My Modified Life

Ever since Sandy, my workday begins and ends in a cloud of confusion. When the trains weren't running, it was the constant checking of the schedules (and watch) to make sure I was able to make my three bus connection. When I figured that out, it was how do I pay for it? Luckily I was able to use my October monthly for the buses until Nov. 9 but after I had to delve into the world of zones on my own. Without a zone map, I was helpless and just became that person with the cash in hand with no clue how much to put into the receptacle. Why? Because not having taken these buses I had no idea how many zones we go through to get to my stop. It's ridiculous that the bus driver has to ask people where they're going in order to charge them the appropriate fare. It slows down travel time and must be annoying for the bus driver as well.

So the next week I got a weekly train pass that I can also use on the bus but only for one zone. I still ended up paying for the other two zones. This week I've put my trust back in the trains but they're still on a limited schedule - or at least my line is. It's really making my days and nights mentally and physically exhausting.

One of these nights after work, Winter Storm Athena rolled through. I was so eager to get home that I got on the right bus but going the wrong way.(It was actually the bus I normally took pre-Sandy so I blame it on my subconscious). A fellow passenger helped me work it out and I caught a bus from Headquarters Plaza to the Willowbrook Mall. From there, I caught a bus to Bloomfield where I waited for my trusty 92 that drops me practically in front of my building. Well, suffice it to say, the 92 wasn't so trusty. It actually never came - or the one scheduled to go to South Orange and not just from Bloomfield to the bus depot in Orange never came. I got to the bus stop at 7:50pm and when I left with another passenger to walk to the cab station (which was apparently right up the street) at 11:15pm the bus still hadn't shown.

Of all nights, especially given the fact that the buses were the ONLY way to get around, I didn't expect the bus to do a no-show. I mean, there were about 20 of us waiting for this bus in a nor'easter that was definitely kicking our butts. Why stay out there all that time? Well my phone was dead (I had worn down my battery life based on the fact that I was close to home but I killed it trying to check on the bus) and I couldn't flag down a cab to save my life. It was so cold that I was plotting how my family was going to have to file a wrongful death suit against NJT because I was sure I was going to die from hypothermia.

BUT, I digress...

All I do in my post-Sandy commute is wait (for late trains and buses) and run (to catch my connections). The NJT trip planner is disabled to prevent confusion so I'm piecing my trips together on a wing and a prayer.




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Lights Out...

So I was super excited to see the bus driving down my street. For the past few days I've been fortunate to not have lost power, cable/Internet, or phone (only a few days) but I've been confined to the house since I rely on public transit. I always thought it would be the opposite - transit would be there in an emergency - but not this time. I was relying on taxis until they ran out of gas.

So I grab the bus and make it successfully to my transfer point and realize that the power is out over here. That means when the sun goes down it's going to be pitch black. I'm now to my destination and it's the same thing. Oh what joy!

Oh don't mind him...

So, as I've noted on my blog before there's a guy that basically stays here in the evening. He's got his radio, his bags and uses the bench as a bed. Since it's been nice weather there hasn't really been a need to go inside; however, the night is whispering a chill. Thankfully, someone else took the steps before me. He is going off the rails in there and cursing up a storm!!! I just learned he's from Greystone - the psych hospital. They seem to keep such close tabs at general hospitals - I'm wondering how they don't notice his absence. Either way, no one should be subject to this type of intimidation when they're just looking to get out of the cold.
I haven't taken the activist route on this yet but I think I'm going to have to.


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Location:Morris Plains Train Station

I Hate This Part Right Here

Just have to say, I hate misinformation and no information. I've only taken the bus into NY once and that was awhile back. So I made sure to check the Official NJ TRANSIT trip planner for the fare. $8.00. I thought it was a little steel but hey, who am I to argue. So knowing that exact fare is needed stop at the store to break a $20. My change was $16 (ughhh) so I asked her to give me the $10 in singles. She's not too happy about giving away her singles so early in the morning but what's a girl to do?!

So now I'm all set and have practiced my stance of how to insert the money while holding my latte in the other hand. I put my 5 in, then I put a 1, and then I start to put in the other 1 and I notice a strange look come over the bus driver's face - one I've seen before that tells me I'm doing something wrong. So I say "It's 8 to New York right?" to which he replies, "No, it's $6.50." FML.

