Thursday

[rhu]

Yesterday we took the kids into Brooklyn for the Transit Exhibit Museum, which I used to visit often as a teenager. The kids loved it. (All three of us. :-)

While buying our tickets, I struck up a conversation with the gentleman in the “token” booth about the TA's plan to retire the R-32s. We agreed that it’s a real shame; the R-32s are the best damn rolling stock the TA ever ordered. The newer cars can't build up the same speed and break down more often. Now they're trying fully automated trains, without a motorman train operator or conductor. What the hell are they thinking? We’re dealing with people – not just people, New Yorkers – and they think a computer will be able to handle whatever happens in the tubes? Yeah, right.

Which reminds me – on Tuesday, when we were heading into the city with the kids, we rode in the front of an R-32, with the kids taking turns looking out the front window. I’ve never understood some people’s love of fast sports cars (sorry, vettecat), but put me in the front of an R-32 with a string of greens between Roosevelt Ave. and Queens Plaza and I’m a very very happy man.

Then we wandered around, looking for a kosher place to eat. By the time we got to Myrtle Promenade (we were trying for a pizza place on Myrtle Ave.) we decided it was too damn hot to walk any farther. We picked up drinks at a convenience store, sat in a lovely plaza, then walked back to the car (on Livingston St). Fortunately, the kids were not too cranky despite lunch being a couple of granola bars. And I got to visit the campus of my dad’s alma mater, PUNY Polytechnic University of New York (Brooklyn Poly).

Coming back, we passed the Marriott that I assume will host next year’s Stamford, so now I know where to head if I swing by Saturday night.

Comments

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

They plan on retiring the R-32s? The ones they used to run on the N-train line that we took to school? What a shame..

I plan to attend Stamford wearing a jacket that says TEAM BRYANT. :-)

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

It takes all kinds... I've never been able to understand the fascination of team sports.

[rev69.livejournal.com]

Drag race two R-32s vs Jeff Hakner and that'll be two happy men! :)

Speaking of whom, I was chatting with him at reunion last month. did you know he still runs trolleys at the trolley museum outside New Haven most weekends? I have to get out there one of these days...