A week on crutches - Some short observations and advice for bystanders

First - I am very fortunate that my injury (a sprained ankle) is very temporary. So I'll just say that to start off. I spent the past week hobbling around NYC on crutches (though admittedly I spent more time on my sofa with my leg propped up, watching episodes of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report). I don't claim to have any insight whatsoever into what it's like to deal with something like this on a long-term basis. But I have observed a few things just from being out and about in the city, trying to get from point A to B to C and back to A. So the following list of things to do and not to do for someone on crutches (or with some obvious mobility issue) pertains really only to my own experience. Other people might think differently about it. But it's something to think about. 

1. Do offer to help. I didn't always feel like asking for help, but when people offered to carry things for me in the grocery store, or get a drink for me at dinner, or in my roommate's case, run downstairs and get my seamless.com delivery, I really appreciated it. I also really appreciated not having to ask.

2. If help is refused, don't insist. The other night, I was slowly making my way up a short flight of stairs. A well-meaning man said he wanted to help me. I really didn't want help. I was very carefully balancing, and it took some concentration. He insisted, and in spite of my saying "no" repeatedly, came and took my arm anyway and more or less forcibly helped me up the stairs. I felt off-balance and a little panicked. I was actually glad when he let go and it was once more just me and my crutches.

3. Do offer your seat on the bus or subway. Seriously. This one should be obvious. It was always obvious to me before this happened, and it's even more obvious now. And most people get it. But there are a few that don't. Particularly on the Queens bound N train at 4:30 in the afternoon. (Likewise, if you are the one for whom someone gives up a seat, say "thank you." Those seats can be hard to come by, and the person giving it up might have been really tired and glad to have it).

4. Don't run ahead and grab the seat nearest the door when someone on crutches is right behind you. I am balancing on one foot and two metal poles. I want to sit down as soon as possible. I think some people do this without thinking, but it is really annoying.

5. It's OK to ask what happened, if you want to. Don't force someone to stand and talk to you forever, though, or try to use the person's injury to sell her something (so tacky). I met some nice people who were just curious and maybe had their own stories to share. I've had far more conversations with homeless people in the past week than I have had in the past decade, which is probably not a bad thing. The exception to all of this was the rep from the cable company who asked me what happened, and then proceeded to draw me into a long conversation in which she tried to get me to upgrade my cable subscription. Again - one foot, two metal poles. And it was cold out. Every time I said I had to go, she would draw me back in somehow. I know I should have just walked away and let her deal with it, but I'm not especially capable of doing that (too programmed to be polite, I think).

6. Finally ... DON'T STEAL SOMEONE'S CAB. Whereas some of these other things were merely annoying, this one filled me with rage. A deep, primal rage. It was done so blatantly, too. The people looked at me and ran for the cab and jumped in before I could get to it, even though I had hailed it.

7. Do offer to hail a cab for someone. A couple of people did this for me on the days I was having the most trouble. I really appreciated it.

So that's it for now. I'm sure I'll think of more, but these are some of the big ones I've noticed. And, I'm happy to say that as of today I am off the crutches and in an air-cast. I have to wear it for the next four weeks, but my mobility is drastically improved. Meanwhile, I learned a lot about getting around this city, and getting around in general, without full mobility. It hasn't been fun, but it certainly has given me more empathy for those who deal with these issues (and many much worse) on a daily basis.

Sesame Street on the Subway, Seventies Style

I love vintage Sesame Street. And I especially love this video, which is recognizably the New York City subway system, except it's the 1970s and there are dancing muppets. I will admit to having no first hand knowledge of the 1970s subway here in NYC - I wasn't born yet - but my understanding is that the city was a bit scarier and darker than it is today. And that darkness is reflected just a bit in this video ...

