Category: This just in

I Spy

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Digital video cameras coming to a subway car near you.  Or maybe not.  Or yes.  But perhaps no.  Huh?

We still don’t think the MTA knows what they want to do yet, but they are starting to dip their toes in the water with this idea.

The MTA has asked some subway car manufacturers to investigate installing digital surveillance systems on all the subway cars.  Yes, that sound you hear is in fact the ACLU growling along with every other privacy advocate group in the Tri-state.

SAS thinks that SUBWAYblogger won’t be too “enamored with the idea,” but we actually don’t think it’s a big deal.  So you might get caught picking your nose on the train.  And you might get caught on tape when you’re working on your graffiti.  Also, that dream of having sex in an empty subway car probably wouldn’t happen…unless the camera thing is a turn on. 

There’s some positives.  You might be self conscious about your odd behavior, but think about the criminals.  Next time you get your purse snatched, the thug might think twice if he thinks he could get caught on tape. 

So I hate to sound like “the man,” but if you aren’t doing anything illegal, what do you have to worry about? Washington, DC is already doing it (see picture above).

Anyway, the whole idea will cost a shat load of money, so don’t hold your breath. 

MTA to Beef-Up Rail Security

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Buuuut not for the subway.  The Feds are being brought in to increase “police presence”on the LIRR and MetroNorth.  Homeland Security Officers no less.

As for the subway, continue to watch your back as normal.  The police are too busy pretending to do random screenings of bags.

I would love to have a job where all I have to do is set up a little table at the entrance of a subway and then stand there all day with my hands in my pockets.  Hey, why not have the guys that hand out the newspapers also do the screenings?  Get you bag checked; get a paper.

Second Avenue subway over budget? Heck yes!

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So the Second Ave subway project is already over budget. Yeah, I know. I said “What a surprise,” when I heard that too. A shovel has not yet hit the ground and they are planning to start $54 million in the hole…so to speak.

Rising real estate prices will force the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to pay about $54 million more than it had anticipated to buy five Upper East Side buildings and portions of 24 others to make way for construction of the Second Avenue subway, according to a new estimate provided to the authority.

Sometimes is makes me wonder why they even budget things like this. You know it’s going to go way over, and not just by a little bit. All they have to say is that they need more money, and the get it!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the new line. However, lets just cut through all bullshit. We all know they they are going to go through with it. Once it starts, there’s no way in hell they are going to stop in the middle. Knowing that, contractors purposely hide costs that “all of a sudden” show up after the project gets under way. Why? Because the extra costs will just get approved and swept under the carpet.

That’s why I’m sorta shocked about this real estate news. Isn’t it someone’s job to think about this stuff?

Elizabeth Perkins rides the subway?

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Did you ever spot a random celebrity, but you weren’t really sure it was them?  I just did, and she’s standing about 5 feet away from me.

I swear this woman is Elizabeth Perkins.  Why would I make that up?  That’s one of the most random people ever to see in the subway.

Anyway, if it isn’t her, then it’s her twin.  She has on dark clothes, coat, gloves, etc.  BIG sunglasses that cover much of her face.  Nothing really that screams “celebrity.”

So anyway, no I’m playing the, “What makes this woman look famous” game.  The big sunglasses are usually a giveaway, but that’s about all.  She has on some modest jewelery.  She has a handbag, but it doesn’t look like one of those insanely expensive ones from 5th Avenue. 

Ok, well in my head, I’m just gonna go with it unless I’m proved otherwise.  So there.  🙂

You know it’s going to suck…

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You know life around your apartment is going to suck when they start placing building movement monitors on the outside of your apartment.  All along the construction route of the new “T” line, they have installed monitors (pictured above via Gothamist) to make sure that the digging doesn’t shift the ground beneath buildings.

Is there any part of that where you would feel good living around there?  It gets better.

They are planning 2 work shifts from 7am to 10pm.  7am?  Shoot me.  10pm?  WTF.

Those poor bastards living near that line are going to have to listen to construction from the early morning well into the evening.  7am sucks but isn’t that unreasonable.  However, 10pm? WOW.

