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Message |
    
gozerbrown
Citizen
Username: Gozerbrown
Post Number: 631
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 9:39 am: | 
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I'm on a roll this morning. For some reason, everything has irked me. On the platform, I listened to this gaggle of riders complaining about yesterday's train ride. And since I didn't get a seat, I had to stand near the aforementioned gaggle who complained about yesterday's train ride for the entire ride! Shut up already! We had a blizzard for heaven's sake. We had some minor inconveniences (OK, maybe not minor...last night I had a seat and there was a guy standing in the aisle. His crotch was practically in my face the whole ride. Oh well...I got over it.) and now it's a new day. People, just get over it! |
thegoodsgt
Citizen
Username: Thegoodsgt
Post Number: 736
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 9:54 am: |
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Some people are just wound up too tightly. And what is it they say, "Misery loves company"? I was a sociology major in college, so I enjoy watching the group dynamics as people try to manage uncertainty and stress. Fascinating stuff!
I was lucky yesterday, that even with a long and uncomfortable commute, everyone seemed to be in reasonably good spirits. I just wish I'd had a camera to photograph that sea of people at Hoboken! |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 5247
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 2:44 pm: |
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You're here in the soapbox to complain about complainers?  |
indi13
Citizen
Username: Notupset
Post Number: 10
Registered: N/A
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 3:43 pm: |
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Don't mind the delays too much, but it turned out I was in the Sauna car last night. I didn't have my towel. |
gozerbrown
Citizen
Username: Gozerbrown
Post Number: 636
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 4:26 pm: |
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At least you weren't sweating on me while your crotch was in my face! |
Flameretardant
Citizen
Username: Flameretardant
Post Number: 5
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 5:30 pm: |
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I was on one of the rerouted Midtown Direct trains last night as well, and probably complained more than I needed to. On the other hand, it's easy for others to say "get over it." I spent 4 1/2 hours commuting yesterday, didn't accomplish anything at work, and barely saw my family as a result of the blizzard and the train problems. Is this just a temporary frustration? Yes. Do I still have right to be unhappy about the situation, and vent my frustration? You bet I do. |
thegoodsgt
Citizen
Username: Thegoodsgt
Post Number: 737
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 8:41 am: |
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I complain, too, but I think the key is, for the sake of our health, is how we handle the stress. I get frustrated, go through the internal monolog of four-letter words, but then accept the situation for what it is and try not to exagerate the consequences of a late train, crowded train, high price of this or that, etc. Life is too short to increase the odds of an early heart attack! |
Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7360
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 8:51 am: |
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Having been through the infamous "Queens" storm in the late 1960s which apparently cost John Lindsay his reelection bid, the "President's Day storm in the early 1980s that left people stranded on the trains (and Route 78) for up to 20 hours and the "1996" storm that knocked out NJ Transit for three days and took them over a week to get service back to normal, this one ain't so bad.
Chill folks, chill!!
although I admit a little bitching is probably good for the soul
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TK South Orange
Citizen
Username: Tk_south_orange
Post Number: 279
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 1:36 pm: |
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Is it just me or does NJ Transit seem to purposely halt midtown direct lines into new york and re-route them to hoboken any time they think there are delays into penn station? Monday there were plenty of NJ trains into penn - just not M&E Midtown trains. |
algebra2
Supporter
Username: Algebra2
Post Number: 2907
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 1:39 pm: |
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I think that's because midtown direct are easiest to re-route to Hoboken b/c they go through Broad Street. |
TK South Orange
Citizen
Username: Tk_south_orange
Post Number: 280
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 1:41 pm: |
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But -
IT's NOT FAIR!  |
algebra2
Supporter
Username: Algebra2
Post Number: 2908
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 1:53 pm: |
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stomping my feet, yelling at the conductors and snapping at cell phone chatters makes me feel better! |
mooewe
Citizen
Username: Mooewe
Post Number: 226
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 2:00 pm: |
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Remember that NJT is at the mercy of Amtrak when it comes to trains going in and out of Penn. On the news Monday morning, an NJT spokeman said that the reason for the rerouting of Midtown directs to Hoboken had to do with Amtrak putting limits on track switching. (I think I'm remembering that right.) |
mwoodwalk
Citizen
Username: Mwoodwalk
Post Number: 286
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 2:36 pm: |
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Look, I'll admit that spending an entire train ride bitching is too much----but as someone who stood for an hour and 45 minutes on Monday morning whilst already feeling a bit sick to my stomach, I think it is within the realm of reasonbleness to voice a few complaints. I just find it amazing that with decades of bad weather experience to fall back on, our train system has still failed to find a way to cope when the inevitable inclement weather comes along.
