Friday

Okay, so there was no transit strike (well, sort of, about 750 people who work on various bus lines in Queens didn't show up, but what good does that do me?) and this means I'm at work.

Of course, since there was the threat of a transit strike this was the perfect opportunity for New Jersey Transit to decide to do "emergency" track work between Princeton and New Brunswick. This meant that all trains ran on the express track-- sounds good, right? Except for the fact that the train station platform has a small problem (that being, the local track) that is between it and the express track. What, prey tell, do NJT riders have to do in this instance? Why rush down to the very end of the platform, which I believe is technically in Hamilton, NJ and cram on to a small staircase to cross the local track on wooden boards. This, in transit lingo, is called "low platforming".

Low platforming wouldn't be bad, technically, if I didn't park my car at the very opposite end of the platform (quite possibly being located in Plainsboro, NJ) and if it didn't seem like everyone and his fifth cousin were trying to take the train today. We all ran down to the end of the platform only to be herded and then to watch the train that was waiting for us pull away. Yes, that's right, no announcement, no information-- the train just pulls away with roughly 200 people still waiting to board. It's like the transit lottery. Am I going to get to my destination today? Hey, you never know.