MTA confuses themselves again on the 7 and F lines

May times I catch mistakes by the MTA but I have to give major props to a person who posts on Subchat, a well known discussion board for transit buffs.  He goes by the handle Michael549,  and made a post on this weekend's service changes on the 7 and F lines in Queens then literally dissects what is wrong  with MTA NYC Transit confusing themselves about the directions.  In a nutshell, southbound F trains run on the E and A lines from Roosevelt Ave in Queens to Jay Street-Metrotech in Brooklyn.  To access Lexington Ave/63rd Street or Roosevelt Island, one of the suggestions NYCT advises is to change at Roosevelt Ave for the 7 train upstairs at 74th Street station.

 

 

That doesn't sound like a bad idea to take the 7 train to 5th Ave in Manhattan (a better alternative for 63rd/Lex station only is to take the 7 train to Queensboro Plaza for the N train to nearby Lexington Ave/59th Street station.)   The problem is what MTA NYC Transit forgot to tell customers is that 7 trains to Manhattan were running express and bypassing 74th Street station, a local stop.

 



By the MTA's stupidity, they tell you to take a Flushing bound 7 train to Junction Blvd for a Manhattan bound 7 train to 5th Ave then a northbound F train - - all that just to get to Roosevelt Island or 63rd Street.  You can might as well use the original instructions on taking the Manhattan bound F to 7th Ave for the D to 47/50 station then transfer again for a northbound F train.  Once again the MTA is unable to cross-reference their own service changes - - making them look like idiots to the millions of customers who rely on accurate information.  Again, thanks to Michael549 over at Subchat for catching this. 

Oh, on another note and better late than never - - REMEMBER D-DAY.  It's the 71st Anniversary today -  remember the millions of Allied soldiers who took a major part in liberating France from Nazi Germany and turning the tide in World War II. 

The Golden Age of Television is back, another reason to "cut the cord".

There was once a time when television had 12 VHF and nearly 70 UHF channels - - the golden age of television when TV first started in black and white then color in the mid 1960's.  Shows from I Love Lucy, Dragnet (original) and Twilight Zone in the 50's,  Batman, Star Trek and Mission Impossible (my favorite) the 60's, Hawaii Five-O, All In The Family, and the Saturday night killer Love Boat with Fantasy Island in the 70s.  It was a good time for television back in the days until cable brought more channels and more choices.  But while there are still great TV shows such as Scandal and Empire, both shows I love - many other shows now on cable are dismal offerings.  Fortunately, the Golden Age of Television is back with new digital broadcast networks showing classic moves and TV episodes - - among them Cozi-TV (NBC related), This-TV (Tribune Broadcasting), Movies, Retro TV, Antenna TV and most recently, Decades TV.  Over the past 5 years, these networks have been popping up with brilliant offerings of many TV shows from the 1950's to the 80's.  Each network has something special to offer, such as the Movies network which offers classic movies with a twist - - they start and end at odd times instead of the allotted 2 to 3 hour blocks so they can run the film mostly uncut with only required edits to conform with FCC broadcast TV standards.  Cozi-TV offers NBC-Universal and Columbia Pictures programming, Antenna TV has TV and movies from Sony while Decades, the most recent channel, has a stellar lineup of CBS TV programming as well as archival news footage from CBS News under the Through The Decades documentary show.  Launched on May 25th (with a countdown of all the shows offered in binge marathons from February), Decades offers a TV series for the weekend where you can binge away all the episodes - - such as episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore show being broadcast this weekend.   

If you really want to relive the shows you missed the most, then give these channels a try - - what's even better is that you don't need a cable subscription  to watch them - - broadcast basic or old fashioned DTV receiver will do just fine.  Just another reason, along with streaming sites such as Netflix, Amazon or Hulu, to "cut the cord"

Memorial Day - - remember the fallen

I exited from the northbound Bronx River Parkway to Downtown White Plains - - as a approached the      street, I saw an U.S. Army banner marred by graffiti.  Of course it's disgusting to see vandalism to private property but it goes beyond disrespectful to the man and women who fought - - some who also died in the line of duty - - while protecting our democracy.   Today's younger generation is too busy caught up in twerking and Apple watches that many lose sight of the importance of our American soldiers.  Memorial Day weekend brings beaches, barbecues and parades - - and also the close of Fleet Week along the Hudson River.   But no matter what your plans are, take a moment to stop and remember the men and women who gave it all for our freedoms -  because if it were not for these soldiers, then we could have spoken German or some other country and there would be no U.S. Constitution anymore.  If you see a sailor in white or any American soldier, salute him/her and thank them for their service.

