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Casual Observations |
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Posted by FormerStrapHanger on Fri Dec 15 15:59:24 2017 I wanted to share some personal observations of my experience with travel in NYC after being gone for some time. I moved away in 1989, and was last there for a visit in 2000. The MTA is vastly different than what it was when I last used it regularly. Not having to use it on a daily basis, my impressions are that it is much improved over what it was.First, thanks to all the posters who kindly answered my questions about the MetroCard. Even with all your help, it was still confusing. We bought our cards from a vendor. That was convenient, but I did not realize that they only sold cards of a specific value. We couldn’t tell him exactly what we wanted. Of well, close enough – I now have a couple of souvenir cards that are technically worth a few bucks. According to the card, in a year or so they will be worthless. Thanks to New Flyer #857 who recommended the QM5 bus as a way to get into Manhattan from Eastern Queens. It was good trip and the views were what was needed for my Southern wife to gain an appreciation of where I was raised. We saw a number of people who tried to board and were turned away because they had Unlimited MetroCards. I am glad I am not the only one who is still trying to figure it all out. The only problem was the tunnel work going on that weekend. The busses wound up WAY behind schedule. The return bus from Manhattan started the run at 4:30. It was actually the 5:00 bus, but the dispatcher sent him early since the 4:00 bus was still stuck in traffic. The ride was supposed to take about 40 minutes, but took 90. The next day we took the regular bus in to the subway. First time riding on these low floor busses. My observations: The MCI busses used on the express routes don’t seem like they are suited to City conditions. Both of the busses we rode on rattled like a GMC Fishbowl at every bump. I was waiting on something to fall down from the overhead. On the other hand, the LF’s were quiet and sounded solid. They took the bumps in stride with hardly a grunt. We rode trains from both divisions getting around Manhattan. I miss the variety in the equipment ‘back in the day’. That being said, the current fleet is much more customer friendly than what I was used to. First, it was generally clean and graffiti free. The announcements were actually understandable. The strip maps and message panels with the next stop information were very useful. I understood the strip map on the IRT train easily, but I had to explain to my brother why it had two different routes on it and what they each were telling you. The sad part is, he lives in NY. My overall impression of the current equipment is that it is much better condition than when I rode the rails. Quieter, smoother, better lighting. It may have just been the luck of the draw, but I don’t think so. One thing that stood out to me was the presence of visible TA personnel. They seemed to be everywhere. I was very surprised to see someone who’s job it was to be a Platform Attendant. Next thing I expect is that you will have ‘pushers’ like they do in Tokyo. I asked a few of the employees directions, and they were all approachable and provided friendly answers. The bus dispatcher was very accommodating and cooperative to those of us waiting for the bus to Queens. A very pleasant change from what it used to be like. So – to all of you who are MTA employees – thank you. You get an ‘Atta Boy’ from a former resident turned visitor. ‘You’ve come a long way, baby.’ |
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