| Author | Message | ||
     bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 4941 Registered: 5-2001 |
The system of calling trains at Penn Station is about the worst I have ever seen. Everyone is worried about not making their train and, yeah, getting a non-middle seat and this leads to really bad behavior. Most people, male or female, aren't animals by nature. The joys of a Penn Station commute just makes it seem that way. | ||
| Michael Janay Citizen Username: Childprotect Post Number: 192 Registered: 1-2003 |
All I can add is that you better get out of my way when I'm running for the train. I don't care about getting a seat, I will gladly give my seat up for the short ride home. I'll gladly stand I JUST WANT TO MAKE THE DAMN TRAIN. There is nothing worse than sitting on the A between stations and then knowing you are going to miss your train by seconds (through no fault of your own) and have to wait half an hour or more in that hell hole that is Penn. People just stand around in the way blocking the hallway, completely self absorbed that they may be causing the congestion. Lots of people have to run to catch their trains, this is how it is at both Penn and Hoboken. MOVE OUT OF THE WAY! I try to get out of work with plenty of time to get the train, but many many times the subway has delays. If I miss the 7:16 I don't get to see my son that night. To avoid that I will gladly and dart like a rat on speed, and nothing better get in my way. I had someone tell me to slow down once... boy were they shocked when I told them flat out to F**K OFF AND GET OUT OF MY WAY. I never have spit though, Hmmm. Civilized behavior means allowing commuters in danger of missing their train access. Make a hole people. I know its a cramped area and there isn't a lot of room, but move as far towards the wall or center as possible, and leave a path for people to get to their trains. It is not right that I should miss my train and not be able to spend time with my child because some dopes are milling about deciding which flavor pretzel to buy or reading their paper oblivious to the fact that people have to get from one place to the other. Call me what you want. I'm happy to explain to my son that people think I'm an a$$hole because I will do anything I need to so I can get home to see him. | ||
| algebra2 Citizen Username: Algebra2 Post Number: 1697 Registered: 5-2001  |
Amen Michael! | ||
| jet Citizen Username: Jet Post Number: 391 Registered: 7-2001 |
Instead of improving anything in Newark , that fool that runs the place wants to build a hockey arena in Newark. Hockey & Newark perfect together. | ||
| shh Citizen Username: Shh Post Number: 971 Registered: 5-2001 |
Once I found myself in Penn Station the day before Thanksgiving, around 3pm, with 2 kids and a double (wide!) stroller. (We went to Radio City and I forgot what day it was and why the commute might be even more of a pain in the butt.) I pushed my way through the crowds, with my kids buckled in, all the way shouting "EXCUSE ME, COMING THROUGH, EXCUSE ME." What the hell are you supposed to do, stand there and wait for them to get out of the way? People looked at me like I had six heads. We ended up having to go to Hoboken, (delays or something) so we ran up the street to the Path train. All I can say is we made it. I think I blocked the rest of it out of my memory. | ||
| akb Citizen Username: Akb Post Number: 164 Registered: 12-2001 |
Michael, we have all been in that position, of running through Penn Station dodging waiting commuters to try and make our trains. That is a different scenario. What is being discussed here are the people, and you know who you are!, who shove and herd every day the minute the train is called. It is not a question of missing the train at all. | ||
| ligeti Citizen Username: Ligeti Post Number: 93 Registered: 7-2002 |
Janay - NYC is not for you. Move to Columbus, or Portland or wherever, where you won't be so stressed out (and rude) as a result of normal big city commuting strategies. You obviously can't hack it. Lot's of us have kids we want to see and mange to do it without shouting F-you at our fellow citizens. | ||
| Tom Reingold Citizen Username: Noglider Post Number: 2355 Registered: 1-2003  |
There was a commentary in Car and Driver magazine last month about irritation in traffic. Basically, there are two personality types, he calls soothers and seethers. And they each feed the other's irritation. As I often do, I believe that the truth lies in the middle. Both types could do more to be more considerate of the others. Yes, you should be careful not to stand in people's ways. Yes, you should not yell or push or take someone else's rightful place in line. And no, one person's rude behavior does not justify another person's rude behavior. Tom Reingold the prissy-pants There is nothing | ||
| algebra2 Citizen Username: Algebra2 Post Number: 1699 Registered: 5-2001 |
Ligeti -- maybe NYC is not for you? I've lived in Times Square and commuted through Penn Station for 5+ years now, I know crowds. I hustle my ass through Penn Station every night and yeah there are the occasional pushers but mostly it's just us regular folk trying to get to the track. Then there are the nimrods who aren't paying attention to their surroundings, have their rolling bags plopped down in the middle of the passageway, paying NO attention to the mass of people moving in their direction. Personally, I don't wait on the lower level or in the new NJ Transit waiting area very often because they're too crowded and it's much saner to wait by the Amtrak info booth (at least for my trains which arrive on 1 - 4). No pushing, no shoving. You sound like the one who's having issues "hacking it".  | ||
