Friday, May 21, 2010
Shhhhh. What was that sound?
On Tuesday evening, the PATH trains were messed up. Well they would be that day, as I was meeting Jan (my wife) and Hannah (my daughter) for dinner and was already running 10 minutes late. The usually timely 7:16 train from Pavonnia Newport Station was maybe 4 or 5 minutes late. If that wasn’t warning enough that something was amiss, the fact that we sat at Christopher Street station for several minutes should certainly have been an indication. Of course, an honest message from the conductor or over the loudspeaker in the station would have alerted us to exactly what might lay in store. But this is the PATH system – home of the “trains are subject to 10 minute delays” messages (*).
We pulled out of the station and travelled perhaps 100 yards before stopping again. Several minutes elapsed before the conductor apologised for the delay, ‘informing’ us that there was a train ahead. The question of whyt there was a train ahead of us was not addressed.
Another few minutes passed before the next apology: “Sorry for the delay. There’s a power outage in front of us and we hope to be moving in about 10 minutes.” Another few minutes: “We are waiting for the dispatcher to give us clearance.” Do dispatchers have power to make trains run when there is no power? Why even bother telling us this nonsense!
He saved by far the best for last: “Ladies and Gentlemen. It sounds like we will be moving soon.” I couldn’t help but wonder what the sound of ‘we will be moving soon’ is and how this mysterious sound was conveyed to the conductor! I would like to know, so that I might recognise it the next time it occurs in my vicinity. That is, unless this conductor is privy to some sound waves my untrained ears cannot discern! I listened hard, but the only thing that came to me was the sound of bullshit!
Of course, it would have been nice if we would have been told while at Christopher Street that there were problems ahead which could result in delays. Just in case a few people might have considered making their way to their destination by alternative means. But that would obviously contravene whatever directive conductors are apparently bound by which forbids them from saying anything that people might actually wish to hear!
* I have mentioned this pet peeve of mine before: Being the literal type, I see a 10 minute delay as meaning that the 7:16 will come at 7:26; the 7:26 will come at 7:36, and so on. Basically meaning that trains are running normally as far as passengers are concerned. This, however, is not what they mean. I have yet to discern if they really mean that trains are running every 20 minutes, as this has not been my experience of these occasions. More likely, it is just something to say when there are problems. The credo apparently being that if something is said, they can’t be accused of not communicating….. even if what is said actually means, or at least communicates, nothing at all of value. See above for further examples!
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We pulled out of the station and travelled perhaps 100 yards before stopping again. Several minutes elapsed before the conductor apologised for the delay, ‘informing’ us that there was a train ahead. The question of whyt there was a train ahead of us was not addressed.
Another few minutes passed before the next apology: “Sorry for the delay. There’s a power outage in front of us and we hope to be moving in about 10 minutes.” Another few minutes: “We are waiting for the dispatcher to give us clearance.” Do dispatchers have power to make trains run when there is no power? Why even bother telling us this nonsense!
He saved by far the best for last: “Ladies and Gentlemen. It sounds like we will be moving soon.” I couldn’t help but wonder what the sound of ‘we will be moving soon’ is and how this mysterious sound was conveyed to the conductor! I would like to know, so that I might recognise it the next time it occurs in my vicinity. That is, unless this conductor is privy to some sound waves my untrained ears cannot discern! I listened hard, but the only thing that came to me was the sound of bullshit!
Of course, it would have been nice if we would have been told while at Christopher Street that there were problems ahead which could result in delays. Just in case a few people might have considered making their way to their destination by alternative means. But that would obviously contravene whatever directive conductors are apparently bound by which forbids them from saying anything that people might actually wish to hear!
* I have mentioned this pet peeve of mine before: Being the literal type, I see a 10 minute delay as meaning that the 7:16 will come at 7:26; the 7:26 will come at 7:36, and so on. Basically meaning that trains are running normally as far as passengers are concerned. This, however, is not what they mean. I have yet to discern if they really mean that trains are running every 20 minutes, as this has not been my experience of these occasions. More likely, it is just something to say when there are problems. The credo apparently being that if something is said, they can’t be accused of not communicating….. even if what is said actually means, or at least communicates, nothing at all of value. See above for further examples!
Labels: Conductor, Dispatcher, PATH