The muppets do things muppets are supposed to do - they sing and dance and smile - but there is also a tension in the air here that one doesn't really expect of Sesame Street. Elmo would be out of place here. Instead, we have the random beatnik muppet, and the old lady who breathlessly insists that "you could lose your purse or you might lose something worse on the subway." There is the suggestion that it's hot, and claustrophobic, and the dancing is more a reflection of the chaos contained within those subway cars than a true celebration. And poor Kermit, who should have taken the local instead of the express! How many of us have done that at one time or another? The character I really sympathize with here, though, is Bert. Poor Bert doesn't want to take part in the dancing. He just wants to avoid getting hit. He doesn't like all these random people touching him, and he's doing his best to avoid it. Bert represents order and sanity in the midst of the madness and chaos. At the end of the video, it's not clear if he's bewildered or relieved or both. I sympathize here because when the break dancers start up on the D train, I'm usually wondering if there is some place I can duck and hide to avoid getting kicked. There are other Sesame Street takes on the subway, but I think this one is the most interesting and surreal. And I do get a kick out of it in spite of picking up some dark undertones. If I have to be subject to subway entertainment of the singing and dancing variety, I'd prefer it to come from Kermit and friends than from anyone else!

*FYI - I had meant to do a post about subway preachers a few days ago, following a particularly annoying experience - but then my internet broke, and the moment seemed to have passed. I'm sure it will come again, though. In the meantime, Bert, Kermit, and friends are a good substitute!

Long Distance Signal Failures: The Quirks of Public Transportation in this Great Nation of Ours

Anyone who has been reading this blog might wonder at its recent silence. Well, that is because this is a blog about New York City's public transportation, and the many attendant insanities, and I have been out of NYC. I've been traveling westward, to my hometown of Pittsburgh, and even further west, to my ten year college reunion in South Bend, Indiana. But as it turns out, trains, buses, taxis, and planes are crazy everywhere, and I come with a report of some of the highlights, comparisons, and other oddities of my trip.

Memorial Day Megabus

My first adventure was on the Megabus, heading from NYC to Pittsburgh on May 28. Now, for those who may not know (you innocent souls!), the Megabus actually started in the UK in 2003, and has rapidly expanded westward, landing in the USA in 2006. They advertise fares for as low as one dollar (though I've never gotten one), complimentary wifi, power outlets at every pair of seats, and clean, safe, express, double-decker busses. In theory, the Megabus is an amazing deal, and it actually is a better experience than Greyhound. The bus from New York to Pittsburgh has only one stop in between - at State College, PA, home of Penn State University. When I first started taking the Megabus about two years ago, most of the clientele consisted of students. It has since gotten more publicity, I guess, because now those sketchy people who used to take Greyhound have found out about it, and apparently a lot of them have a pressing need to go to Pittsburgh on weekdays in June. Well, normally I try to take the earliest bus of the day - it's less likely to hit traffic and is occasionally less crowded. It leaves around 6:30 AM. However, I was in a fantastic wedding the night before I was leaving this time, and when I booked I knew I wouldn't be up for standing around waiting for a bus at 6 AM. So I booked the 12:50 bus. On Memorial Day. It's important to know at this point that Megabus has no specific bus station - the e-mail confirmation has instructions to go to 41st and 10th, and basically get in line. So that's what I did. There are multiple lines for the various destinations, and though I was over an hour early, the Pittsburgh line was still substantial. And I had forgotten to wear sunscreen. So by the time I boarded, I had sunburn, and my phone was almost dead (I love you, iPhone, but your battery life is tragically short). I was lucky to get a nice seat mate, though, a massage therapist named Melinda, who was returning home to Pittsburgh. That's the thing with public transportation - sometimes it's possible to meet really nice people, and that can make for a much more pleasant experience. We chatted a bit, but she was chill enough to stop chatting when I wanted to try to read or sleep. Reading is tough for me on buses because I get motion sickness, but it's not as bad with my Kindle, so I was willing to try. I had really counted on using my phone to chat and play games, though, which did not happen - sadly, the power outlets were all dead, and the driver wasn't able to fix them (to be honest, I'm not convinced he tried - he was extremely apathetic and didn't even list the safety rules the drivers normally list). Also, the Megabus on this route always stops at the same rest stop in eastern Pennsylvania - it's a pretty sad little place, but it's clean, and has a Subway sandwich shop in it, so at least it's possible to get something healthy (there is also a convenience store that sells non-descript, very sketchy looking hotdogs and sausages). So the bus got in rather late, and my phone had less than 10% battery life remaining, but I'd survived another trip on the Megabus, and I was back in Pittsburgh, which is a pretty good place to be (honestly!). 