Then I'm sitting here and I hear this announcement come on that says "no eating or drinking allowed on this bus. Thank you for your cooperation." uh, sorry for not cooperating but I'm not familiar with this rule. Thank God the bus driver had a heart and didn't make me ditch it.

Dark (K)night

I was too exhausted to string my words together last night (and won't do a good job now either) but I feel compelled to share...

So last night I stayed at work late to get an important deliverable out the door. I hadn't planned to stay so late but when I went to send my email I got the pop-up that I had exceeded my storage quota. This means before I can send or receive anything I have to clean out my email. So before you know it, it's 8:20 and pitch black. Great.

So I'm walking my regular route while talking on the phone to my friends, and I come upon the grassy field that I swore I wouldn't walk through in the dark again; but I honestly had no choice. I'm not feeling too scared because I at least have virtual company. I'm walking along and next thing you know a freaking BAT swoops down close to me! While I'm trying to rationalize what just happened, the bat takes another swoop! With that, I screamed (yup, horror movie scream too) and started running. All the while thinking I'm going to get bit by this bat and get rabies. Having virtual company was moot because he was laughing at me. The laughter only got louder once I revealed that I fell. Needless to say, I made it out of the field alive and without being bit. Now, there may be debate as to whether or not that was a bat but I maintain that it was. After the first swoop my friend goes "that bat ain't thinking 'bout you." Two well timed swoops tell me different. I tried to tell him bats can't see. All the bat knows is that he's detected large, warm, flesh moving through this field!

Lesson learned: Clean out my email.

Get Your Athlete's Foot Off the Seat

I know it seems intuitive to sit and kick your feet up but as a courtesy to others who sit on the seat you should really refrain from doing so. I guess she thought taking off her shoes was good enough but the sign that is in plain view says "Keep feet off seats." It should also say "THIS MEANS YOU!" I love when conductors actually enforce this rule. I know these trains aren't the picture of health but it's a sanitary concern. She has on socks but what about those that don't. This time of the year, crusty toes on the seats run rampant. Besides that, she's taking up 3 seats for this operation. Even when I sit in a two seater, I only take up one seat. Mostly because you never know when a potential mate might want to sit next to you and strike up a convo ;-)

Just while I was writing this, a mom came on the train with a folded stroller and a car seat carrier in hand. This lady tried to make space but thankfully someone else gave up their seats. Guess she got scared straight - she now has her shoes on and feet down. Gotta love it.

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Location:Millburn Ave,Millburn,United States

Sorry for stepping on the daises but...

I guess it got your attention. I'm referring to planned conversation with our property owners that are interesting in making our business campus more walk and transit-friendly. Huh? Where'd they get such a novel idea? And who told them to ask us planners? As luck would have it, I happen to be one of those people that would greatly benefit from such change. I think they probably got tired of me walking on the grass and stepping on the flowers that they pay so much money for. Oh well. My goal is to make my own desire lines. The transit amenities along our road are a joke. The bus drivers don't even know where to let us off - which should really tell you something. I heard someone at work say they didn't even realize that a bus ran along our road - they just thought people were waiting along the side to be picked up by their spouse/partner or hitchhiking. It definitely looks like I could be hitchhiking but believe me I'd rather hike than hitchhike. And by hike I mean, when the bus no longer runs along my road  I literally have to walk through hill and dale to the next closest bus stop. So if I miss the 6:12pm bus then this is the walk that I have to look forward to: http://goo.gl/maps/11a5

This is the view of the cut-through to avoid the traffic/no sidewalks on Rt. 202

I love stormwater treatments - I just don't like walking through them , especially on rainy days

Can you imagine what type of visibility I have when the sun goes down?

I've been taking pictures of people walking, jogging, and biking along our business campus for years now - so I'm ready and thrilled to have this conversation. You know the saying - "Walk a mile in my shoes" - well, walk the 0.8 mile in my shoes and you'll see why things here need to change. It's hard to tell these things by sitting in your office but people do use these streets - not just cars. And these motorists are sooooo disrespectful. They speed so fast and forget the whole stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. No such thing in these parts. They're mad that you're out there! How dare you interrupt their hurried passage to work/lunch/home. I'm totally going to find an app that can record speed and measure just how fast these f'ers are going. I know we tell the kids to walk in the same direction as traffic but I will admit that I do not abide by this along this segment of road. I've been hit by a car once and once is good enough for me. These motorists don't move over for me at all so I do not trust having my back to them. It's so sad. I'm a person just like you.

