Thursday, February 21, 2008

I've HAD IT!!! And I'm not going to anything about it.

Yea, you've read right. It comes a time where you realize that there's nothing you can do about the things that grind your grears. Take last night for example: I was on my way home after spending another 12+ hours at work (think 10 on the Productiveness/Laziness Scale). I got on the R local train (for those of you who are non-NYers, they make every stop on the line while the express trains make stops after every 3-4 stops on the line) and there's this lady that's just going to town on her nose, picking it like there's no tomorrow. (Yes Evan, EWWWWW!) She didn't stop even as I was getting off (the train, not myself...PERVERT!) at Times Square to catch an express back to Brooklyn. I'm stand there like "holy shit, can I touch one of these poles on the train without getting some of that residue on my hands? And if she's doing it, how many others like her have done it and touched these poles? The MTA fucks definitely don't Lysol these poles every night...or ever. Fuck!" So what do I do, tell her to stop? Does she even understand English? Will I run the chance of her touching me with the finger that's just been in her nose? Yeaaaa, I'm not going to chance it. Instead, I stood there in shock.

Anyways, after catching the N express train at Times Square, I sat there and read the WSJ and listened to my iphone. All of a sudden, I pulled into Canal St. stop. It looked different! The reason: it was different - it is where the local trains stop...which means...this train is LOCAL and it's going through lower Manhattan and not across the Manhattan Bridge. This will add like 5 stops and at least 15 minutes to my commute. Why is this happening? Their explanation, there was a investigation at 7th Avenue on the Q line (share's much of the same track as the N in Manhattan). Now, 7th Ave stop is BEHIND ME! It's like they're saying, I know you're going to Boston but because there's some trouble with the road in Washington, we're not allowing you to take I-95 North to Boston...from NY! Makes ZERO sense!

And if that's not enough, the train stops for 3-5 minutes after every minute it seems on it's way to Brooklyn because of "train traffic ahead of us." WHAT TRAIN TRAFFIC? WHY AREN'T THOSE THINGS RUNNING? I can understand if they said "we are stopped due to a dead body ahead of us." Yea, that makes sense, but train traffic? What does that even mean?

After yeons, we pulled into DeKalb Ave and there's a Q ahead of us. People got off to take the Q and one guy came back and said the employees told him that Q will be running on the N express line so he needs to go to Atlantic and take the 2 or 3 or wait for another Q which won't be coming anytime soon due to the investigation. And of course, my train announced that they will be running local throughout Brooklyn. I figured, "hey, at least it'll take me to my stop." NOT SO FAST...as we pulled into Atlantic, I noticed the train is now on the express side of the track. Which mean, it won't be making my stop and I'll have to get the fuck off. I really want to know who makes these decisions, REALLY.

So I stand on the platform with many other pissed off riders for another 10 or so minutes and that Q train from DeKalb pulled into the station...on the local track. (remember how they told the guy it was running express on the N?) I get on and one employee announces "this train will make express stops." FUCK I said. Then anyother employee announced "NO, this train is making local stops." "That's not right" announce the first guy. "That's what I was just told" replied the second guy over the intercom. "You sure?" "Last I was told." So I'm in the train and one guy on the platform asked if the train was running local. I replied "can't really say, I don't have schizophrenia." which got some laughter from the crowd in the train but the guy on the platform have no clue what I meant.

In the end, what is a normally 30-40 minute commute took me 90 minutes. Who's to blame? The damn union workers at the MTA. What can I do about it? Nothing except take it up the ass like everyone else. This shit is really grinding my gears and there's nothing I can do about it. Meanwhile, we got Hillary and Barack trying to win the unions...I don't think this transportation system will get any better. I'm just hoping it doesn't get any worse because it can...and probably will. I'm fucked, we're all fucked!

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