In sum, excessive bitching: bad. Minimal bitching (or at least enough to make your point ONCE): OK. |
Amory Blaine
Citizen
Username: Fscott74
Post Number: 45
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 2:50 pm: |
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I just find it amazing that with decades of bad weather experience to fall back on, we all still fail to find a way to cope without complaining when the inevitable inclement weather comes along.
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mwoodwalk
Citizen
Username: Mwoodwalk
Post Number: 290
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 3:15 pm: |
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So, by your logic Amory, we should just accept that the organizations whose services we pay for have no obligation to improve their product upon learning of defects with that product. In other words, grin and bear it. Poor service should be sloughed off. |
Amory Blaine
Citizen
Username: Fscott74
Post Number: 46
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 3:28 pm: |
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No logic involved. I didn't enjoy standing for an hour and a half either - you're preaching to the choir here. Just find this thread and how it has morphed pretty funny. Sorry to butt in, but couldn't help it. |
algebra2
Supporter
Username: Algebra2
Post Number: 2909
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 3:36 pm: |
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I'm not so sure how much NJ Transit can be blamed. They had no control over Monday's situation of having to go to Hoboken. Monday night was a nightmare but they did have twice as many people coming through Hoboken. Yesterday the 7:39 had issues and had to go to Hoboken. I really don't sit and fume over "damn NJ Transit" I do get crazed about being late to pick-up my son -- that freaks me out! I was just joking about yelling at the conductors, I'm certain they are almost as aggrivated as I am. |
bmpsab
Citizen
Username: Bmpsab
Post Number: 104
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 3:41 pm: |
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I blame NJ Transit for the lack of information. They did not make any effort to put out appropriate information about the delays on Monday evening. There were no announcements (on or off the train) as to what stops the trains would be making or as to departure times. Everyone around me on the train was irritated because we all could not be 100% certain we were even on the right train (i.e., that it would stop at our stop), but if we left the train to ask for more information, there would have been no room left for us to fit back on. |
Flameretardant
Citizen
Username: Flameretardant
Post Number: 6
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 4:06 pm: |
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Yes, it's the lack of information that gets to me too. I certainly don't blame NJT for the blizzard or what Amtrak dictates. But there are common-sense things that can be done to make the best of a bad situation, things that NJT apparently ignores. For instance, don't delete a departure from the electronic posting when the train hasn't even boarded yet. Don't post a track assignment for a train that's not ready to board. Don't let passengers board, and then keep them guessing if they're on right train because there are no NJT personnel on the train. This ain't rocket science - but all these problems came up on Monday night. |
Pippi
Supporter
Username: Pippi
Post Number: 683
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 4:45 pm: |
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no comments on the recent service vis a vis their proposal to increase fares come July?
come on, that's worth complaining about! |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 4821
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 4:46 pm: |
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Amtrak made the decision to reduce the number of NJT trains which could enter and leave Penn Station, NY. They probably didn't give NJT much advanced notice either. All in all, I think NJT did a reasonably good job in getting everyone safely to and from work on Monday.
From what I can see, the problem wasn't so much lack of total seat availability on the Morris/Essex trains on Monday as it was increased demand for certain departure times, largely due to travel time restrictions resulting from child care needs, need to connect with trains out of Penn Station and/or Secaucus on other lines or rail systems, needs to connect with people who could not be reached by cell or other means to inform them of delays, etc.
The simple solution on days such as this is to minimize travel delay time and maximize travel comfort by taking earlier trains whenever possible. The really early morning trains had plenty of seats and relatively short delays if any and the early to mid afternoon trains had some entire cars which were virtually empty.
As to why our trains are always the first to re-routed to Hoboken, I think it is because the Midtown Direct trains were the most recent to have departures from Penn Station and because there is comparatively frequent service to midtown direct destinations from Hoboken, unlike the other Penn Station NJT lines which at most have a few trains a day going in and out of Hoboken. |
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