Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Commuter Hell
Last week, I finally hit a baaad commute.
-- Missed my regular 7:09 train (Note to self: Do NOT eat high-fiber cereal the morning after having vegetarian chili for dinner).
-- Took the 7:33 train. Which does not sound so bad, except that it's a short train (three cars) and is so crowded you have to stand for two stops -- or more (Quickly learned the trick to getting a seat: stand near one of the seats holding groups of teen-age girls. They get off at Summit two stops from Murray Hill, presumably where their school is located. You then zip into the seats they vacated).
-- The 7:33 goes to Hoboken, New Jersey, rather than Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. So, you still have to get to Midtown. Options: The PATH subway or a ferry. It was a nice day and I was making good time, so I thought I'd take the boat. After being directed to one of two piers, I find that I have jumped onto
-- The wrong boat, heading for the World Financial Center waaayyyy downtown. As soon as the ferry puts ashore, I debark and
-- Run/walk quickly to the subway stop in the bowels of what's left of the World Trade Center. Take subway to 42nd Street.
-- Arrive at work breathing hard but just five minutes late.
Next time, I will make SURE I'm getting on the right ferry.
-- Missed my regular 7:09 train (Note to self: Do NOT eat high-fiber cereal the morning after having vegetarian chili for dinner).
-- Took the 7:33 train. Which does not sound so bad, except that it's a short train (three cars) and is so crowded you have to stand for two stops -- or more (Quickly learned the trick to getting a seat: stand near one of the seats holding groups of teen-age girls. They get off at Summit two stops from Murray Hill, presumably where their school is located. You then zip into the seats they vacated).
-- The 7:33 goes to Hoboken, New Jersey, rather than Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. So, you still have to get to Midtown. Options: The PATH subway or a ferry. It was a nice day and I was making good time, so I thought I'd take the boat. After being directed to one of two piers, I find that I have jumped onto
-- The wrong boat, heading for the World Financial Center waaayyyy downtown. As soon as the ferry puts ashore, I debark and
-- Run/walk quickly to the subway stop in the bowels of what's left of the World Trade Center. Take subway to 42nd Street.
-- Arrive at work breathing hard but just five minutes late.
Next time, I will make SURE I'm getting on the right ferry.
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Doesn't sound much different to a London commute, miss the first train, the next one is cancelled, the following is delayed and when it does turn up its usually a shorter one! BAH!
HaHa just realised that you used to live in London and in Bangalore before that. I am sure you know all about the commuting nightmares :) Have been working in Netherlands for the last year and work takes me back to London in couple of months, dreading the nightmare commute.
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