Monday, June 29, 2015

Guest Post: SEPTA vs. LIRR

TTIV is excited to share the unique commuting perspective of a reader who recently moved from Long Island to Philadelphia. We will give this reader the Shakespearean name, "Phrynia."

Phrynia now travels on the regional SEPTA, or Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority train service. I couldn't resist the opportunity to compare commuter rail lines, so I've been pressing Phrynia for information. She provided an avalanche of interesting details about the differences between SEPTA and the Long Island Rail Road.

Friday, June 26, 2015

The Bouncy Seat

Hey readers! Do you remember this post about the types of seats you encounter on the commute? I wrote about a train seat that felt similar to those warm, sticky soft toilet seats of the 1970s. Somehow, they've lost their support structure, resulting in a dropped out center. How does a seat get like this? Who knows. But it happens frequently on the Long Island Rail Road.

Today, I boarded my evening train about ten minutes early. The car was about 25% full, and I had my pick of seats. I swiftly hunted for just the right aisle seat and came upon one that clearly had a dropped center. The aisle seat directly behind it was not occupied, so I sat there. I took out my computer to do some work, but I put it aside so I could tell you this story about... the bouncy seat.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Monday, June 22, 2015

Summer Commuting Improvements

Roll out those lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer! Those days of soda, and pretzels, and beer...

The commuting challenges change with the calendar. Wouldn't it be terrific if someone in charge of big ideas and innovation at the MTA stepped up and introduced new seasonal programs to improve the experience for commuters?

Of course, it is highly unlikely that a "new ideas" role actually exists within the MTA. I don't know this for certain, but I base my assessment on the fact that the MTA has introduced nothing creative to the Long Island Rail Road commute in about 100 years. But let's imagine for a moment that such a department exists, full of vibrant types who consider the suggestion board ideas, rather than saying no to everything presented.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Friday, June 12, 2015

Intern Season: Lesson #2

Recently, another "Intern Classroom Lesson" took place. I'm going to tell you what happened, with the help of a few crude drawings.

I boarded at Hicksville, my usual station. The train car was virtually empty, and I had my pick of spots. As a creature of habit, I chose an aisle seat somewhere in the middle of the seating layout, for reasons I'll explain in a future post. A young man boarded at the next stop, and was soon the recipient of some TTIV guidance.

Thursday, June 04, 2015

Intern season: Lesson #1

Folks, as I mentioned in this linked post, it's intern season. These eager and idealistic future leaders have much to learn, and need to balance their classroom knowledge with boardroom reality. When it comes to commuting though, there's no classroom education. Becoming knowledgeable takes real life experience.

Recently, I witnessed a young person en route to a summer job in New York City. His commuting skills could have benefited from classroom training.

Get it? TRAINing! Ok stop groaning. The scenario was amusing, and it even made me remove my headphones to watch it play out. What happened, you ask? Read on, class is now in session.