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Having to be on high alert for an hour and a half, stopping and starting, watching out for other people who are weaving across lines because they aren't paying attention, accidents and other causes of delay. I love to drive. I am a person who drives 530 miles once a month and back again, and the worst part of the journey is that first/last hour getting out of/getting back into New Jersey.
Even when it is raining or snowing, or there is bright sun glare. What about when you are stuck in traffic behind a deadly accident? What about when you are sick or not feeling well and still have to drive? Do you enjoy driving then?
I don't know how people who have infants drive to work. Up until my kids turned one they would wake up and cry a few times a week. And that is actually better than average. After this sleepless night, I was so grateful to the NJT train when I could get a sit 90 - 95%% of the time and take a night. A few times a conductor woke me up in Hoboken. I think if I were driving, I would be dead already. 625 people died on NJ roads in 2017 and 27 in Bergen county in 2017: https://www.nj.gov/njsp/info/fatalacc/2017-stats.shtml
I think most people tend to be in denial about how dangerous driving is compared to the public transportation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801
Yeah, I miss my music, but I read or nap, I don't have to worry about driving, and rarely are the NJ Transit trains "cramped", unless there was a breakdown and we have extra passengers, which happens far, far less than traffic jams on the GSP and NJ Turnpike. I am six feet tall and quite comfortable on them.
You can listen to your music through headphones. Why do you say that you miss it? But if I am not sleeping, I am checking office e-mails on my phone and occasionally respond in the the most urgent cases...
Even when it is raining or snowing, or there is bright sun glare. What about when you are stuck in traffic behind a deadly accident? What about when you are sick or not feeling well and still have to drive? Do you enjoy driving then?
I wouldn't attempt to make that 530-mile drive if it was snowing or there was other questionable weather (I don't mind rain unless it's a hurricane or something). Getting stuck in traffic behind a deadly accident rarely happens on the way. If I am sick or not feeling well I wouldn't go until I felt better.
Not sure what your point was with all that. That's not the same as driving to work at all, which is exactly what I was saying in response to HudsonCo: I love to drive, just not to work.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DefiantNJ
I don't know how people who have infants drive to work. Up until my kids turned one they would wake up and cry a few times a week. And that is actually better than average. After this sleepless night, I was so grateful to the NJT train when I could get a sit 90 - 95%% of the time and take a night. A few times a conductor woke me up in Hoboken. I think if I were driving, I would be dead already. 625 people died on NJ roads in 2017 and 27 in Bergen county in 2017: https://www.nj.gov/njsp/info/fatalacc/2017-stats.shtml
I think most people tend to be in denial about how dangerous driving is compared to the public transportation.
Good point. I always preferred to commute by public transportation. As a matter of fact, in my post-retirement part-time work life, that's why I last changed jobs, from one that required a drive from Monmouth County to Brooklyn to one where I could take the train to the city.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DefiantNJ
You can listen to your music through headphones. Why do you say that you miss it? But if I am not sleeping, I am checking office e-mails on my phone and occasionally respond in the the most urgent cases...
I don't like listening to music through headphones. Just never got into it. I don't like being cut off that way. If I am on public transportation, I either read, look out the window at certain points for birds and other wildlife, nap, or check email/look my phone.
Before I retired when I had a job that required me to be "on" all the time, I did a lot of work through email on my phone.
MightyQueen801 do I get a reply for my suggestion that people relying on PATH should just get up earlier to cram on earlier train to make it? You seem to dislike my comments (at least on this.) Others get response so.. wassup?
MightyQueen801 do I get a reply for my suggestion that people relying on PATH should just get up earlier to cram on earlier train to make it? You seem to dislike my comments (at least on this.) Others get response so.. wassup?
I will go back and find the post! Sometimes I miss things. Other times I just don't feel like answering, lol.
ROFLMAO, all your post said was "get up earlier..."
Here's the thing, Mr.-Obviously-Never-Commuted-To-New-York-City: We got up early enough. Everybody suggests you get up earlier to eat breakfast before you go to work, to do your hair, to catch an earlier train, but if you are commuting from the Jersey 'burbs to NYC, you're already getting up way too early just to get your ass dressed and make it to the train in time. In some of the more difficult years, "get up earlier" entailed dressing/packing stuff for a baby and driving 25 minutes to drop her off at my parents before beginning my hour and 20 commute. There's no extra time to "get up earlier". NJ to NYC commuters are running on six hours sleep or less as it is.
The end of my career, when I moved somewhere affordable after my daughter graduated from high school, entailed a nearly-two-hour commute each way, but I did it because I knew I'd be able to retire in four years. I ended up staying for six because the money was right, but by the time 37 years was up, "get up earlier" was no longer a possibility.
