Happy MLK day

I thought I was going to be the only loser that had to go in to work today but apparently I’m not.

I checked the holiday sked last night and found out that there are only 3 eastbound morning trains and 3 westbound evening trains on a holiday. Really?! What about the people that need to make money and work while everyone else has the luxury of staying home (and getting paid for it)? I’m NOT driving in and paying $12 for the tunnel and another $28 to park.

Now I’m stuck coming into work an hour early just so I can catch one of the 3 trains into the city and have to leave early so I can catch one of the only 3 trains leaving (you know how much bosses love when you do that).

Happy day off, people!

Empathy

Shout out to Mutterschwester for her latest post on a-hole drivers. At least I’m not the only one!

What an effing week of commuting hell!

I’m on the 8:37 on a Friday night trying to get home. But we’re currently stopped on the tacks due to “a smoke condition in the tunnel”. Yesterday, a 30-minute morning commute turned into a 3-hour ordeal because our train got stuck in the tunnel because of loss of power in the tunnel (people stayed relatively calm given the fact that it was a packed train and there was no air-conditioning). The night before THAT, I attempted to take the 8:37 train home, but when I got to Penn there was a big, fat CANCELLED splashed on the monitor next to that train. And the night before THAT, I missed the 7:37 going home by 2 minutes and had to sit at Penn station for an hour for the next train (I did get to catch up on some reading though!).

I’m spent. And so happy the first Friday of fall is finally upon us! Enjoy the weekend everyone and here’s to hoping next week’s commute is better than this one!

Be a Clever Commuter!

This network of commuters has saved me so many times on my crappy commute so I just wanted to pass the word on about Clever Commute. A message from Conductor Josh:

Help Clever Commute grow. I don’t mean “a little.” I mean “a step change” 
————
After almost 6 years at the helm, I have clarity on things. If we want Clever Commute to be BETTER, it HAS to be BIGGER.

I know because I see the membership and message volumes on each and every line (yes…nationwide).
Sure…we could build a cool iPhone app
Sure…we could give you dynamic re-routing of your commute when things go bad.
Sure…there are dozens of things we could do.

BUT: In all likelihood, less than 10% of the people on your line are signed up…and that’s the part that kills me (and you). 

Please: Don’t you worry about “too many people” = “too much mail”. We HAVE the technology in place to manage the flow/volume.

Remember: Clever Commute grew from a network of 4 (Hi Jim, Barry, and Steve) into 20,000 because people told each other about it.
There are millions of commuters out there…and I simply won’t accept “growing well”. We need to get big. I mean REALLY big…and the time is NOW.

Want a peek into how it could be? Check out this “Clever” RSS feed from the NJ Transit Northeast Corridor line: http://clevercommute.com/rss/t-demo-njtt-nec/
The “NEC” is the largest commuter rail line in North America. Those passengers are doing a FANTASTIC job of collaborating and sharing.
But…we could easily absorb tens of thousands of new riders on that line alone.

Yes…I am energized…I am breathing fire. The Clever Commute model is proven…the technology is industrial scale and built to handle the volume.

It’s entirely possible that I will not be able to continue with the current operating model unless we collaborate to take it to the next level with a “step change” 
Your financial donations help…but I need EACH and EVERY one of you to send a note to ALL of the people you know who commute.
Tell them “this works…get on-board”. Tell them “Go to www.clevercommute.com and pick ‘Find your line’”

It’s time, people. It’s time.

Thanks,

– Conductor Josh
joshua.crandall@emailworld.org

 

SPREAD THE WORD AND JOIN TODAY!

Nicest bathrooms in NYC

I had drinks with my friends Ridge and Megan last week at The Bryant Park Grill and had to use the restroom. I was a little surprised that we were directed to use the outdoor “public restroom”. Really?! This nice restaurant that’s making us pay $35 for a pitcher of margaritas is going to make us use the PUBLIC restroom?!

Well, to my surprise, what a lovely public restroom it was. Fresh flowers, marble countertops, Acelerator hand dryers (you know, the ones that dry your hands at 3Gs) and self-cleaning toilet seats! But Ridge was amused by the sign that said, “No laundering of clothes”.

So, if you’re ever in mid-town in the Bryant Park area and nature calls, use the public facilities. I promise, you’ll be pleasantly surprised as well!

Might as well settle in

This picture does NOT do tonight’s commute from hell any justice. I’ve been standing on a line for the 33 Broad St buss at Port Authority since 7pm and I don’t think we’re going anywhere.

First, this morning all our trains got diverted to Hoboken. Then, on the commute home the E got stuck at 50th St so I had to walk to Port Authority from there (luckily, the torrential down pour that I observed from my office windows had stopped–not fun to walk in puddles with sandals!). And now this.

I’m also hearing rumors that the trains are running again so I’m contemplating getting off this line and walking my ass back to Penn. I might get there faster!

———–

FINALLY got on bus 40 mins later and I at least got the front seat so I won’t get car sick. Let’s see how long it takes for is to get home. Get home safe everyone!!

Not cool

My friend and fellow commuter, Melanie, just posted this on FB:

“Great way to start the morning commute: staring at a photo of a bombed-out train. Thanks NJT.”

Exactly. Thanks NJT for the very disturbing visual!

A new commute for the week

I’m on a different project this week so I’m taking the E to Lex and 53rd. I’m such a creature of habit that when I have to do anything different, it’s like a whole new world! I have to check HopStop a hundred times, look at google maps a hundred times more just to make sure I’m going in the right direction. And last night, I had to visualize myself going on a different route and taking a different train. If it wasn’t a Sunday, I would have done a “dry run” the day before!!

I’ve been working in the city for more than 14 years, you’d think I’d have this down pat by now!!

This does not look like Penn…

at 10:54 on a Saturday night. But it is. I came into the city and spent the day with the husband. We thought the train home was at 10:11 but it ended up being at 11:11 so we killed time at Local, a restaurant across the street from Penn (really good wings and fries BTW).

But I can’t believe it’s this crowded at Penn. Maybe these are all Yankee fans who came out to see Jeter hit his 3000th hit? Or this is a spillover crowd from July 4th weekend? Or maybe it’s always like this on a Saturday and I’ve always just opted to drive in? Anyway, I like that there’s weekend service on our line even though it runs (very inconveniently) every 2 hours.

Grand Jury

I’m sitting here at the Essex Courthouse in beautiful downtown Newark in Waiting Room C patiently waiting to be selected (or not) for Grand Jury. I’m kinda hating the fact that I’m here but kinda liking that I didn’t have to commute into the city on this hot and humid day.

Sitting in this air-conditioned room with a bunch of random Essex county residents is not too different than sitting on a train I guess:
• We’re all sitting together but alone in our own world–blocked out by either headphones or a book/kindle/newspaper/iPad.
•We’re all sitting in chairs that are facing in the same direction (but not going anywhere) watching CNN on the 2 flat screens in front of us.
•No one wants to be here and we’d all rather be home
•There’s the requisite sick person hacking and coughing up a lung

The only difference is that it doesn’t smell so bad in here.

Well enjoy your Friday eve and stay cool!