One day I'll take video of where the other bus that I sometimes have to take from the train station to get to work let's you off. Unbelievably, the bus stops on the ON RAMP to Route 10 East!!! and then you have to CROSS the on/off ramp to Route 10/Route 202 and walk through this "field." It's challenging on a sunny day but add any other element such as snow, ice or rain and it'll have you rethinking your whole commute.

Transit Can Be Beautiful

Some of the train stations that I've been to are nice but they're nothing to write how about. Take a look at some fine specimen of train stations around the world.
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-most-beautiful-train-stations/1

When you're done, take a look at the subway list:
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-most-beautiful-subway-stations/1

My First Time

So today I'm riding on the Pascack Valley line for the first time. Funny enough, it's almost the same price to get to Rockland as if I were buying a ticket to get to work. I have to say that my geek meter is registering really high readings right now. I like being exposed to parts of both states that I haven't seen all the while kicking my heels up and listening to my music. Not having a car sucks but not right now...

Location:Kearny,United States

A Train Station Is A Home...

to some...unfortunate but I don't think I should be subject to it all the time! I just don't understand how this man lives here and no one knows. I don't mind homeless people but I do have a fear of visibly unstable people (wish you could see his lips going as he was talking to himself). When I need to wait inside the station because my train isn't coming for over an hour and I encounter this - I have a problem. He was actually laying down when I came in as he usually is most nights I visit this station (Morris Plains) after work. Imagine that the smell of the station is stale to begin with and then add some straight up stank to it. Then he has his music blasting (I was recording with my headset in so you can't hear just how loud it is) so I can't even hear the other person if I get a phone call. I filled out my customer service survey last night and alerted them to the problem. Hopefully they'll clean up this act.

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How To Save A Life

So, in my earnest to get back on the fitness bandwagon, I've been purposely getting off at the train stop before my normal stop and walking the mile home instead. Tonight for the entire walk I questioned whether or not tonight was a night to have done so but I didn't really have many options as the next bus or train wouldn't have arrived for almost an hour. Although I was continually frustrated by the vegetation overgrowing and overhanging into the sidewalk, I did manage a smile when I spotted a bunny rabbit on someone's front lawn. The smile quickly dissipated when I remembered about the dead dog at my usual crosswalk. I thought I have a lot of calling to do tomorrow...

Well, the thing that was most intriguing on this walk home and served as the inspiration for this post was the bicyclist that was riding along my street. Here it is after 9pm and he's riding on this street with NO LIGHTS - NO REFLECTORS - NO NOTHING. As I was walking, I made my resolve that I would tell him that he needed lights if he was going to be out here riding at night. I stopped at the crosswalk and watched as the bicyclist continued through as his light was red. Needless to say, he almost hit and got hit by the car that had the green. That was it for me. I reached into my bag for my safety light. When he got closer I said "You really need to have a light on your bike or on yourself. Would you like one?" He stopped and took it. He asked where he should put it. I told him since he's riding with traffic he should worry more about the cars behind him not seeing him therefore he should clip it to his back pocket. He thanked me and asked me if I lived around here. I said yes and he told me he had just moved to NJ and was looking for a place to live. I told him about a few places I knew of but kept the conversation short because he was still in the street with no lights. I wished him well and told him to stay safe. I felt really good about imparting knowledge but was really worried about his riding skills. I'm sure this is his commuting route so maybe we'll meet again and I'll have a bike light for him.

Moral of the story: Be Safe, Be Seen.

This is what bicycling looks along this road during the daytime

Dude, Where's My Car?

Moments like this I miss my car. My train gets delayed because we have to wait for another train to arrive and then wait for those passengers to come on our train. If I weren't trying to make other connections this wouldn't bother me so much. I can't even run with this bum knee so if I miss the train I guess that'll be another hour added to my commute. Fun times!

Back at it again...

Same place, same time, different lighting...

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Location:Ridgedale and East Hanover

Just another day, trying to cross the street

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Location:Northfield Avenue, West Orange, NJ

Are Urban Arterials and Pedestrian Safety Mutually Exclusive?

Are Urban Arterials and Pedestrian Safety Mutually Exclusive?

