Being a train conductor seems like a simple, boring job: collecting tickets, opening and closing doors, reminding people to keep their feet off the seats. Yawn. But there’s a lighter side to the job, as I wrote a few years ago, based on former conductor Michael Shaw’s great book, “My Rail Life,” after he retired from a 36-year career on the New Haven line. He clearly loved … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Memoirs of a Metro-North Conductor
Columnists
A View From My Porch: The President’s Coattails Are Tattered and Threadbare—A Treatise on Misbehavior
Epigraph: “Johnny's in the basement, mixing up the medicine;I'm on the pavement, thinking about the government.”[Bob Dylan (1965): Subterranean Homesick Blues."] Prologue: So, what is there really to think about? Well, I’m opining on why this Republican President, still supported by a “look the other way” Republican Congress, has shut down the Government; and once … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: The President’s Coattails Are Tattered and Threadbare—A Treatise on Misbehavior
Early Fall Gardening Tips from The English Lady—’Take Time to Sit and Watch the Leaves Change’
Birches, Larches, Gingko, Oaks, Magnolia, and all flowering fruit and flowering trees as well as the Eastern Red Cedar. These trees have fleshy roots, and their feeder roots are not large when young and therefore take time to establish and are susceptible to frost heave. Perennials that do not like to be planted in fall are Artemisia, Lambs Ears, Foxglove, … [Read more...] about Early Fall Gardening Tips from The English Lady—’Take Time to Sit and Watch the Leaves Change’
Talking Transportation: Blinded by the Light
“Blinded by the lightRevved up like a deuceAnother runner in the night”- Manfred Mann Has this ever happened to you? You’re driving on a narrow road in the dark, when the headlights of oncoming traffic suddenly blind you, leaving you wondering where is the road and whether you might crash. With sunset now coming as early as 5 p.m. (thanks to the return to Standard Time), … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Blinded by the Light
Talking Transportation: Dangers of the Fall
I love the fall. But I hate the leaves! Sure, they look pretty as they change colors, but when those leaves are spent and fall to the ground, they present real problems for travelers. Whether you rake your leaves yourself or have someone “blow” them for you, disposing of leaves is a hassle. Growing up (many years ago) I remember we used to burn our leaves, heedless to … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Dangers of the Fall
Talking Transportation: Rules Vary for Bikes on Board
Taking mass transit is great. But when you step off your train or bus, what do you do to get to your final destination? Increasingly, that means BYO wheels: a bike, e-bike or scooter. The problem is the rules for bringing your “wheels” are much different depending on your carrier. METRO-NORTH: You can bring your non-electric-powered bike on the train anytime except … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Rules Vary for Bikes on Board
Talking Transportation: The Folly of a Bridge to New York
Why is much of Connecticut talking about a bridge from Bridgeport, across Long Island Sound, to New York State? How did we get sucked into a debate about a project that every transportation expert I spoke with said just won’t happen? You can blame (or maybe credit?) Connecticut housing developer Stephen Shapiro for this distraction as he pipe-dreams way outside his area of … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: The Folly of a Bridge to New York
Talking Transportation: Is This Leading by Example, Governor Lamont?
What would happen to you if you borrowed your company’s car and, thanks to built-in tracking technology, were caught driving 113 mph? Or how would your HR staff “dialogue” with you if the car’s mileage wasn’t properly logged, you had apparently used it for personal trips, then left it sitting in a garage and when you did return it to the motor pool it had $3,500 in … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Is This Leading by Example, Governor Lamont?
The Movie Man: Mystic Film Festival Screens Over 100 Films
The eighth annual Mystic Film Festival opened Thursday, Oct. 2, at the Mystic Luxury Cinemas. The festival screened over 100 films, which were mostly short films but approximately 20 feature-length films were included. The festival was founded by Shareen Anderson, who also serves as its executive and artistic director. Anderson’s career as a producer, director, and writer in … [Read more...] about The Movie Man: Mystic Film Festival Screens Over 100 Films
Talking Transportation: Jim Cameron Finally Boards the NextGen Acela
I finally had a chance to ride the new NextGen Acela and I have to admit, I was wrong: This really is Amtrak’s train of the future. But here are a few tips for making your next ride frictionless. These tips are mostly about riding Acela, but many hold true for slower Northeast Corridor trains. WHAT’S A NEXTGEN ACELA? These are the new trains built by Alstom, previously … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Jim Cameron Finally Boards the NextGen Acela
‘When it Gets Crisp in the Fall’: Gardening Tips for September from ‘The English Lady’
"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." – F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby Rain through August has been rather sparse. That said, our gardens need rain. In the meantime, if you are planting evergreens this month; September is the best time to plant evergreens in our zone. Evergreens planted now can begin to establish strong roots … [Read more...] about ‘When it Gets Crisp in the Fall’: Gardening Tips for September from ‘The English Lady’
Literature in the Lymes: A Review of ‘The Ballad of Innes of Skara Skaill’ by Faulkner Hunt
"He has created a land and characters that instantly feel familiar." Like Faulkner, I was raised at the knee of a storyteller and read everything in every conceivable accent to my children. Some of us were more often amused (me) than others (them) but, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. Nothing. Absolutely nothing beats a story. A tale. A yarn. A ballad ... … [Read more...] about Literature in the Lymes: A Review of ‘The Ballad of Innes of Skara Skaill’ by Faulkner Hunt
Talking Transportation: Travel Now, Talk or Text Later
How many of you remember “Car Talk”, the wildly popular NPR show with Tom and Ray Magliozzi, also known as "Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers"? Not only were they brothers, but both graduated from MIT. They were walking encyclopedias of automotive wisdom. And common sense. To them, car safety meant more than just mechanics. It meant drivers should be smart about their … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Travel Now, Talk or Text Later
Talking Transportation: Increased Mobility via E-Scooters, E-Skateboards is Great, but Safety Must Always Come First
As if our roads weren’t dangerous enough already, there’s a new generation of “personal mobility vehicles” (PMV) silently swishing around our streets for us to worry about — electric scooters and skateboards. The scooters (about $1400) can go 30 mph. The skateboards (about $700) top out at 32 mph. But following simple instructions on the web, the speed governor can be … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Increased Mobility via E-Scooters, E-Skateboards is Great, but Safety Must Always Come First
Talking Transportation: Deaths Down, Fares Up, and Other Transportation Updates
I’ve always thought of Labor Day as New Year’s Eve. After a summer of vacations the new business year has begun and we’re back to the grind. But while you’ve been enjoying the summer (me, too!) we need to get updated on what’s been happening on our roads, rails and waters. TRAFFIC DEATHS DOWN SLIGHTLY: On a hopeful note, only 143 highway deaths have been tallied … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Deaths Down, Fares Up, and Other Transportation Updates