The public transit is supposed to be great in New York. Well, I suppose it is great, it covers a wide area, runs frequently, and runs all night. Sometimes, however, it makes Caltrain look good.
This weekend, Greta and I went to Manhattan to buy some furniture. The first problem was getting in, my great E and F lines which are supposed to be express on weekends, were local, so it took about 10 or 15 minutes longer than it should have to get into Manhattan. But the real problem was on the way back. I got on an R line, which strangely stopped at Queen's Plaza at which point the conductor told everyone to get off and get on the next train.
So we get off and wait, and about 10 minutes later, a train shows up. We get on the train, and there is no room to sit (not unusual). The train starts to move, and of course it is local, not express. It moves very slowly, I could probably run faster than it. It stops unexpected for about five minutes in the middle of the tunnel. The conductor has a mumbly sort of announcement about "congestion on the tracks". What congestion? There wasn't any other train before this one for 10 minutes. How the hell could there be congestion? So, the train proceeds like this, either very slow, or stopped completely, for about 6 or 7 stations. Even though it's not that bad, the train starts feeling crowded and uncomfortable. At about the third stop after we get on this train, someone on our car starts vomiting uncontrollably, vomiting a curious green color. We just stand there and try and think pleasant thoughts, but we know we must have entered what must be transit hell. Eventually, the speed picks up again and we eventually reach our destination, about an hour and a half later. It should have taken half an hour.
That kind of thing never happened on Caltrain, not even when there was an earthquake while I was riding. Maybe next time I'll take the Long Island Railroad, which only takes fifteen minutes to get into Manhattan (but is more expensive).
Posted by ahyatt at May 31, 2004 07:07 PM