PATH Signal Problems

Most Wednesdays mornings I’m on the PATH train between 8:50 and 9:10. I do 45 minutes of cardio, shower at the gym. My day job office moved to the border of Murray Hill—about a seven minute walk from the 33rd Street PATH station. I usually have tea—I’m a big tea drinker, I hate the taste of coffee—egg whites on whole wheat toast and a yogurt at my desk and begin my day.

“10 minute delays in both directions...” said the familiar announcements as the turnstile read by metro card and deducted the fare. The platform was filled with commuters and the WTC PATH was on the track, doors open, not moving. A train came by to NWK or JSQ, I forget which, picked up and discharged passengers. A few minutes later, another NWK of JSQ bound train arrives, but this stops as well, stays there with the doors open. The crowd on the platform thickens. I’m there about fifteen minutes and another announcement—“20 minute delays in both directions.”

Now, I didn’t hear them say Hoboken and since I couldn’t blow off the day in the office, I had to get into Manhattan. The way things usually go, there is a delay and they resolve it—Signal Problems said the announcement, which is almost always the case—sometimes it takes a while, usually less than an hour in most worst case scenarios. Doesn’t happen often. Why not get an Awake Tea Latté and one of them whole wheat English muffin egg white with turkey bacon at the Star Bucks, hang out there. There was still a line of taxis across Columbus, maybe no need to go to Hoboken.

The line is out the door at Star Bucks. I guess I’m not the only one with the waiting idea. There are seats at the bodega/deli on Grove & Columbus. They make a good egg sandwich there, but I’m on a health kick so I can do yolks or bacon—well, I could, but I would feel guilty and fret all morning about it. No commuters are in—there are only one or two customers—no other white people. Keep in mind, the Star Bucks is packed, there, people are milling about the Grove Street station. No one is going anywhere, and I’m the only commuter going to this bodega/deli. I don’t even know the name of it, there doesn’t seem to be any sign over the entrance. The only sign is probably an old one—Star Bucks served here. Even though they don’t have it listed on their breakfast menu, they do serve egg whites. I get my usual breakfast and wait with a decent—though non latté—English Breakfast.

Takes about 20 minutes. No other commuters come in. I get another cup of tea—to go—and I notice there’s a cop car parked at the station, cops inside. I sit on one of the new benches. More people are leaving the station than going in—PATH Trains still messed up. The cabs across Christopher Columbus are gone and there appears to be a line, waiting for them. You rarely ever see this, especially on a weekday morning.

The cops get out of the car by the time I’m done with the tea. I get up and to scope things out. PATH trains are suspended, cops are directing people to walk to Exchange Place and take the Light Rail into Hoboken.

What do you do? The way I looked at, the PATH train is usually very reliable. It’s probably one of the best Mass Transit Systems in the Country, so when there’s a delay you take in stride.

I get out on the other side of Grove, thinking I might get a group cab ride. Again, other people are thinking the same thing—people are calling cabs. Now, cabs in Jersey City are more art than science. I take the Christopher Columbus white cabs often—I take a train from Hoboken to visit mom, and I pick up flowers and it’s easier to take a cab there after I pick up flowers—I don’t risk missing the train and the flowers stay fresh. The fares to Hoboken range from $10 to $15 dollars, depending on the mood of the drivers. They never turn on the meter. I also know that getting a cab into New York can range from $25 to $65, again depending on the mood of the driver. It’s just the way it is, more art than science. I had a suspicion that the cab rate from Jersey City to Hoboken when the PATH cancels services is probably triple or higher. Even ten bucks is ludicrous, that’s more than five bucks per mile. Besides, lines twenty people long were waiting for cabs that weren’t there.

A Jitney bus shows up, bound for Newport Mall. Perfect—I’ll pick up the Light Rail and Newport. Other people are afraid. Newport Mall? They don’t go to Hoboken. I’m the only person who gets on. In about five minutes I’m at Newport Mall, and I walk to the light rail. It was probably only a little shorter than walking to the Exchange Place Light Rail station. but I didn’t feel like hiking to Exchange Place. I don’t really like going down there all that much. There was no optimal choice though. You had to get to Hoboken and I hate getting ripped off by the cab and when there’s no cab, you got no choice anyway.

A brisk winter wind was blowing, but it wasn’t as gelid as it had been. The sun was bright. The light rail is fun. I rarely have an opportunity to take it and I always enjoy the experience and the ride into Hoboken I find beautiful. I love industrial city scapes and even if most of the Hudson River factories are gone, the feel is still there—part On The Waterfront, part Blade Runner and the web of Train tracks funneling into the always marvelous Erie Lackawanna station—just like the Hand of Man photograph by Stiegletz.

I’ve gotten to Hoboken in less than 15 minutes for a cost of three dollars and fifteen cents--$1.25 for the Jitney and $1.90 for the Light Rail. I’m going to be in the office by 11:00. Only 90 minutes late, not that bad, it happens. Besides, the Hoboken 33rd Street PATH is at least seven minutes quicker. Of course, as soon as I am at the turnstile, the announcement comes on. “PATH train service has been restored....”

I could have waited fifteen minutes but shoot, I already had two cups of tea! At 23rd Street, a crew of PATH workers get into my car. I talk with them a big about the signal problems.

“It could be anywhere on the line, it’s from the cold weather. When you have a couple of days in a row of freezing weather, you get signal problems,” said one guy.

I tell them abut the trains at Grove, not moving. I had never seen that.

“They can’t move them because you don’t know where the signal problems are.”

I said, “I’d rather have the problem in the morning than at night. It’s a lot easier getting into New York than getting out.”

They nodded in agreement. Nice guys.

I would have taken pictures, since I had my camera—but lets face it, people waiting for the PATH train are going to look like they’re waiting for the PATH whether the trains are on time or not.