Last edited by Mightyqueen801; 07-21-2018 at 11:08 PM..
I will go back and find the post! Sometimes I miss things. Other times I just don't feel like answering, lol.
ROFLMAO, all your post said was "get up earlier..."
Here's the thing, Mr.-Obviously-Never-Commuted-To-New-York-City: We got up early enough. Everybody suggests you get up earlier to eat breakfast before you go to work, to do your hair, to catch an earlier train, but if you are commuting from the Jersey 'burbs to NYC, you're already getting up way too early just to get your ass dressed and make it to the train in time. In some of the more difficult years, "get up earlier" entailed dressing/packing stuff for a baby and driving 25 minutes to drop her off at my parents before beginning my hour and 20 commute. There's no extra time to "get up earlier". NJ to NYC commuters are running on six hours sleep or less as it is.
The end of my career, when I moved somewhere affordable after my daughter graduated from high school, entailed a nearly-two-hour commute each way, but I did it because I knew I'd be able to retire in four years. I ended up staying for six because the money was right, but by the time 37 years was up, "get up earlier" was no longer a possibility.
Even earlier doesn't guarantee anything. I have to be at work at 7am. Usually get up around 5am to catch a bus at 6am. There have been times I have had to wait for 2-3 buses to pass because they are already full. I have gotten up at 4:15-4:30 to go to the gym before work, but that was a routine I could not get into daily (working until 6pm, home a little after 7pm, have trouble turning off before 10pm).
MTA has been unbearable... the city has reached its limits.
You can't have a city with millions depend on one transit system that is running with 1920s tech and run the Mob Transit Authority.
Shanghai has over 25mil people yet they don't have the delays and problems NYC subways do. They do what must be done to fix things or else the workers can't go to work. They say the MTA has budget problems. But they run two books, one book shows they are in deep red and the other shows that revenue has climbed beyond projections. They are constantly crying for more money yet I don't see the tolls going down. Somewhere they are hemorrhaging money badly and nobody cares because economy is great so lets just ask the taxpayer for another repairs bill.
Yes, we all know the United States federal government does not invest in public infrastructure the way many other governments in east Asia and Europe do. We know the Chinese govt spends hundreds of billions on subways. Most Americans simply don’t want to pay for subways and trains. MTA and PA have to raise money from local sources to operate service. Tolls, fees, fares, and local taxes in the case of MTA, sustain the operation.
Yes, we all know the United States federal government does not invest in public infrastructure the way many other governments in east Asia and Europe do. We know the Chinese govt spends hundreds of billions on subways. Most Americans simply don’t want to pay for subways and trains. MTA and PA have to raise money from local sources to operate service.
+1
Mass transit in The US is almost always a disgrace, when compared to mass transit in Europe, and the reason is that mass transit has never been a high priority in our car-centric society.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vision33r
Shanghai has over 25mil people yet they don't have the delays and problems NYC subways do. They do what must be done to fix things or else the workers can't go to work.
Are you suggesting that we should adopt a Communist form of government in order to have public transportation that is the equal of what they have in Shanghai? Or, are you advocating higher taxes and/or higher fares in order to improve mass transit in this area? What are your solutions to the obvious problems that we have in regard to mass transit?
I will go back and find the post! Sometimes I miss things. Other times I just don't feel like answering, lol.
ROFLMAO, all your post said was "get up earlier..."
Here's the thing, Mr.-Obviously-Never-Commuted-To-New-York-City: We got up early enough. Everybody suggests you get up earlier to eat breakfast before you go to work, to do your hair, to catch an earlier train, but if you are commuting from the Jersey 'burbs to NYC, you're already getting up way too early just to get your ass dressed and make it to the train in time. In some of the more difficult years, "get up earlier" entailed dressing/packing stuff for a baby and driving 25 minutes to drop her off at my parents before beginning my hour and 20 commute. There's no extra time to "get up earlier". NJ to NYC commuters are running on six hours sleep or less as it is.
The end of my career, when I moved somewhere affordable after my daughter graduated from high school, entailed a nearly-two-hour commute each way, but I did it because I knew I'd be able to retire in four years. I ended up staying for six because the money was right, but by the time 37 years was up, "get up earlier" was no longer a possibility.
Thank you for your response.
It wouldn't let me rep you.. oh well.
I guess everyone that can't get up earlier.. is screwed.
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That's not the same as driving to work at all, which is exactly what I was saying in response to HudsonCo: I love to drive, just not to work. 