Have a blessed and safe Memorial Day weekend - - I close with this YouTube video from a user named Chris Wszolek.  Music credits are in the video's description, via. the video's link

"Transfer is Available to the L train" announcement heard in Manhattan this past weekend

The L line is in the midst of five weekend partial shutdowns through Monday, May 18.   The line. which normally runs between 8th Ave and 14th Street in Manhattan and Rockaway Parkway in Canarsie, Brooklyn, is not running between Manhattan and Lorimer Street on weekends and weeknights through May, due to extensive trackwork in the underwater tubes which carries trains between Brooklyn and Manhattan.


But you would not believe there is a weekend shutdown in Manhattan, not with conductors working on the 1/2/3/F/M/N and R lines, making "Transfer to the L Train" announcements when their train approaches the appropriate 14th Street stop.  I went to Manhattan last Saturday (4/25) and made these observations to listen if the "L" portion of the normal transfer announcement could be heard.  Since I took the 2 train from the Bronx to Manhattan, my first stop would be 14th Street and 7th Ave on the 1/2/3 lines.  These observations were made from 5:30 to 5:53 PM of which three out of five passed. 

Time	Line	Direction	Car #	Result
5:30	2	SB	6571	Fail
5:35	1	NB	2246	Fail (asked if L was running)
5:42	1	NB	2396	Passed
5:46	2	SB	6620	Passed (asked)
5:53	3	NB	1480	Passed (asked)

 

That's a pretty good rate for such a small sampling,  Sadly, it all goes downhill from there when I walked through the passageway from the 1/2/3 platform to the 6th Ave platform on the L then upstairs for the F and special M service.  The M was running on it's normal weekday route from Metropolitan Ave to 47/50 Streets then rerouted to the 57th Street/6th Ave F line station where it would turn back to Metropolitan during the day and evening hours. 

Time	Line	Direction	Car #	Result
6:14 PM	F	NB	9199	Fail
6:19	M	SB	9971	Fail
6:30	M	NB	8641	Fail
6:39	F	SB	9888	Fail
6:55	M	NB	8408	Fail

 

All five times, conductors failed to override the automated "Transfer is available to the L (portion) train" announcement. The conductor on the 6:55 PM M train did make an manual announcement about the suspension of L service but that was well after the train arrived at 14th Street and the doors opened.  Here is a quick video of a 57th Street-bound M train with the L transfer announcement on one of the three M trains.

Finally I went to the Broadway N/Q/R lines and rode the N and R local trains a few times - - the cars on the N line are newer than the cars running on the R line - thus the N line would have automated announcements inside each subway car while the R line has manual announcements made by the conductor's voice.  5 observations, 5 failures - all 5 of them the L transfer announcement can be heard.

Time	Line	Direction	Car #	Result
7:13	N	SB	8835	Fail
7:24	R	NB	5762	Fail
7:31	N	SB	8670	Fail
7:35	R	NB	5783	Fail
7:52	R	SB	5711	Fail

I would say it's mind boggling for these wrong announcements being made every day - the partial weekend suspension of the L line has been all over the news media and on the MTA website.  Now while these observations are made on a Saturday evening, could you imagine if these wrong announcements are made at 2 AM in the morning when the same partial suspension of the L line takes place overnight on weeknights and you would wind up waiting for the next train on 10 to 20 minute intervals?  Also, every station (including) terminals, has a list of weekday and weekend service changes - - there is so much information about the specifics of the L line weekend work, it's hard to miss. This means that Train Service Supervisors are not monitoring these announcements for clarity and accuracy.  NYC Transit continues to be a mess with misinformation from these wrong announcements - - and we now pay $2.75 a ride or $116.50 over a 30 day period for this incompetence?  Nothing changes with NYCT - - see for yourself when you ride the subways this weekend or next - - listen for the L train announcement when your A/C/E/1/2/3/4/5/6/F/M/N/Q/R train reaches a 14th Street stop in Manhattan.. 