The Megabus at a rest stop in Pennsylvania

The Midnight Train 

After two days respite in the 'burgh, it was time to leave for South Bend, Indiana, home of Saint Mary's College, the greatest school in the world, and another school that a few people know for its football team. Well, there is no Megabus to South Bend. And there is no good way to fly there. I could probably fly to Europe for what I'd pay to fly into the South Bend Airport. Flying into Chicago and then taking the train or bus there is also an option, but it was not a cheap one, either. Renting a car might have been an option, but there is a reason I am so experienced at taking public transportation - I haven't driven in about a decade (I probably shouldn't have a driver's license, but I do - I plan to take lessons again fairly soon). So - Amtrak it was. The train from Pittsburgh to South Bend is actually the train from D.C. to Chicago, and it stops in Pittsburgh in time for an 11:59 departure. I've taken Amtrak plenty during the day, but only once or twice before at night, and that was a long time ago. There weren't tons of people going on that train, but there were a few. Since the train didn't seem like it would be crowded, I had high hopes of not getting a seat partner. Those hopes, my friends, were quickly dashed. 'Twas a fleeting dream, but a sweet one. As soon as I boarded the train, the conductor told me where to sit, which is a new experience for me on Amtrak. I guess I see why - people would be getting off and on throughout the night, and this probably avoided some confusion - but it threw me a little. Especially as she told a guy who was traveling alone to take the next seat. Since it's a night train, the seats recline a lot, so I basically would have to spend the night lying next to this strange guy. I didn't feel entirely comfortable with it, though it helped that he was not excited about it, either. And it ended up being fine - I texted on my phone and read my book and he played with his laptop, and we ignored each other. I managed to get a little sleep, though it wasn't restful - the train would stop and start, slow down and speed up, and trains out west often have to yield to passing freight trains. In the morning, though, I felt surprisingly good - perhaps it was the excitement of my impending reunion. It was surprisingly nice to wake up and see a rainy Indiana from the train window. 

Indiana from the train window, around 7 AM last Thursday

When I got off the train in South Bend, I'm not sure what I expected. In New York, and even in Pittsburgh, there are cabs hanging out at the stations to make the most of the opportunities for fares those places present. I guess I can see why there aren't any in South Bend - I suspect it's not a high traffic station at 7 AM most weekdays, and most people probably have rides waiting for them. On this day, there was a decent little crowd because of the reunions at Saint Mary's and that other school. Of this group of people, I was the only one with numbers for local cab companies, since a friend had been kind enough to text them to me the day before. I called and arranged for my cab, and was told it would be there in fifteen minutes. I then shared my phone numbers with the rest of the passengers, and went to use the rest room. When I came out five minutes later, two other people had phoned my cab company, and were told to just share the cab with me, even though we were going to different places! They were perfectly nice, but it was a little surprising! The cab driver was very friendly, too, and extremely accommodating. I usually don't discuss cabs on this blog, but my experience with NYC cabs has been a real mix, from the friendly to the eccentric to the downright vile. This guy just seemed normal, which was cool, and he drove me exactly where I asked to go without making a fuss or pretending he didn't know where it was (people who live in Queens know what I'm talking about) which I greatly appreciated. 

