MTA: Slippery when everything

Jeez so the most heavily used (and only 24 hour) subway system in the world (ours) can't handle snow (ok) water (floods, sure) trash (track fires, sure, acceptable) and now add to that list colorfully brittle fallen leaves. yep leaves.

Today's New York Times reports that leaves are apparently staging an insurgent attack(my words) on rail steel causing trains to be slowed on select outdoor (below grade) subway lines like the Brooklyn Q, N, and Franklin Shuttle. This isn't as much of a problem for outdoor elevated lines like the Queens 7, Queens N and Queens J, (is somebody sticking it to Brooklyn?) because on those elevated the rain washes the resolute leaves away.

The article details the MTA's efforts to warn of delays and the average rider's understandably incredulous reactions. There's even a scientific breakdown of hot leaves become fatty acids which become waxy buildup on the rails, which some how requires a vacuums train to clean, although the cavity creeps fight crest squad might be a better way to go....



Interestingly what is not mentioned is why or how after 100+ years of service (and in my person 30+ years as a New Yorker) there seems to be no prior sign-age posted by the MTA about delays caused by fallen leaves. I'm pretty sure we've had autumn a few times before in the last 100+ years you'd think the problem woulda shown up before now.

Is it scientific? Are the new wheels of our mostly new subway fleet's extra stainless steelery causing them to get lubed up quicker? (let your minds glide on that) Or as some strap-hangers suggested is it the MTA looking for new and more creative excuses rather than newer and more creative savings methods?

PhotoWednesday 12/9/09 : Rubber Tipped Edition

Yup no xmas shots, outside seems more octobery to me, and in keeping with that, I offer tips. Rubber tips. I caught this on Washington Ave I think, I was trying not to alarm the owner. They were up on the Hill near Clinton. If you see a little flash of yellow today (I think they're rubber glove fingers) it's probably this little puddle jumper.

PhotoWed! 12/02/09 : Borough of (Vanishing) Churches Edition

If memory serves there was a piece in the Ken Burns documentary "New York" that describes the rivalry between Brooklyn and Manhattan. In that segment, Brooklynites as far back as the 19th century would boast of the many classic houses of worship the borough had to offer, calling Brooklyn the "Borough of Churches" as a means of highlighting the greatness of the place. Bitter Manhattanites of the era were said to retort, that's cause "Brooklyn's a great place to die!"

Well these days it seems the churches are the ones that're fading.

Today's photo Wednesday comes from the Clinton Hill / Prospect Heights border where sits a church on Pacific between Vanderbilt and Underhill, that one of my aunts has warm and spooky stories about.



There's more story than that but suffice to say it seems the church is coming down steeple by steeple if my photo shows true.

Anybody know more?

Photo Wednesday Returns, Musing Edition

out of the sky I landed with a thud. New York, again New York. The city, it's cabs, subways, hotdogs, wisecracks always right on time. It would be like this for 36 hours more, at least. I wondered how much more?

I've been away from the blog, the borough, the whole damn thing.
I found what was left, yes it was me, and the experience all cliche and true.

Here's some photos I've taken since the return:


I still hate this building (situated north of Myrtle Ave, Btwn Hall & Washington, Clinton Hill), too big (again, it blocks the view from two miles away on Washington and Eastern Parkway, at least the view I'm used to)


I got through Pratt Campus to see how my alumni donations are spend, this time they let me in....


This factory has always given me a chill, for years I thought I imagined it, and even then, it only existed in twilight's haze.


Huzzah new cycle shop, this one on Myrtle (it's news to me) I dig the old trim of the store's metal rims