It's The Little Things

The train came early (thanking God I was there) BUT the upside is that we get to ride in one of the newer double-deckers instead of the old piece of metal that we're normally subjected to :-)


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Dancing In The Dark

Location:Ridgedale Ave, Cedar Knolls, NJ

Bus Etiquette

Right now, I'm sitting next to someone on the bus who is SKYPING!!! I have a super duper headache and this is only making it worse. I know certain bus drivers would've put the kibosh on this conversation from the moment she sat down with this b.s.! It's great to connect with friends but use headphones! I ask myself if I would feel the same if she were talking to her friend in person. The reality is it's different. She's talking LOUDER to make up for the other background noise in the bus. In addition, if that other person was here I wouldn't be sitting here. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, someone else just walked in the room...

Keep on walking...

I was looking through my collection of Google Maps and I came across one that traces my walk to school before I hit 5th grade and moved a stone's throw away from St. Mary's. It conjured up so many memories and made me chuckle at where life has taken me. I'm now a Planner that deals with creating safer environments for kids that walk or bike to school. I won't delve into the memories surrounding the walk like the dogs behind the fence or those sometimes not on a leash. Just reflecting on the things that have played a role in my character without me even knowing...

My Walk To School

Stranger in a familiar land

So I had to go into NYC for an appt and given the place's proximity to Penn Station I had to take the bus to get there. I tend to avoid taking NYC buses because they intimidate me but I was left with no choice. So the bus arrives and I'm psyching myself up like "yeah, this time I'm gonna dip my metro card the right way on the FIRST try." But as I'm waiting I notice that no one is dipping their metro card. Instead they all have little white receipts. Immediately I realized the machines that I had been staring at for the past 5 minutes were where I was supposed to get my receipt. Apparently the NYC Select Bus Service is their Bus Rapid Transit system and payment operates much like the NJ Transit Light Rail. You put your metro card in the machine, pay for your fare and then you show your receipt as validation. Who knew?! Oh, maybe people that can read or that can put two and two together. I looked at the machines and thought they were metro card machines. I mean, I'm a New Yorker but I'm not a New York City Yorker. I haven't made the complete change into a Jersey girl but I always took my car into the city, more often than not, so I never really had to deal with this stuff. Right now, at the height of the morning commute, I could read everyone's mind as they called me out for not being one of them and probably being from Jersey.

I don't think I've ever ridden BRT before but once I was on I knew what it was. The bus transmitters communicating via the flashing lights, the dedicated bus lane...all the makings of an efficient ride. My favorite part of the system was waiting for the bus on my way back. *geek alert* The bus stop had an LED board with the name of the bus and the EXACT time that the bus will arrive based on its current location along the route!

Oh how I WISH NJ Transit could be so progressive. It doesn't have to be this fancy and it doesn't have to be for BRT. Right now they have this system in place: I text the number at my bus stop and you tell me when the bus should arrive based on its fixed schedule. Is real time too much to ask? Especially since the buses tend to either run early or late. It would be nice to know for certain that I just missed the bus because it came early rather than standing there wondering where the darn bus is. If I know I have to wait an hour I might go get food or find another way to bide the time but without that information I just stand there afraid to move.

Growing up on Westchester's Bee-Line service, I'm used to riding the bus and don't mind it at all. I didn't get my license until I was 23 so I was used to getting around without a car. I applaud Westchester for making that an easy and convenient choice. Even though I was tempted to get a cab, the BRT was actually faster.

I know that BRT is already in the works in parts of NJ. Let's hope that well continue to make investments in transit despite the skewed priorities of those in our House of (Mis)Representatives.

For those interested in finding out more about the Select Service click here: http://www.mta.info/nyct/sbs/

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This

So the day has NOT started on a good note. After fighting all that's within me to call out sick (currently running on 3.5 hours of sleep and hungover), I bust my bum to get to work and get there on time. Well I made it out the house within the 10 min window that I need to make it to the train on time so I was very proud of myself. I get there and I see the regulars. Without looking at the time, I notice something's off. I start to see the jitteriness and the "where is this train?" puffs and so I check the time. It is a little late. It's supposed to come @6:49am but it always comes no later than 5 minutes after that. If it doesn't, you know something's wrong. Sure enough my phone vibrates and I get the alert that the train is delayed by 30 minutes! If this were a station with a heated waiting room on the side I'm waiting on that would be easy to swallow - but it's not. We all have to stand out here in the cold to wait because of ever loving "mechanical problems." The only good that came out of it was that I figured out that there was a Blogger app that I could use to write this post from my phone...and then my phone died.