Sleepy on the South Shore to Chicago 

After an absolutely fantastic college reunion, my friend and I headed to Chicago via the South Shore Line. I had a flight back to Pittsburgh to catch at Midway airport that evening, but we would take the train and have a few hours to kill in Chicago (my friend lives there). The South Shore is a commuter train with South Bend and Chicago on either end of it. New Yorkers, think of New Jersey Transit or Metro North trains. They have pretty much the same layout inside, and serve a similar purpose. Except that the South Shore is Very Brown - it's like something from the 1970s in terms of interiors. And Very Slow. My friend started saying that she was not going to be able to stay awake as soon as we sat down. I began to make some kind of retort about her not thinking me very good company, but she anticipated me, and said no - that it had nothing to do with the company - that it was simply impossible to stay awake on the South Shore. And she was right! I don't know if it was the slowness or all the brown decor, but I just could not keep my eyes open. Finally I gave in to it and dozed. Until a thud against my back woke me up. The thud was repeated. I turned around, expecting to see a small child kicking the back of my seat. It happens, and a lot of times kids just don't know better until they're told not to do it. I didn't see a child, though - instead, I saw a grown man with his wife sitting next to him. I asked him, politely, to stop kicking my seat. I got a blank stare in return. I asked again, and he nodded. I said thank you and turned back around. Five minutes later I felt it again. My friend had woken up by this time, so we moved to the seats in front of us to get away from the kicking. I told him I was moving because he wouldn't stop kicking me. He shrugged. I was reminded that there are a lot of rude people outside of New York, too, but fortunately the kicking stopped once I moved. 

On the South Shore Train

Babysitting on Southwest 

My flight from Chicago to Pittsburgh actually went absurdly well. Since it was summer and late in the evening, I expected delays, but they were minor. On Southwest, there are no assigned seats - you board in the order you checked in, basically. There is an A group, a B group, and a C group, and there are numbers assigned within each group. A1 is the first to board, while C42 is a much less desirable boarding position. Once you're on the plane, you can choose any seat you want. I paid ten dollars extra for some sort of preferred boarding thing, which meant the airline checked me in automatically and I got a good boarding number - A32. I actually am really picky about where I sit on planes. When I was 19 and flying around Europe for the first time, I always sought a window seat. Flying was exciting and I wanted to see everything there was to see. Now, I just want to be off the damned plane as soon as possible, so I seek an aisle seat as close to the front as I can get. This time, thanks to my nice low boarding number, I got to sit in an aisle seat three rows back. The window seat was occupied by a 12 year old girl I'll call C. C was *very* chatty. She was flying by herself for the first time, and had been on the plane since Salt Lake City. Her grandparents were to meet her in Pittsburgh, but she'd basically been on her own since she'd boarded (though I guess a flight attendant looks out for kids traveling alone? I hope so). She was a little scared to fly at night, and said she was tired, but too nervous to sleep through take off. I told her as confidently as possible that everything would be just fine. She asked me tons and tons of questions, though - and before I knew it I felt responsible for this kid - mainly because no one else seemed to be. She asked me about the book I was reading, about where I was going, and what I did. When I told her my job, she looked skeptical and asked how old I was. When C told me I looked much too young to be 32, I decided this kid was OK. But really, she was a pretty great kid. She expressed concern that someone would come and sit in the middle seat, and she didn't want to sit next to a stranger (I very much understood that). She seemed to think I was all right, though, so I told her that if anyone did come, that I would take the middle seat. She seemed to find this more agreeable. No one came, though, so that was good. She told me lots about herself and her family, and seemed very excited to get away from her siblings for the summer and spend time with her grandma. She did go to sleep eventually, and when it came time to land, I figured I would make sure she got to baggage claim all right and was able to meet her grandmother. That wasn't necessary, though- amazingly, the grandparents were waiting at the gate - security must make exceptions for children traveling alone, and she looked very happy to see them. And I was very happy to be home myself. I would get to spend a few days in Pittsburgh before reboarding the Megabus and returning to NYC.