Many people are already planning to move.  They don’t want to be anywhere near that mess.  However, there’s a part of me that wonders if it might be smart to snag an apartment over there at the peak of construction when no one wants to live there.  Hang on to it for a few years, and then sell it after the construction is done. 

I would think that once the new “T” line is up and running, the property value along that line will go up because it will be so much more convenient to live over there.  But what do I know.

You know it’s going to suck…

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buildign-monitors.jpg

You know life around your apartment is going to suck when they start placing building movement monitors on the outside of your apartment.  All along the construction route of the new “T” line, they have installed monitors (pictured above via Gothamist) to make sure that the digging doesn’t shift the ground beneath buildings.

Is there any part of that where you would feel good living around there?  It gets better.

They are planning 2 work shifts from 7am to 10pm.  7am?  Shoot me.  10pm?  WTF.

Those poor bastards living near that line are going to have to listen to construction from the early morning well into the evening.  7am sucks but isn’t that unreasonable.  However, 10pm? WOW.

Many people are already planning to move.  They don’t want to be anywhere near that mess.  However, there’s a part of me that wonders if it might be smart to snag an apartment over there at the peak of construction when no one wants to live there.  Hang on to it for a few years, and then sell it after the construction is done. 

I would think that once the new “T” line is up and running, the property value along that line will go up because it will be so much more convenient to live over there.  But what do I know.

No Booze on LIRR for St. Patrick’s Day

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In other railed news (completely non-subway related)…

TheLIRR is banning alcohol just for St. Patrick’s Day.  It’s not the first time they’ve done it.  Actually, they tend do ban drinks on all major city event days such as New Years, etc. 

The LIRR actually runs a little “adult beverage” business. They sell drinks at many stations, Penn Station, and aboard many of their trains.  All of which will come to a temporary stop this weekend. 

It must grind their gear a little that they have to stop selling alcohol on the biggest drinking day of the year.  Then again, it will lower (at least a little bit) the chances of drunk idiots causing trouble on the trains. 

No Booze on LIRR for St. Patrick’s Day

subwaybloggerLeave a comment

beer.jpg

In other railed news (completely non-subway related)…

TheLIRR is banning alcohol just for St. Patrick’s Day.  It’s not the first time they’ve done it.  Actually, they tend do ban drinks on all major city event days such as New Years, etc. 

The LIRR actually runs a little “adult beverage” business. They sell drinks at many stations, Penn Station, and aboard many of their trains.  All of which will come to a temporary stop this weekend. 

It must grind their gear a little that they have to stop selling alcohol on the biggest drinking day of the year.  Then again, it will lower (at least a little bit) the chances of drunk idiots causing trouble on the trains. 

Here comes the Second Avenue Line.

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“T” Time? AMNY has clearly been itching to use that headline, and this morning they finally did.

Anyway, the plans for the Second Ave subway line were released. Here’s some of the drawings.

Second Ave Line Map

They also had some artist renderings of what it will look like inside.

Mezzanine Level of T Line

Is that not the cleanest looking subway mezzanine you’ve ever seen? Are they launching a new technology that allows the subway to clean itself?

T Line

And a typical platform. It was a nice touch to add someone waiting for the elevator. Notice that they didn’t show him getting on the elevator. That’s because they want to show that there are elevators, but let’s be honest, they’ll rarely ever work. 🙂 Also, for the guy in the front with the suit case…”Backpacks and other large containers are subject to random search by the police.” Just a heads up.

Elliot “Lee” Sander, the MTA’s new executive director, and Chairman Peter Kalikow will approve the $333 million contract for the first phase of the project that critics thought would never happen.

“All of the sudden it turned from doubtful to inevitable and nobody quite knows when it happened,” Kalikow said at the last MTA board meeting.

Almost immediately after the contract is signed, construction trailers will start to line parts of Second Avenue in the East 90s, MTA officials said. –AMNY

So from this spring until 2013, hold your breath upper-east-siders. It’s going to be a noisey couple years. I was hoping Second Avenue Sagas would have something to say on the matter, but nothing as of yet. I’m sure he will have something up soon. In the mean time, I’ll stick with Chuck.

UPDATE:

As expected, Second Avenue Sagas came through with a post on this story. I knew it would only be a matter of minutes!