Flashing Lights

So this is a first...
I just got flashed by some weirdo (no doubt college kid) while waiting at the bus stop.

While I am an admirer of the human male form - this was quite unwelcome.
This came on the heels of some kids riding by and honking their horn at me. Thanks but no thanks for the attention guys. Since when did wearing a coat garnish so much attention? Maybe it was the Lara Croft boots..

So, I'm standing there waiting out in the cold (36 lovely degrees) for my bus and out of nowhere I hear "Hey!" I look straight across and I see this guy lift up his shirt. I'm thinking in my head "Great..." So then he yells out again "Hey!" and he pulls down his pants. Now I'm thinking, "Are you stupid? It's cold out here. That's not very flattering. And don't you know I have an iPhone and I can take your picture and send it to the po-po?" But I said none of that because I just didn't have the energy. Instead I took my anger/annoyance to my Facebook status. I didn't know how to process it at first but my nonchalance soon dispersed into anger. I imagine it was the same type of anger that bubbled up in my little red headed friend on the subway on this fateful night:

I started thinking - how many other innocent women have been subject to this while waiting for the bus here?
That's when I started plotting how to handle the situation appropriately. I really don't have it in me to go to the South Orange police station and report it tonight but I certainly will tomorrow.
In the meantime, here's my form of vigilante justice:
Location of the Flasher
Immortalizing his location on my blog ;-)

"Here's the story..." of a girl whose car got rear-ended back in September 2011 and has gone virtually car-free ever since. I say virtually because I was using my mom's spare car for about a month or so before I started solely relying on NJ Transit. But when December 2011 came around I got my first NJ Transit monthly pass. That's when I knew I was making this commitment.

As with all commitments, it hasn't been easy. I mean I live in NEW JERSEY where you have to drive to everything unless you live in a place blessed with connectivity. Needless to say, everyone thinks I'm nutso for doing this but I was actually considering giving up my gas guzzler before I got hit; however, making that decision on your own is much different than being forced into it. It's now been almost 3 months and I'm in deep. I'm learning to navigate my way on the train, bus, PATH, Metro-North, etc, and I've got my Zipcard for when anything else beside driving just won't do.

I'm starting this blog on a suggestion from a friend but most importantly to show what it's like for hard working people who have to rely on public transit for whatever reason. One of my favorite lines from a rap song is from Amil in Jay-Z's "Can I Get A..." where she says "Fuck that, how we gon get around on your bus pass?" and now that's me! I am definitely self-conscious about the situation. I feel like I'm in one of those E! True Hollywood Stories - the story of going from riding around in my Infiniti truck to now taking the bus. I could get another car but I just don't want another car payment. Plus, truth be told, I'm a little scarred by this incident. I worked super hard to drive/pay for my truck and BOOM someone smashes me and it gets totaled. I really would hate to be placed in that situation again where my investment goes bye-bye. I could just get a hooptie but I have to be honest with myself. I'm not really a hooptie girl. If by hooptie, we're talking an old school Benz ok but if that means like a 1987 Cutlass Ciera I'm not really d. I don't generally think of myself as materialistic but in this case I am with a capital M.

Many have lauded me for being green but I'm not doing this to be green. I'm going car-free to keep some green in my pocket and keep physically healthy. I've actually lost weight and toned up since being car-free 1) because I can't drive to the fast food places anymore 2) because I have to walk everywhere. It hasn't come without sacrifice. I can't just get up and go. I'm at the mercy of the train and bus schedules. If I go out in the city, I can't just stay until I want to - I have to catch that last train from Penn at 12 something otherwise my train home doesn't start running again until 4 (yeah, try hanging out with the crazies in Penn Station during this witching hour).

It's not all bad though. Riding the train eliminated the dreadful commute that I had and allows me to catch up on reading and my favorite shows through Netflix on my phone. I've also learned to appreciate the things that can only be seen from street level (i.e. outside of the car) and the value in online shopping :-)

So, stay tuned and get a glimpse into what it's like for this girl and her so-called car-free life...