The Pittsburgh "T": A Model of Inefficiency 

Pittsburgh, my beloved home town, is not a city well known for its amazing public transportation. I can remember taking the bus downtown with my mom when I was little - it was pretty neat, I thought then. In the intervening years, the city has cut services and raised prices on buses. But it wasn't the buses I had to deal with this trip. My mom and I also used to go to the Three Rivers Arts Festival occasionally when I was younger, and since I happened to be home during the festival, we decided to check it out again. We drove downtown, but alas - there was no parking to be had. So we drove back across the river, and parked there. Mom suggested that we take the subway, also known as the "T." I've been on the subway in Pittsburgh exactly twice before - once on a trip with the Girl Scouts when I was much younger, and one other time with my mom. There is exactly one subway line in Pittsburgh. So you'd think it would be super easy to figure out, right? Wrong. It was possibly the most confusing and stressful experience I had all week! And I am a pro at the NYC subway, and I've ridden multi-line subways in many other cities with no problems whatsoever. First, buying a ticket was an ordeal. The train is still above ground where we were buying the ticket (at Station Square for anyone familiar with the 'burgh). The woman in the booth was not forthcoming with any information or help, and we watched a train go by while we were trying to figure it out. There is no way to pay with a credit card, and it is required to pay with exact change. What??!?! I could see if we were in Cleveland or something (not that I've been there, but it's one of our rival cities), but this is Pittsburgh! It's a modern place! Finally, we had our tickets, though, and a few minutes later the train came. Now let me just show you in pictures what I experienced ....

There is no little map above the seats - or anywhere else - to tell passengers where they are or where to get off. 

One must request a stop! Also, there is a ticket machine there, but no one used it, so we ignored it, too. 

I've seen the carpeted seats elsewhere, such as in DC. I'm not sure how I feel about them. 

The Gateway Center station is actually kind of pretty. 

Looking up at the ceiling from inside the Gateway Center station. 

Once we were finished looking at art, Mom and I were going to walk across the Smithfield Street Bridge back to the car, but she had bought a bowl, and it was kind of heavy, and also it was really hot - so we decided to take the train back, thinking we knew what we were doing this time, and we even got the exact change out ahead of time. But we were wrong, of course. There is absolutely nowhere to purchase a ticket in the station downtown. After wandering aimlessly searching for a ticket machine or booth for a bit, I finally asked someone, and was told that we would need to buy it once we got off the train at Station Square. So it turns out, we were supposed to purchase a transfer on our way in if we wanted to come back. The woman at the booth never told us. Luckily, her colleague just sold us the transfer then and there, but it's not like this was written down anywhere! 

And a bit of humor that only Pittsburghers might get ...

This statue, by an artist named J. Seward Johnson, Jr., is called "Taxi!" It's supposed to be a man hailing a cab in downtown Pittsburgh - a thing that is actually not possible to do. I'm told the city is going to start experimenting with having cabs that can be hailed on the street, but right now - it's just not done. You can call a cab, or go to a cab stand at a hotel or something I guess, but if you try to get one on the street, you'll be ignored. Trust me - I know from experience. Also - I hit my head on this statue after bending down to look at the artist's plaque, so I've nicknamed him "Public Enemy #1." 

Megabus: The Return 

Yes, this title sounds like a bad sequel. And that's precisely what this Megabus trip felt like. The stakes are always higher in a sequel, of course, and the threat always more exaggerated. This time, there were new and disturbing challenges, but if you've been reading this long, you might be up for hearing about them. One of the nice things about the Megabus stop in Pittsburgh is that it's in the tunnel for the Convention Center, which offers some protection from the elements. However, today, the New York people were told to get in line outside the tunnel, around a corner and along the building. Just across from us was a row of trash bins, and they wreaked in the summer heat. It was not pleasant. And then ... the bus was fine, actually - it was just really, really crowded. Almost worse than Memorial Day. And my power outlet didn't work again (though other ones did, so I was able to borrow one for a bit to recharge my phone). But by this time, maybe I was just cranky about being on yet another form of public transportation, and feeling kind of motion sick. So all in all - a rather disappointing sequel, but it could have been worse. 

Epilogue: Back on the MTA

When I finally got off the bus at 28th and 7th, there seemed to be a lot of traffic. The first cab I met refused to take me to Queens (Yes, I know this is illegal but I was too tired to fight with him). I decided I'd just take the good old MTA - and a lot about this trip made me appreciate our strange, chaotic, yet remarkably well organized subway system. I walked to the NR line on 28th Street, and an R train came almost immediately. I got on and found a seat, opened my Kindle, and before I knew it I was home. 

