buddy from work, hence no Live update this afternoon.
I just left the stadium after the end of the 8th. Hey, I gotta work in the morning! The Yanks were up 3 to 2 when I left headed into the 9th.
I really hope the D train gets here quick because apparently I wasn’t the only one who had the bright idea to run out early. The platform is packed right now.
That must suck to be on the train before it gets to Yankee Stadium after a game. You’re just riding the train, minding your own business with a couple other people on board. Then you get to 161st Street and WHAM. Flooded with obnoxious Yankee fans. Packed to the gills. Personally, I’d be pissed. Especially because of the “subway know it alls.” I wrote about them a few weeks ago.
I am sitting next to a mother with three boys all under the age of 12. Apparently, they asked Santa Claus for tickets to a game on their birthday. So mom schelpped them up here for the game. I would sooner shoot myself the take three kids on a plane only to then bring them to Yankee Stadium. Unfortunately for her, today turned out to be a double header after yesterday’s rainout. So, she took them to both games.
Well, just got off at 125th to catch the local transfer. I wish the local ran at all times from the stadium. Even though its local, I still get to my stop a lot faster.
Of course, who the hell knows when the C train will get here.
Is it me or does everyone above 110th Street always look pissed? There doesn’t look like there is ever a single happy looking person up here. Then again, I’d be pretty pissed if I lived in the middle of Harlem too. But maybe that’s because I am very white.
Finally the C train is here. That’s enough for now. All the beers I drank at the stadium are making it hard to type! Talk to you in the AM.
Live from the subway, back to you in studio…
If only the subway were really this fun, but I still like his effort. (There should be a YouTube Video here, but if YouTube doesn’t feel like working today, here’s the direct link)
Did you ever notice how people run to catch a train? Did you ever look at someone running and think to yourself, “Oh please stop running. That’s entirely too much jiggle this early in the morning.
It is a regular occurance, but it is so funny to watch. What is it about women over 30 that makes them look like mental patients when they run? And why is it that only the “most jiggly” people are doing all the running?
Listen lady, all the bacon grease is on an express train to your heart as we speak, so take it down a notch and wait for the next train. None of us already ON the train want to have to carry you off.
Another odd thing that caught my eye this morning was a woman climbing the strairs a if she were almost at the summit of a mountain. Just one step, then stop. Then another step, and stop. Obviously, this isn’t the first I’ve seen it happen because people do that all over the system. However, it made me think how dumb you have to be to put yourself through that. Who in their right mind would go into the subway knowing that the usage of stairs is a matter of life and death? Why not just stay above ground and take the bus? (Gasp)
Live from the subway, back to you in studio…
Well I wish there were more to blog about than the insane amount of rain lately, but that’s the big story.
I was lucky enough to get on The Death Car this morning before the rain hit. Unfortunately, this afternoon’s trip is a wet one! Out my office window, it looked like it didn’t stop raining at all. The intensity came in waves, but it was nonstop.
My platform was virtually underwater when I got here a couple minutes ago. They are doing construction on the street level right above the uptown side of the platform. So, they put up a temporary ceiling, but it is esentially worthless. Water just pours through when it rains. It is such a joke. It isn’t even a drip. Its a straight up surge.
I think the water just funnels down to the open part. The result is that 70% of the platform is covered in caution tape even for the lightest rain. It doesn’t help that the floor is uneven. So the water pools everwhere. Watching grown men in suits play “avoid the puddle hop scotch” is pretty funny.
Live from the subway, back to you in studio…
SUBWAYblogger 