So, Amtrak had a downed power line in a tunnel this afternoon. Naturally this means there were delays on the Long Island Rail Road. And by naturally, it means it really makes no sense to me because can't Amtrak just delay all their trains and take the hit? But, since I am not in the upper echelons of the management of either organization, I can't do much about that. I can only snark on the delays.
First of all, let me just say that nothing brings out the anger in people like a train delay. I understand it is frustrating and you are going to get home late, but people are simply seething. A woman next to me stood watching the track posting screen (where you either see where your train is leaving from or find out it has been cancelled when it disappears from the screen a minute before they make the announcement) cursing each time a track is posted (clearly not for her train) and loudly saying "and they wonder why people go ballistic." I'm not sure who they are, but I do decide it can't hurt to move away from her.
Meanwhile I am hoping for news on my train. There are constant announcements of up to 30 minute delays and that *some* trains may be cancelled - while in reality it appears that every other train on the schedule is being cancelled. As the ones just before and just after mine are given tracks, it becomes increasingly clear that my train will fall in the other category and sure enough it disappears from the list and is followed by its cancellation announcement. What concerns me even more is it seems to be the only cancellation which doesn't also add the line about "customers will be accommodated on the [insert another train leaving in about 5 minutes]." It turns out that is because I won't be accommodated on another train and I just need to wait for the next scheduled one to my town (which will also be leaving late).
At this point I've been standing in Penn Station for about 35 minutes but I am not yet ready to go ballistic, even though my phone has been lying to me since it is showing the highest connection rate but won't actually connect to anything. Luckily I am prepared for these situations by also having my Kindle. It occurs to me that I may not be going ballistic because this is affording me reading time. Ah, my train and track are announced. Time to join 600 people trying to squeeze through a doorway that can fit three people side by side at a time, to then go down a staircase that can accommodate two. This is not helped by the people who are walking back up the stairs because they went to the track they are usually on for their train home - despite the fact that trains are clearly leaving at least 20 minutes late and there have been consistent announcements (even more frequent than the cancellations) to not go down to your track until it is announced due to the delays and changes. Did they think their train would be the one train of the night to leave on time from its normal track? They would get the "you've got to be kidding me" award of the evening but I have someone else in store for you...wait for it, it's coming.
I join the herd on the platform where we wait in groups of about 60, spread out over 20 feet or so each of us hoping the train will come to a stop with the doors landing right in front of us. There seem to be a few people on the planet who know the secret to predicting this, but I am not one of them. I have the opposite power and am usually nowhere near the doors. This time is no exception. I shuffle along with everyone else hoping there will be a seat left by the time I get on.
There is one person next to me who seems to be particularly blatant in her pushing. The subtle push where someone walks pretty close to me in hoping I'll move out of the way is one thing - this lady seems to simply be shoving people out of the way. Plus she is rocking a pretty high set of heels and I don't want one of them to impale my foot. I end up right behind her in a line of people walking the aisle in search of a seat so I have the lone view of her next action. She pulls her phone from her pocket, puts it to her ear and (no hello or anything) says very loudly "well I can't keep doing this, I am pregnant. It is very hard to do this being pregnant." Really now? Lest you think I am being unnecessarily suspicious of the shover in heels, the chances of getting a phone signal underground and on the train are slim to none. Now that is a "you've got to be kidding me" moment. Luckily I don't have to be truly put out by this malarkey as the size of the crowd seemed worse than it really was and everyone finds a seat. My sense of personal affront is minimized since she didn't actually get anything out of the attempted scam (but not entirely gone).
As for me, well you'll be happy to know I got home a mere 2 hours and 15 minutes after I left the office (12 hours after I left the house this morning - not that I'm counting). And they wonder why people go ballistic...
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