December 23, 2014

Hello dave Shoe's On The Other Foot. I Am Blog Material

I am on vacation for the holidays. Hooray! But rather than spend my vacation in a far off exotic and unusual place full of interesting and diverse locals, like Boca Raton, Florida, we decided to do something different. We decided to visit someplace unique. We are in...

New York City.
You may be asking, "Who does that? Who goes to the place they work when on vacation? Well, you just hold on there, because the story gets better. We are staying in the hotel next door to my client's office. Not only next door to my client's office, we are staying in a room that looks out over my desk at the client's office. Just because I come here every day, it doesn't mean my kids should miss out on the greatest city in the world.

It all feels so familiar, yet not so familiar. Why? Because the shoe is on the other foot. This time, I am the tourist. I am blog material.

I've had a camera around my shoulder, we've stood on the left side of the escalator without walking, we went to Times Square (horrors!), we got on the subway before people finished getting off, and we got thrown when the train jerked.

We are having a great time. My little guy gets so excited on the subway that he keeps asking questions. He asks why we keep hearing a squealing noise. He asks who is driving the train. People are getting up for us and giving up their seats. They smile nicely. And then they put on their headphones to drown us out.

I could share endless vacation anecdotes, but I'll just share a few good quotes from the subway.

"Dad, you ride this train EVERY DAY? You're so lucky!" Well, I don't like to brag, kids. But yes. Yes, I do. And yes. Yes, I am.

"Is this our stop? No. Is this our stop? No. Is this our stop? No. Is this our stop?" Mind you, he didn't want to get off the train. He wanted to stay on the train and be sure we weren't there yet. When we got to our destination, there was sadness.

"I don't want to hold on." My daughter is strong-willed. She sets her mind to something, she does it. She wanted to learn how to subway surf without holding on. She's a pro now. Nearly a few wipeouts, but we were there to catch her.

"Can you carry me? I'm tired." What can I tell you? After a while, Times Square made my legs ache. My wife said no, though. The nerve. After all I do for her.

All of us at TTIV wish you and your families a joyous and healthy holiday season, and a happy new year! I hope that whatever you celebrate is festive.

**
Happy and safe commuting, and may you encounter uncommon sense.
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Twitter: @davidrtrainguy
email: thetrain.invain.829@gmail.com
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December 17, 2014

Hello dave The Hazards of Headphones

This morning, I got off the Long Island Rail Road and made my usual walk to the subway. The Allman Brothers Band's "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" was grooving in my headphones, and I was in a very pleasant zoned out state.

I stood on the subway platform waiting for the A Train to arrive. The world around me was shut off, and soon I noticed that most everyone on the platform made a hasty retreat to the exits. What happened?
Had an announcement been made? I must have missed it as I listened to Duane Allman and Dickey Betts trade guitar licks. The only people remaining with me also wore headphones, and I probably had the same confused look as they all did. Like a good sheep, I followed the others to the exit. Baaaaaaaa.

Turns out there was an "earlier incident" and all the express trains were diverted to the local track. I waited for the E train and headed downtown.

I always talk about headphones as a must-have commuting survival tool. But like a grenade, your survival depends on how adept you are at using the tools in your belt. Headphones make you less aware of your surroundings, so you need to be careful. It's a chance I'm willing to take in the commuting trenches. 

**
Happy and safe commuting, and may you encounter uncommon sense.
Share your commuting stories on the Facebook TTIV site, on Twitter, using hashtag #TTIV, or via email.
Sign up for the blog mailing list by entering your email address in the "Follow By E-Mail" box.
Twitter: @davidrtrainguy
email: thetrain.invain.829@gmail.com
If you like the blog, tell a friend!



Hello dave TTIV In Print!

Hi #TTIV friends! amNewYork picked up one of my stories, it is available at the following link. If you are in the city or an area where they print amNewYork, be sure to pick up a copy!

Thanks to all for following The Train In Vain. I enjoy writing it and greatly appreciate all your feedback, comments, and encouragement.

Best,
David

December 16, 2014

December 12, 2014