Tag: subway

Lots of Foreign Tourists this Morning

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Did you see a higher than average amount of foreign tourists on your train this morning?  I sure did.

There was a large group of what sounded like Swedish tourists on one side of me.  Then on the other end were a bunch of Germans.  There’s definitely no mistaking the German language.

I wonder if this is just a taste of what’s to come this holiday season.

I’m all for the foreign tourists (as long as they keep walking on the sidewalk).  Bring us your Euros!

When I noticed that the market opened -300 points this morning, I almost spit my coffee on my computer screen.  Way to go bailout.

The European economy is starting to feel the pain of our problem as well.  So it makes me wonder if we will see even more tourism than we did last year.  With our economy in the crapper, travel should be pretty cheap, right?

Domestic travel is certainly going to be down.  People from around the US are definitely not going to fly to New York for a trip, and spend $500 a night on hotel rooms.  So those rates will probably drop and get scooped up by international travelers.  

And the stores are going to start the holiday insanity sales even earlier this year.  So they’ll be here in droves to buy all our Levi Jeans and Reebok sneakers.

Of course, Europeans are fans of mass transit, so they tend to take advantage of the subway.  Combine that with more and more Americans leaving their cars at home in favor of mass transit, and we’ve got crowding.  It’s going to be “interesting” to see if the system can handle the load.

Heavy Breathers

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This is a second-hand story that I will retell now.  I’m sure many of you will be able to relate.

I was speaking to a lady friend the other night, and she was telling me how she hates heavy nose breathers on the subway.

She’s not very tall.  Average height I guess.  However, when she’s in a crowded train in front of a taller guy, she often finds herself under his nose.

Not all up in his biznass, but close enough that they are literally breathing down her neck.  Some of them apparently breath out of their noses like they just got finished running the marathon.

I’d say that ranks up there in the grossness meter.  I don’t think I would be able to have some big dude breathing on my neck or head for an entire ride.

I haven’t experienced this myself, but I guess it is pretty common.

Photo

MTA Police Officer Let’s Bum Skip Fare

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I saw it with my own eyes.  My jaw dropped to the ground.

I’m sure you’ve seen a homeless person with a stack of used MetroCards standing at a turnstile swiping away in hopes to find a card with a ride still left on it.  I do applaud them for trying to be legal about getting in the subway.  Have to hand it to them there.

However, today I saw an MTA cop just let a guy in because he was tired of seeing the guy swipe (not the guy pictured above). 

It wasn’t even that busy.  The cop said, “You know what, just stop.  Come through.”  

With that, he opened the emergency door and let the guy through.

An act of kindness, perhaps.  However, if anyone else did that, he’d take pleasure in writing them a summons.  

The bottom line was he was just tired of hearing that high pitch ring of the cards being denied.

PHOTO CREDIT

NYC Sound Tracks Season Finale

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Who’s the best Subway musician?  Guess we’ll find out tomorrow at 8pm when the finalists perform again.

Kind of funny that this show might launch someone’s career out of the subway.  Like they would ever go back to playing on the platform after this…haha.

Watch it on MSG.

Keith Urban Performs in Columbus Circle

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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

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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.

BREAKING: Station at 53rd Street & 7th Ave Evacuated

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MTA Website Showing Delays
MTA Website Showing Delays

Apparently there is a strange odor at the 53rd and 7th station that has caused it to be evacuated.

B, D, and E trains are bypassing the station at this time, and last we heard, passengers are not being allowed to enter the station.  However, the MTA says the V train is running with residual delays.  So I guess it’s at least partially open?

The strange odor is allegedly coming from a faulty elevator motor.  Of course, that is no shock.