It feels good! Back in the regular morning routine. The smell of car exhaust, and urine in the subway. Ahhh yes…how I missedbyou. But seriously, I am glad to be back.

Anway, this morning takes me out to Long Island after a quick pit stop at the office. Last week, I built everyone’s hopes up with promises of tales of adventure from the LIRR. Unfortunately, that meeting got canceled. This morning, it is on for sure.

So, around midday, you can expect a bonus post (for real this time) from my excursion out on the LIRR. Good times.

So until then, wish me luck, and come back very soon! There should be something new by lunch at the latest.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

SUBWAYblogger’s back!

After a 2 day mini vacation, we’re back in the city. Having been a subway-only rider for so long now, car travel actually makes me sick. Within minutes of hitting the road, that car sick feeling started to settle in. All that damn stop-and-go movement.

The trip was nice. Relaxing. Better than sitting at work. It was just long enough. After a couple days, it starts to feel weird not being in the city. Everything is to slow and too quiet.

Anyway, Friday will start the regular posting again. For now, I think it’s time for a nap!

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

Well gang, I’m sorry to report that there will be no afternoon posting today or morning post on Thursday.

Why?

SUBWAYblogger will be on a mini vacation that takes us outside the reaches of the NYC subway.

But never fear, SUBWAYblogger will return Thursday afternoon!

Sit tight and we’ll chat then.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

The one upside to the colder weather is that you don’t feel like death while you wait for the train.

When winter rolls around, everyone is bundled up right down to the snow pants. The complete opposite of the summer time.

This generally means an all around comfortable ride. Even if the heat isn’t working on the train, the body heat keeps the cars comfortable. In the summer, if the AC cuts out, then you might as well grab the 3rd rail.

Also, when you get packed in tightly with other standing passengers, the coats, parkas, and mittens act as padding. It’s “cozy”. In the same situation during the summer, you’re packed up against a sweaty guy at best.

So yeah it is cold on the streets, but its a strange heaven for the subway!

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

If you had to, what subway station would you live in?

Ok, so maybe this question is a little heavy for this early in the morning, but you have to figure it is an important question if you are a bum.

Some stations are clearly in much worse shape than others, yet there are still people living there. Why not go stay at a nicer station?

For me, I think Times Square would be a homebase. It is usually cleaner than most, there are maintained bathrooms, bright light, and lots of travel options. I don’t think I would sleep there because it is too over crowded, but I would definately go there for money. There’s lots of dumb tourists that you could beg a few bucks out of. Plus, if I had a musical tallent, it would be a great place to perform.

14th Street has always struck me as a nice station too. Maybe I would sleep there. It’s nice, big, well lit.

For some reason, Penn Station seems like a bum hot spot. Wonder what I’m missing.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

A couple minutes here or there really makes the difference for me in the morning. If I get to the subway a couple minutes early, I end up riding with a bunch of high school kids, and that is too much to handle this early in the morning.

Leave it to me to have the proper timing whcih allows me to be on the “cool kids” train. This train must be the last one that will still get these kids to private school on time.

It’s night and day when you compare this train with the next. This train will be full of these kids and the next one completely empty. So, this must be the last “I won’t be late for homeroom” train.

I don’t so much have a problem with the kids because they are in high school. I’m not that far out of college myself. Instead, my problem is mostly with the girls. I think they’ve watched one too many episodes of Sex and the City. They try to act older and sluttier.

Listen hunny, you’re 17 years old and you look like a frat house skank. Pull it together a little. Guys actually like it if you don’t come with the “used” look ahead of time.

Also, which ever one of you said it was cool to wear leggings under your skirts should be slapped. My generation decided that was a stupid idea back in the 80’s. Guess what…it’s still a bad idea.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

This story was in the news a day or two ago. I wasn’t going to write anything about it because the story was all over the main stream media. However, after thinking about it, I can’t help myself.

So in case you didn’t hear…

In a nutshell, a guy couldn’t fit into a packed train so he decided to try getting on through the doors on the end of the car. These are the doors on either end of the cars that allow you to walk between cars once you are on board.

Well, there are metal safety guards that keep you from being able to fall off between trains and to keep people from doing what this ass did.

Some trains have what look like garage door springs that serve as a guard. Others have metal interlocking gates. They are designed to be flexible for when the trains make turns, etc.

Well, this guy tried to climb over them to get on the train. Stupidest idea EVER.

He ended up pinned between the train and the platform after being dragged over 50 feet.

I’ve been looking at these spots now every time I get on a train. No matter how hard I try, I can’t come up with a situation where that looks like a remotely good idea.

So now what? Is the MTA going to have to put barbed wire up between the cars?

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

As I sit here on the subway and think about what is in store for me today, I have come to the conclusion that it shall be the day from hell.

I have endless meetings out of the office. The meetings themselves are not bad. The problem is that meetings keep other actual work from being done.

Anyway, my travels will take me out to a far away land called, “Long Island.” After my meeting concludes, I plan to take the LIRR back to the city. So, I will be on foreign railways that actually travel above ground. I’m sure there will be something entertaining to share with you from there.

This morning’s ride is not especially crowded, so I hope the rest of my travels are the same.

Wish me luck as I bring messages from civilization to the far away places outside New York City. If for some reason you don’t hear from me for a few days, someone please remeber to feed the cat as I may not make it back alive.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

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UPDATE:

Unfortunately, my meeting out on L.I. was canceled.  So no tales of adventure today.  Sorry!