MTA NYC Tuesday 11/27/12 11:41 am

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.