Obsolete information on the so-called "new" MTA Neightborhood Maps - same old story

I've met Paul Fleuranges, Senior Director of Corporate and Internal Communications of MTA NYC Transit - - he is a nice person who has developed a lots of customer friendly initiatives.  Mr. Fleuranges also said in an August 12, 2014 MTA News story that the MTA kept the neighborhood maps up-to-date.  I  disagreed with Mr. Fleuranges' statement because I posted how beyond outdated the MTA's neighborhood maps were on the MTA Weekender. 

Recently, the MTA added a dedicated page on full length neighborhood maps  - - for the first time, they are neatly organized by neighborhood and are .pdf files showing the entire maps.  They also (finally) updated the additions of the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn and Gateway Mall plus Metro-North's Yankees-East 153rd Street station in the Bronx. 


That's the good news - now the bad news - they failed to update a lot of stuff, hundreds of errors and many of them are over 25 years old with the same mistakes from the original 1985 maps and are "proudly" displayed on the MTA's weekender page.  Let's take a look at some neighborhood maps.  Unless otherwise noted, the closing or discontinuance of a particular location is noted by the year. 

Long Island City - - Municipal Parking Garage at Queens Plaza E/M/R station (2008), Sunnyside Center movie Theater on Queens Blvd between 42 and 43 Streets (end of 2014), Goldwater Memorial Hospital on the south end of Roosevelt Island (2013)

Pelham Parkway - Allerton Theater on Allerton Ave (1993, now a CVS store), Westchester Bee Line Route 90 to Playland on Boston Road (mid 1990s), Bx55 is still listed while Bx41SBS+ is not (2010 and 2013, respectively).  Parkway School on Gun Hill Road (unknown)

Grand Concourse and Yankee Stadium:  Apple Bank located at Heritage Field, the new park across from Yankee Stadium, instead of the SE corner on East 161st Street, Bronx Terminal Market is missing, Staples is located south of East 149th Street instead of inside the Gateway Mall. 

The Rockaways:  Peninsula Hospital (2012)

Crown Heights:  Caledonia Hospital (2003. now an apartment complex),  Classon Ave exit from Franklin Ave/IND subway station, outbound side (1980's)

Midtown West:  Virgin Megastore and Loews Theater (2009), Criterion Center multiplex (2003, now Toys-R-Us), Nokia Theater (now Best Buy Theater), Belgium Consulate (now office building across from Bryant Park)/   Missing from this map are the ESPN restaurant, Conde Nast and Bank Of America office towers. Oddly enough, many of the updated/corrected locations can be found in the Penn Station/Times Square map detail instead. 

Ridgewood:  A popular discussion board, Subchat, has been dissecting these maps - - one poster who goes by the name The Silence, posted a beautiful summary of mistakes and obsolete information on this map.

University Heights:  NYPD 46th Precinct (on Ryer Ave) is missing and 44st Precinct at wrong location (not on Sedgwick Ave, supposed to be on River/Jerome near 169th Street) are missing.  Also old subway entrances at 182/183 and Fordham Road on the B/D lines are still there.

Woodlawn:  Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center (now Montefiore Medical Center)


These errors, plus missing locations where ADA elevators were installed in the past 5 years, as well as closed subway entrances I addressed in my original post - - are all still there on these maps.  It goes to show that MTA continues to ignore these errors because they really don't care - - and they lie about it too because a lot of places need to be updated, contrary to what Paul Fleuranges said last year about these maps are constantly "updated".


You cannot trust the MTA to do something right anymore. 

Empire and TV

Today is Wednesday. 

And there is no new episode of Empire tonight. It’s done for the season, so you will have to wait until September, at least.