Signal Failures Abroad: The London Underground

I'm not writing this from London - I was last there for about three days almost two years ago, and looking through some old photos today, I found that I have tons of pictures from the London Underground. So, I thought it might be fun to share some of them here, and think about some of the pros and cons of each city's system. I welcome comments, corrections, etc.

I was very impressed by the subway system in London. I have to say - for anyone coming from NYC, it's very easy to figure out a lot of systems in other cities, and the famous London tube system was no exception. It seems that it almost goes out of its way to create a pleasant and easy experience. I loved especially those electronic signs that tell you when the next train is coming. The NYC MTA is very slowly getting around to implementing them, but it's taking years. We have them on the 4/5/6 line, though they're often not working, and now they're on the 1/2/3 as well, and the L (if I'm missing one let me know). I love those signs, because often they can let me know whether or not I should start reading my book, look for a bench on the platform, or just give up and take a cab. I also very rarely had trouble finding a seat on the London trains. I'm not saying this even should always happen, but invariably some nice man would get up and offer me his seat. That doesn't happen here. In fact, I've actually had men push me out of the way for a seat on the train. We're a city filled with George Costanzas here in NYC. I've also never had to struggle with a heavy suitcase up or down the stairs in a tube station. Someone *always* offers to help. People will occasionally help here, too, but it's not something to be counted on. In fact, I offered to help a woman struggling with a suitcase yesterday, and the thing was so heavy I almost instantly regretted it. I can't always blame people for not helping. It sure is nice when they do, though.

There are things I think NYC does better - such as air conditioning in the train during the summer. It wasn't overly hot in London in mid-July, and I doubt they get as many scorchingly hot days as we do here, but stepping onto the train upon leaving Heathrow, I was a little taken aback by the warm air that hit me. And when the train gets crowded in the summer, that A/C is quite a blessing. Another thing I noticed in London in general, but also in some of the tube stations (I say some because I wasn't in that many of them, and can't say whether this is universal) - the absence of trash cans, or "bins." The stations seemed perfectly clean, but it left me wondering what people do with their trash! I remember holding the same paper bag that I wanted to toss on two different trains on my way to the airport, and then finally asking the woman behind the desk at Virgin Atlantic's check in counter to throw it out for me, because I simply could not find anywhere to do it myself. Not that NYC's stations are any cleaner for having trash cans. There are still rats running around, especially late at night, and there is still tons of litter on the tracks. It's pretty gross. I heard recently that there was a proposal to do away with trash cans in subway stations here, and I don't think it's a good idea. I'm not sure how the London stations stay clean, but I'm pretty sure here people would just start using the tracks as a garbage can even more frequently than they already do.

I loved the aesthetic of the London system, though. I like ours, too, in a lot of the stations, but I loved the clean lines, the iconic signage, the way people move to the right on escalators so those of us who want to walk can pass them .... (OK that's got nothing to do with aesthetics, but it's something people are supposed to do here and don't, and it drives me crazy). So here are some of my favorite photos of the London Underground:

 King's Cross/St. Pancras - A station I was at quite a bit given that I was doing some work at the British Library...

 A very steep escalator. It reminded me of the Lexington Ave station here with the really steep escalator. Notice how that person is standing to the right, though. So I could pass her if I wanted to. Take note, NYC.
 

 I *think* this one was outside the Hyde Park station. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 This is here just because it's Hampstead, which is where I would live if money/job/etc were no object. My Keats obsession might have something to do with this.

 Maybe my favorite station that I came across, because of the nifty pictures on the wall (that's right, I use the word "nifty") showing the history of Charing Cross. I'm sure these are here for tourists, just like the animal mosaics in the 81st Street station near the NYC Museum of Natural History are there for tourists. I loved them, though!

 I loved the curved ceiling in the tunnel here ...

 Another very steep escalator pic...I think it's the same escalator as before, actually.

 More Charing Cross, because they're just so much fun! Is that a raven in the one on the right? And look at those guys with clubs on the left. What are they doing?

                                         Camden Town Station, near where I stayed.

Finally - I will be traveling in Europe in August - France, Switzerland, and Italy. I look forward to doing another edition of Signal Failures Abroad at that point!