Take backs - I hate the MTA

So last night, I'm leaving the Columbus Circle area so I go to 57th and Broadway to catch the R. I just get down to the platform and the R closes its doors on me and I wonder if it's the last of the night because it's nearing midnight. So I see an N next but wait to see if another R will come. Nope. But that damn garbage train comes that creeps by at a snail's pace. So we have to wait for that to pass to get another N train. So angry. (thank goodness I had my Glamour magazine with me). So then another N comes and I get on it but it doesn't go anywhere. It just sits there in the station and finally announces that NO train will be leaving out of this station AT ALL and you have to go downtown in order to go to Queens. So I finally got to Times Square and had to walk to the E train and then wait for that. A typical 20-minute door to door trip took me about 90 minutes and then it was pouring to add insult to injury. I didn't have an umbrella so now today, I'm sneezing a lot. Damn the MTA! (just not that nice conductor dude).

A kinder, gentler MTA

So coming home tonight from Murray Hill (my friend Shira's Swami Celebration; she just received her certification for teaching yoga), I got super lucky with the 6 train uptown to 51st and then lucky AGAIN with the E train to Queens. But when I got out at Queens Plaza to transfer to the R train, I stood on the platform for some time waiting. No biggie though, I had my trusty girlie magazine with me to read (Glamour, not Penthouse). So the R finally comes and we all hurry to get on. So while I'm sitting there after the doors close, this gentle voice gets on the loud speaker announcing the next stop but then he pauses and says, "I just wanted to apologize to all of you that have been waiting for a while. We are about 12 minutes behind schedule due to some congestion on the R line so that is why you were waiting so long. We're sorry for that." I was STUNNED. And for those others around me that didn't have their iPods on, they were all smiling because it was so sincere and heartfelt. MTA should take this guy to the next training and tell everyone to stop saying the standard "thank you for being patient" when they fully know that no one is BEING PATIENT and it's just aggravating to hear someone TELL you what you're feeling. This guy had it right. Just say sorry in a believable way and it makes New Yorkers smile. We all need to relax regardless. It is what it is. The subway system is robust and complicated. We're not always going to get what we want. And in order to relax ... I know this great new yoga instructor you should really check out. :-) Ommmmmmmmmmm......