Sunday, July 09, 2006
Train agony ...
Last week, running late, I jumped on the train.
Turns out that it was the wrong train. Instead of the Morris and Essex Line train headed for Murray Hill, I was on North Jersey Coast line headed for Bay Head on the Jersey Shore. Much as I like the Shore, I don't like going there during the work week.
I didn't realize I was on the wrong train for some time -- I was reading. I looked up from my book, noticed some oil tanks out the window and thought, "I don't remember ever seeing any oil tanks on my route."
I soon learned I was on an express train for South Amboy.
I got off at South Amboy. After a wait of about an hour, I was on a train headed back the other way. I got off at Secaucus, the last stop before New York. I had never been in the station and my train was late. So, doing my best headless chicken impression, I ran for my next train.
I got off that train in Newark, then got my fourth and last train of the day, to Summit, the big town where the Morris and Essex line splits into two branches.
I would have had a 45-minute wait for the train to Murray Hill, but Diane took pity on me and drove over to pick me up. I got home nearly 3-1/2 hours after I had left New York and 2-1/2 hours after I had expected to arrive home.
But it wasn't all bad. Diane and our friend, Joann, who was visiting from Philadelphia, knew I would be tired, hungry and grouchy from the long ride. So, they made a very nice meal which erased the entire bad trip. Well, nearly erased!
Turns out that it was the wrong train. Instead of the Morris and Essex Line train headed for Murray Hill, I was on North Jersey Coast line headed for Bay Head on the Jersey Shore. Much as I like the Shore, I don't like going there during the work week.
I didn't realize I was on the wrong train for some time -- I was reading. I looked up from my book, noticed some oil tanks out the window and thought, "I don't remember ever seeing any oil tanks on my route."
I soon learned I was on an express train for South Amboy.
I got off at South Amboy. After a wait of about an hour, I was on a train headed back the other way. I got off at Secaucus, the last stop before New York. I had never been in the station and my train was late. So, doing my best headless chicken impression, I ran for my next train.
I got off that train in Newark, then got my fourth and last train of the day, to Summit, the big town where the Morris and Essex line splits into two branches.
I would have had a 45-minute wait for the train to Murray Hill, but Diane took pity on me and drove over to pick me up. I got home nearly 3-1/2 hours after I had left New York and 2-1/2 hours after I had expected to arrive home.
But it wasn't all bad. Diane and our friend, Joann, who was visiting from Philadelphia, knew I would be tired, hungry and grouchy from the long ride. So, they made a very nice meal which erased the entire bad trip. Well, nearly erased!