| ligeti Citizen Username: Ligeti Post Number: 94 Registered: 7-2002 |
I'm a considerably more experienced NYC commuter than you, dear algebra2, and I've learned how to float and weave through subway and train station crowds very efficiently, even when confronted by dawdlers. If I am late, I don't inflict my personal panic on others in the form of rudeness. And one thing I've discovered about being "late" over the years? IT DOESN'T USUALLY MATTER! And it's a little bit like drivers who are chronic speeders -- they don't really end up getting from point a to b signficantly faster than the rest of us. | ||
| Earlster Citizen Username: Earlster Post Number: 135 Registered: 8-2003 |
algebra, from comments that your hubby usually makes on this board I'm surprised to hear that he would get up for a woman. I thought he would most likely offer her a seat on his lap. | ||
| algebra2 Citizen Username: Algebra2 Post Number: 1701 Registered: 5-2001 |
Earlster -- he's a surprisingly kind and generous man. Always the first to offer up his seat or insisting on picking up the check (something which annoys the hell out of me). He saves the lap dance offers for me. | ||
| Michael Janay Citizen Username: Childprotect Post Number: 193 Registered: 1-2003 |
You obviously don't know me. I'm the least stressed out person you'll meet. I'm not the one being rude... the dolts blocking the pathways where thousands of people are rushing to make trains are the rude ones. The rude ones are the ones that have the unmitigated gall to tell me to slow down when they are dawdling in the middle of the path of those same thousands of commuters. The rude ones are the ones that decide that simply because they were able to arrive at the station early enough to wait around in everyone elses way they have the right to dictate whether or not other people make their train or not, or at least comment on it. Those people can f**k off. And they can also kiss my hairy fat @ss. I guess it is a different discussion... this and simply rude jerks that must have a seat at all costs. But jeez, people with their bags plopped down in the middle of the pathway really gets me going. Not to mention people on the train with their bags in the middle seat. But that is a whole other thread. I'd love to move away to a more laid back place, but I'm too busy creating jobs here in NYC. | ||
| Tom Reingold Citizen Username: Noglider Post Number: 2362 Registered: 1-2003 |
Michael, is it conceivable that more than one person can be rude at a time? Your use of the term "the ones" leads me to ask. Tom Reingold the prissy-pants There is nothing | ||
| Michael Janay Citizen Username: Childprotect Post Number: 194 Registered: 1-2003 |
By the way, I float and weave better than most. 10 years of martial arts taught me to be incredibly reactive and suprisingly nimble on my feet. If you commute through penn, then how can you say being late doesn't matter? If you miss your train by 5 seconds (who hasn't had the doors close on them as they hit the platform?) because someone is in your way getting to the track, or because you didn't run, or because you got a pretzel, you usually have a half hour wait for the next one. That matters. | ||
| shestheone Citizen Username: Shestheone Post Number: 52 Registered: 5-2003 |
maybe you could leave work 10 minutes sooner. then you wouldn't need to float and weave. | ||
| ligeti Citizen Username: Ligeti Post Number: 95 Registered: 7-2002 |
Janay - Thanks for making my case for me! And have a nice day! Love, Ligeti | ||
| Michael Janay Citizen Username: Childprotect Post Number: 195 Registered: 1-2003 |
Sometimes I can, sometimes I can't. It doesn't matter. If I'm in Penn at 7:12, I shouldn't have to miss my 7:15 train because people are standing around in the way. Yes, it would be nice if I was able to get to Penn at 7:05... but that doesn't always happen. Running, I can be at the gate at 7:14 and make the train. Waiting for everyone to move out of the way after a polite "excuse me...(nothing) excuse me... (nothing) ... EXCUSE ME..." I would be lucky to get to the gate by 7:18. I know it sounds nuts, but I actually have timed it both ways. | ||
| Tom Reingold Citizen Username: Noglider Post Number: 2366 Registered: 1-2003 |
I try to limit my stress to unusual obstacles, not the usual ones. The usual ones are part of the landscape, so to speak, so planning to get around them is part of my commute. Tom Reingold the prissy-pants There is nothing | ||
| mellie Citizen Username: Mellie Post Number: 427 Registered: 4-2002 |
part of the issue is that the morons at NJT like to announce the Miodtown Direct trains as late as possible, never on the same track 2 days in a row, so that you have to run to get the train. ever had 1200 commuters waiting at track 1 rush to track 12, meeting 1200 commuters at track 12 rushing to track 1 ? Fun it ain't. It doesn't excuse rudeness though, such as trampling or gender stereotyping by the way, don't accuse me of stereotyping NJT employees as morons. as we all know, that is not sterotyping... |