Empire is that good – I would be remiss if I didn’t say enough about how the show has defined two genres of prime time television - - nighttime soap operas (Dynasty and Dallas) and music (Miami Vice and NY Undercover). Woven together, they form a powerful TV show which addresses contemporary issues, such as homosexuality, mental illness, dysfunctional family, power and greed. In case you haven’t heard of Empire, it chronicles the exploits of the Lyon family and their recording label. Terrance Howard plays Lucious Lyon, the head of Empire Entertainment , Taraji P. Henson plays Cookie Lyon, Lucious’ ex-wife who came home from jail after spending 17 years for drug dealing. They have three sons, Andre (played by Trai Byers) who is bipolar, Jamal (Jussie Smollett) who is openly gay, and Hakeem (Brayshere Y. Gray) who aspires to be a great hip-hop artist. Cookie is determined to bring the Lucious family together, even if it’s destroying the relationship between Lucious and his fiancée, Anika Calhoun (Grace Gealey) or be forced to make an important decision to the Feds in regards to a murder case involving Lucious as a suspect. Empire debuted on FOX Television Network on January 7 to positive reviews and was the network’s highest rated drama in three years. Since then, every episode saw an increase in total viewership, from 9.9 million viewers and a 3.8 rating to the show’s two episode finale garnering a robust 17.6 million viewers and a 6.9 rating in the second and final hour. Empire also has plenty of original music in each episode and the season 1 album soundtrack immediately went number one on the Billboard chart.   

Ms. Henson has what I consider to be the baddest role in TV, period. She plays Cookie Lyon to the hilt and really shows how bad she is - - when Cookie hates someone, she can go all out in destroying the person's life and his/her relationships. She is also determined to gain some control of Empire Entertainment from Lucious since her release from jail. The series also leaves a lot of skeletons for Season 2 which I won't tell you for now.   Sorry, that's my second wife/ (j/k)

Now with a show like Empire, can you wait until Season 2 starts?  Boo, Boo Kitty.

The McDonald's beating video

Disgusting.

That's the first word many people will say after watching the horrific McDoanalds beat down video on the afternoon of March 9th - - not just the fight but also how many people watched it happen and were recording it instead of calling 911.   It all happened with classmates fron nearby Erasmus High School, once the crown jewel of Brooklyn, were involved in a fight - - at least six punks ganged up on a lone victim - to the point where she fell to the floor.  One of the girls kept fighting after her jacket and blouse were removed during the melee  - - showing her bra.    As the fight progressed, "spectators" formed a circle around the "ring" and cheered the thugs on as they continued pummeling the girl.  Nobody within the circle called 911 or stried to stop the fight, they we recording the fight which was later posted all over YouTube and Facebook. 

But all of the girls involved, including the victime, enjoyed it.  Why?  Because social media now connects to the world via. videos, pictures, and story links.  The fight was posted all over YouTube and Facebook, allowing these girls to brag what they did - - now all 6 girls are facing gang assault and robbery charges.  One of the teens, Aniah Ferguson (the one who had the jacket and blouse removed during the fight) had 6 prior arrests since she turned 16 last summer, including an attack on her grandmother and brother in seperate incidents. and yet she is the mother of a 1 year old.  The so-called "victim"  Arinia Taylor, bragged about being famous after the beatdown video surfaced all over the internet.  And the so-called community leaders came out saying their usual "wakeup call"    nonsense as they said nothing before about the hundereds of various fighting videos all over social media for years - nor the fact that many black on black crimes happen in their community. 


It might be controversial what I am going to say but I serously think we should eliminate all forms of social media, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc completely as well stop mass production of cell phones and smartphones.  It might be sad to think about it but Americans functioned well in the 1990's and before when there were no cell phones, no internet, no Facebook, no Tweeting, no poking, and cameras used film instead of memory cards. We don't have to worry about drivers texting while driving.  Social media is supposed to engage people around the world by exchanging ideas, posting pictures ad videos and spreading the message.  I love looking at Facebook all the time and seeing people sharing messages about Jesus Christ for us to share or type "Amen" is beautiful.   Making people laugh at funny pictures (Kermit the Frog drinking comes to mind) or that hillarous video prank is awesome too.   But when a select few destroy the purpose of social media by bragging what crime they committed so they they can be famous then we should eliminate all of it.  On the other hand, the "bragging" has help law enforcement trmendously in apprehending criminals and felons, such as  Eddie Smith from Texas who bragged on Facebook about having 16 warrants issued against him (he actuially had 14 outstanding warrants) when authorities arrested him.

Just try a week without your phone outside of making phone calls.