Commuting notes
Oct. 13th, 2004 09:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidThey've changed the ad in the tunnel from Harvard inbound. It's now a very red ad, with a bull's-eye-ish logo bouncing all over. It's not nearly as coherent as the Royal Caribbean ad that was replaced, no words at all. I must be a very bad consumer, since I figured out only later that it must've been an ad for Target.
There's an entrance to the Arlington T stop right across from my building. Unfortunately, it's closed off. I keep wondering how likely it is that they'd consider opening it again, at least as a tokens/passes only entrance (as there is at Central). Yeah, I'm lazy. But it also makes sense to maximize the number of exits.
My current challenge: dressing for the commute. I walk outside, so need to be prepared for the temperature and any precipitation, but once I'm in a station, it's far too warm, so either I have to divest, or overheat. Yesterday I overheated, and realized it was making me feel ill. So now I need to figure out which jackets are easy to carry or stuff in my pack.
Still not reading on the train. The time is too short, especially since I like to look out over the river as we cross. Instead, I steal the news from those reading newspapers, reading headlines and sometimes even whole stories over people's arms or shoulders. I watch people, wondering about their lives (like that statuesque woman I saw yesterday; what would life be like if I were that tall? (and yes, I think it does likely make a difference.)), listening in on conversations (rare on the morning commute), thinking about the things I have to do.
I like looking in the green line tunnels, which are far more interesting than the red line. I believe they're older (they certainly look older), and there are lots of spurs and offshoots, even along the two stops I travel. I usually get on at the front of the train going home, which allows me to see the track ahead of us (not possible on other lines, I think. At least, not red or orange.). I can see the fluted walls, grimy but intriguing. In the morning, if I block out reflections in the car, I can see a spur heading off, which goes down below somewhere (where?). Since the T does close, I'm surprised no one has yet arranged (post) midnight tours underground, getting the chance to see what things are like, where the spurs go, how they maintain the tracks, hear stories of different stations, look at some of the art up close.
I've fallen into the habit of optimizing my commute, figuring out where to stand for the next leg to be shorter (walk now, when waiting for the train, rather than at the other end, fighting the crowds of people). I assumed this was what everyone does, until I ran into an orker who doesn't. Hm. I've even gotten to the point of getting on the train as late as possible, so to stay near the doors (unless the train is packed, in which case it's more important to make it on. There may be a train just behind, but this one will still get me there faster.).
There's no smoking on the T. It's posted in every car, that smoking is prohibited by law, and is punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 days or a fine of not more than $50. or both (yes, on the signs, it's a period, not a comma before 'or', the only punctuation included.). Every time I notice a sign, I think about how ridiculous the two punishments are, in comparison. Ten days' jail time is hugely disruptive, to home life, job life (lost wages in addition to everything else, if one doesn't have time to take off), etc. Fifty dollars is less than a ticket to a rock concert, something many people will spend on an impulse buy, or dinner. No contrast at all. It averages out to five dollars a day; I don't know when this law was written, but I think it needs revision.
There's an entrance to the Arlington T stop right across from my building. Unfortunately, it's closed off. I keep wondering how likely it is that they'd consider opening it again, at least as a tokens/passes only entrance (as there is at Central). Yeah, I'm lazy. But it also makes sense to maximize the number of exits.
My current challenge: dressing for the commute. I walk outside, so need to be prepared for the temperature and any precipitation, but once I'm in a station, it's far too warm, so either I have to divest, or overheat. Yesterday I overheated, and realized it was making me feel ill. So now I need to figure out which jackets are easy to carry or stuff in my pack.
Still not reading on the train. The time is too short, especially since I like to look out over the river as we cross. Instead, I steal the news from those reading newspapers, reading headlines and sometimes even whole stories over people's arms or shoulders. I watch people, wondering about their lives (like that statuesque woman I saw yesterday; what would life be like if I were that tall? (and yes, I think it does likely make a difference.)), listening in on conversations (rare on the morning commute), thinking about the things I have to do.
I like looking in the green line tunnels, which are far more interesting than the red line. I believe they're older (they certainly look older), and there are lots of spurs and offshoots, even along the two stops I travel. I usually get on at the front of the train going home, which allows me to see the track ahead of us (not possible on other lines, I think. At least, not red or orange.). I can see the fluted walls, grimy but intriguing. In the morning, if I block out reflections in the car, I can see a spur heading off, which goes down below somewhere (where?). Since the T does close, I'm surprised no one has yet arranged (post) midnight tours underground, getting the chance to see what things are like, where the spurs go, how they maintain the tracks, hear stories of different stations, look at some of the art up close.
I've fallen into the habit of optimizing my commute, figuring out where to stand for the next leg to be shorter (walk now, when waiting for the train, rather than at the other end, fighting the crowds of people). I assumed this was what everyone does, until I ran into an orker who doesn't. Hm. I've even gotten to the point of getting on the train as late as possible, so to stay near the doors (unless the train is packed, in which case it's more important to make it on. There may be a train just behind, but this one will still get me there faster.).
There's no smoking on the T. It's posted in every car, that smoking is prohibited by law, and is punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 days or a fine of not more than $50. or both (yes, on the signs, it's a period, not a comma before 'or', the only punctuation included.). Every time I notice a sign, I think about how ridiculous the two punishments are, in comparison. Ten days' jail time is hugely disruptive, to home life, job life (lost wages in addition to everything else, if one doesn't have time to take off), etc. Fifty dollars is less than a ticket to a rock concert, something many people will spend on an impulse buy, or dinner. No contrast at all. It averages out to five dollars a day; I don't know when this law was written, but I think it needs revision.