Missing Miss Manners on Metro-North

Written by Joe Pisani
Tuesday, 16 March 2010 09:34

I’m not Miss Manners, but over the years, I’ve seen some scary changes in commuter etiquette. Nowadays, it’s “commuters gone wild,” and a train ride on Metro-North can be like a mini-Mardi Gras, especially after a Yankees game or the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Once upon a time, middle-aged men sat silently in their seats, reading The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times, and caused no disturbances. It was like a Benedictine monastery. There was no crunching, no munching, no arguing, no snoring, no sexual shenanigans, just an occasional boisterous card game. Times have changed.

Commuter etiquette is an obsession with me, largely because I’m held prisoner 18 hours a week on the train, tossing and turning, bumping and grinding my way into and out of Manhattan. Sometimes it feels like I’ve been doing it since FDR was president, or at least Jimmy Carter.

An interview with Will Geer from ‘The Waltons’

Written by Ellen Beveridge
Monday, 15 March 2010 18:21

A recent television auto insurance ad caught my eye. It showed the farmhouse from “The Waltons,” the popular family-oriented show from the 1970s, as family members said goodnight to each other, the signature ending to every show.

Once again my memory bank was set into motion. I remembered watching the show that included Grandpa Walton, portrayed by Will Geer. More to the point, I began to think about meeting Will Geer, and how I had come to write a feature story about him for the Trumbull Times.

Fare hikes and service cuts

Written by Jim Cameron
Monday, 08 March 2010 17:35

From coast to coast, mass transit is under attack. Decreased ridership due to the economy and reduced state subsidies are leading to cuts in service and fare increases.

For us in Connecticut, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and its $800 million budget shortfall could affect our daily commute. The New York transit agency is holding public hearings on plans to cut bus and subway service; eliminate student discount fares; and, yes, even target Metro-North service.

Examples of use and misuse of English language

Written by Ellen Beveridge
Tuesday, 02 March 2010 15:11

I do not profess to be an expert in grammar, but there are some mistakes that I never fail to notice, that repeatedly bother me.

I cringe when someone says, “I should have went to the game” instead of “gone to the game,” or “me and my brother” instead of “my brother and I.”

Death on the tracks

Written by Jim Cameron
Monday, 22 February 2010 16:24

A week ago, early on a Wednesday morning, a 63-year-old woman walked from her home in Norwalk, approached the Metro-North grade crossing at Commerce Street, lay down on the tracks and was killed by the oncoming train. Service was disrupted for hours.

Months before that, a well-dressed businessman slipped from a boarding bridge-plate platform and was killed by the approaching train. In his pocket was a pink slip. Was he a victim or a suicide?

For whatever reason, there has been a growing number of deaths along Metro-North tracks and precious little that can be done to stop them.

An addiction to be proud of

Written by Joe Pisani
Tuesday, 16 February 2010 13:03

Since that fateful day when I went crazy and tossed the TV out on the front lawn and denied my daughters their constitutionally guaranteed right to mindless distractions and foolishness like Jerry Springer and MTV, our lives took a turn for the better — well, at least mine did. I was finally a free man.

I grew up in a family that had five TVs, and they were always on, which means to say our home resembled the electronics department at Best Buy. I didn’t want my kids to share that pain — although they begged to — so I canceled our cable service, which gave me extra money for sinful pleasures like chocolate-covered doughnuts, leather-bound books and lottery tickets.

The deficit and Social Security

Written by Fred Musante
Tuesday, 09 February 2010 16:47

Lately, lots of people are talking about the federal budget deficit and the national debt. I can’t understand why nobody is talking about Social Security. There’s more of a connection than anyone has acknowledged.

The candidates for Congress and the Senate better pay attention because this will be on the test for the 2010 election, if I have anything to say about it.

First, let’s talk about the deficit. It’s huge, projected around $1.5 trillion (with a T) for the 2010-11 federal fiscal year that starts next Oct. 1.

High-speed rail ... really?

Written by Jim Cameron
Tuesday, 09 February 2010 11:51

There’s been a lot of media hype and political hoopla of late about Connecticut receiving $40 million from the feds for “high speed rail.” While any money spent on rail is great, let’s take a reality check.

That federal money (combined with $26 million from the state) is merely a small down payment on an $880 million, five-year plan to bring just commuter rail service to the New Haven-Springfield corridor. That first money will be spent adding a second track on a 10-mile stretch of existing rail between New Britain and Newington. That’s a good start, but the rest of the project is far from a sure thing. And it sure ain’t “high-speed rail.”

‘More for less’ sends job pride on downward spiral

Written by Joe Pisani
Wednesday, 03 February 2010 11:25

On the torturous train ride home, I ran into a guy I hadn’t seen in months. There’s always a sense of relief when you meet a long-lost fellow commuter and learn you both still have jobs, or the bank hasn’t foreclosed on your homes, or nobody kicked the bucket. These have become the small joys of life.

As we were getting off the train, I noticed that the shopping bag he has holding contained a large baby-blue box.

“Something from Tiffany’s for your wife?” I asked.

“It’s mine,” he said. “The company gave it to me for celebrating 10 years of service.”

A special milestone: Becoming a grandmother

Written by Ellen Beveridge
Wednesday, 03 February 2010 11:20

This column is dedicated to all who have known the joy of becoming a grandmother, and to those who will become one someday.

The day after I became a grandmother for the first time, I was so full of joy and enthusiasm when I arrived for work at the Trumbull Times editorial office that the editor asked me to write a column about my experience.

Write a column? The idea took me aback. Previously, I had only written features, never anything personal like a column. But once the seed was planted, I discovered that when I sat down at the typewriter the words just seemed to flow.