145th Street A B C D
I had to go downtown to an appointment at 12:30 and was running a little late. C local is leaving the platform on the upper level as I come down the stairs to the platform.
I think I should get the D on the lower level anyway...I hear a train downstairs but when I look down the stairs going to the D/B trains I see people waiting on the stairs so I know that the train that is sitting there on the tracks is not an express. Although the train is sitting on the express track, it's a B local. (You only know these details if you live here and take the train every day. There are no signs that say that the B local will pull into the express track, empty itself, and wait for a while before going back downtown and that the express train will arrive on the local track. And of course this is only during rush hours.)
Anyway, I really want to get an express train because I'm a little late. I go halfway down the stairs, thinking that I'll optimize my chances of getting an express by standing in the middle of the stairs. I can run up if the A comes and downstairs if the D rolls into the station. I stand there for about 5 minutes. No sign of an express train -- although a downtown C local comes into the station on the upper level. I don't want to take the local -- too long -- and I don't want the C. It's not going where I want to go. So I wait.
What about the PA and the digital train schedules on the upper platform, I wonder. I keep hearing conflicting announcements -- train is approaching, stand back. Local is arriving (it's already here).
Suddenly I hear the sound of a train coming on the express track. It's getting louder and I see some people on the platform begin to relocate themselves to get a better seat or just to board the train. we are all eager to get to work or whatever our destination. I run down the stairs to get the express train.
When the train pulls in there are lots of seats and I rush to get one. The ride is smooth. 135th .. 125th..suddenly the door closes and Then I realize that we are going to stop at 116th street -- what? this was supposed to be a D express because the B local was on the express track. what happened? I took the Local on the local track at W. 145 because usually the express runs on the local track -- today the local is running on the local track ...I'm on a local to 59th. But there's no way out -- I'm on a local to 59th Street. No announcement. I'm going to be late.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
C Train -- Novermber 28, 2012 -- 9:16 am
I'm a little early this morning so instead of catching the A-train and riding like a sardine down to 59th Street, I decided to hop on the C train going downtown -- ok. I could get some reading done, enjoy the ride, and be to school on time.
With not so much a problem -- although it wasn't the speediest ride ever -- we reach 59th Street and when I glance at the, I'm ok. The ride continues.
Cut to West 4th. I look at the cell and see that I've got 10 minutes. It's 9:49. I'm ok for the 10 am class, right? I put away the paper and search for my ID to save time once I'm off and breathe a sigh of relief.
Too soon. The C train stops at Spring Street and I expect that the doors will close just as quickly as they have up to this point Nothing happens. We wait. Nothing. Several more people get on the train. We wait. An A express roars past as we sit -- no announcement, no indication of problems. Suddenly we hear a 'toot toot toot' the sound of our train's horn. Still we don't move and we wait.
About 5 minutes later we then hear the gears in the undergirth of the train grinding to a slow start and the doors close. Ok. We're still going to make it. We slow down....more horn honking. There must be something/someone on the tracks. Not one announcement.
We approach Canale at a snail's pace. Finally the doors creak open and into the station another A express screeches to a halt. The C train is sitting there. No announcements, no sound of the motors whirring to a start, no one knows what to do -- do we jump on the A? do we stay on the C? Everyone knows that both local and express trains run on the same track at Chambers the next stop so that whichever train goes first, the other has to wait. Local or express? No announcement? The A train looks like it's going to take off immediately After all it is the express train...even though the C got to Canale first.
Some of us opt to change and rush to the A hoping to get to Chambers in time to get to work on time. no announcement over the PA. The PA on the C comes on as we leave the car...there is a muffled announcement but we can't make out what they are saying. As we are standing on the A looking at people standing on the C, suddenly I see a grin on one of the passengers on the C across from us; the doors on the C close and we are left on the A standing immobile at Canale. The announcement "We're being held in the station" comes on the PA as the C rumbles out of the station. We stand defeated.
It is now 9:59. I have one minute to get to class.
Who the "f**k" makes these routing decisions? who the hell makes the rules? Are there any rules like express trains are express and should be the first to leave? Or there will be 3 express trains for every local. Or announcements about work on the tracks and possible delays between one station and the next should be made BEFORE we leave the first station in the event that passengers might be able to jump on another train on the other track to avoid a delay? Why are there some principles and guidelines in place that represent a systematic approach to train schedules that are so transparent that the daily commuter could easily perceive and navigate?
With not so much a problem -- although it wasn't the speediest ride ever -- we reach 59th Street and when I glance at the, I'm ok. The ride continues.
Cut to West 4th. I look at the cell and see that I've got 10 minutes. It's 9:49. I'm ok for the 10 am class, right? I put away the paper and search for my ID to save time once I'm off and breathe a sigh of relief.
Too soon. The C train stops at Spring Street and I expect that the doors will close just as quickly as they have up to this point Nothing happens. We wait. Nothing. Several more people get on the train. We wait. An A express roars past as we sit -- no announcement, no indication of problems. Suddenly we hear a 'toot toot toot' the sound of our train's horn. Still we don't move and we wait.
About 5 minutes later we then hear the gears in the undergirth of the train grinding to a slow start and the doors close. Ok. We're still going to make it. We slow down....more horn honking. There must be something/someone on the tracks. Not one announcement.
We approach Canale at a snail's pace. Finally the doors creak open and into the station another A express screeches to a halt. The C train is sitting there. No announcements, no sound of the motors whirring to a start, no one knows what to do -- do we jump on the A? do we stay on the C? Everyone knows that both local and express trains run on the same track at Chambers the next stop so that whichever train goes first, the other has to wait. Local or express? No announcement? The A train looks like it's going to take off immediately After all it is the express train...even though the C got to Canale first.
Some of us opt to change and rush to the A hoping to get to Chambers in time to get to work on time. no announcement over the PA. The PA on the C comes on as we leave the car...there is a muffled announcement but we can't make out what they are saying. As we are standing on the A looking at people standing on the C, suddenly I see a grin on one of the passengers on the C across from us; the doors on the C close and we are left on the A standing immobile at Canale. The announcement "We're being held in the station" comes on the PA as the C rumbles out of the station. We stand defeated.
It is now 9:59. I have one minute to get to class.
Who the "f**k" makes these routing decisions? who the hell makes the rules? Are there any rules like express trains are express and should be the first to leave? Or there will be 3 express trains for every local. Or announcements about work on the tracks and possible delays between one station and the next should be made BEFORE we leave the first station in the event that passengers might be able to jump on another train on the other track to avoid a delay? Why are there some principles and guidelines in place that represent a systematic approach to train schedules that are so transparent that the daily commuter could easily perceive and navigate?
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