A METRO-NORTH CONDUCTOR'S MEMOIRS

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 his job.  And he swears these stories are true.

He once told passengers on a standing-room only train: “OK, folks.  We are half way to Grand Central.  It’s time for everyone who’s been seated to get up and give their seats to folks who’ve been standing.”

Asked by a passenger boarding at Grand Central, “what times does this train arrive in Stamford?” he answered candidly, “Usually about 20 minutes after the schedule says”.

On another train he announced: “Folks, I have good news and bad news.  The good news is that Metro-North fixed the air conditioning you complained about not having all summer long.  The bad news it’s now winter.”

Honest to a fault, he turned in everything left by passengers on his train to the Metro-North Lost and Found… even an envelope containing $400 in cash. (The lost money wasn’t claimed so he got it back.)  On several occasions he’d find a lost briefcase or cell-phone and personally return it to the owner’s home the same day.

He also loved razzing his fellow railroad workers, once announcing, “If you have any railroad questions or would like to take your picture with a real railroad engineer, come to the front of the train and say hello to is Jerry who loves chatting with people.”  The engineer’s name was not Jerry and the real man at the controls really didn’t like people.

Approaching Bridgeport, Shaw announced the connection for the Waterbury train, adding “Be sure to ask your Waterbury conductor for one of the free 100 Years Commemorative pins.”  There were no such pins.

On late Friday late night trains Shaw would bet with his fellow conductors watching drunk passengers boarding at Grand Central, guessing who would be first to throw up.  Shaw immediately chose a 95 pound blonde he saw staggering to the nearest car with her equally inebriated boyfriend.  Even before leaving the station his co-worker came and gave him his winnings.

Shaw always went out of his way to keep passengers informed about delays.  In the horrendous winter of 2014 when the railroad almost ground to a halt, he printed a one-page apology for the previous day’s delays and did his own seat-drop of 500 copies before the train left New Haven.  His regular passengers were so grateful for his candor they gave him a standing ovation as he entered each car to collect tickets.  His railroad bosses were not amused.

Approaching an obviously “senior” citizen to collect his fare, the old timer asked if Shaw needed his ID to prove his age.  Saying that wouldn’t be necessary, the old timer asked “Are you saying I look too old?”  “No,” said Shaw. “You look honest.”

On another occasion he approached an elderly, grey-haired woman who wanted to buy a senior-discount ticket.  “Are you over 65?,” he asked in a teasing voice. “Actually, I’m 82” she said.  “Well, you look marvelous!,” said Shaw, asking “What’s your secret?”.  Without a smile or batting an eyelash she said “Rough sex.”

If you need a good chuckle, you’ll love this book.

 

NIGHT DRIVING - Blinded by the Light

“Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce
Another 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 pm (thanks to the return to Standard Time), driving in the dark becomes a real challenge if not a danger.  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data shows nighttime crashes are three times more likely than daytime, even on dry roads.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?                 There are several reasons that headlights appear so bright.  The first is that the headlights may not be properly aligned, aiming too high.  And with more vehicles riding higher from the road (think SUVs and trucks), their headlights shine more directly into oncoming traffic.

Most problematic are the new kinds of headlights we use.  The older incandescent (yellowish) lightbulbs are being replaced by LED or xenon lights, which are blue-white and more glaring to your eyes.

That’s because bright oncoming headlights, especially the bluish ones, cause the pupils in your eyes to constrict rapidly, literally blinding you until the oncoming vehicle passes and your eyes adjust.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?                When bright lights come at you, don’t look into the oncoming beam.  Instead, look to the right edge or lane marker of your driving lane.  Use anti-glare mirrors, especially  in your rear-view mirror,  so headlights on vehicles behind you don’t hit your eyes.  Most of all, slow down!  Being blinded on darkened roads, coated with wet slippery leaves, is dangerous.

WILL BLUE LIGHT GLASSES HELP?             Even with good driving habits, glare from new headlight technology can still feel intense leading some drivers to look for solutions like special glasses.  But the jury’s still out on this idea.  

Stylish... but safer?

Some manufacturers and optometrists say that lenses designed to block or filter short-wavelength blue light can help reduce the perceived glare by filtering out that part of the spectrum.  Some glasses described as “for night driving” (the ones that are often yellow in tint) also have reflective coatings. 

Doctors say some patients swear by these specs, making them more confident.  But safety experts say you shouldn’t take this as license to drive faster than is safe for the road conditions.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?                 You can start by making sure you’re not part of the problem.  Get your own headlights checked for alignment at your mechanic or national chains like Midas or Goodyear.  It’ll cost you about $100.

It used to be that the Connecticut DMV checked headlight alignments during your bi-annual emissions tests, but that ended in 2001.  A bill (HB 6163) before the Connecticut legislature in 2023 would have restored those tests, but it never became law.

In the UK they’re taking this problem more seriously, upping testing of headlight brightness and where they aim down the road.  Some are even calling for a ban on super-bright LED and xenon bulbs.  UK stats claim 280 collisions a year in that country are caused by the dazzling bulbs.

Meantime, take it easy on the roads at night.  Maybe even avoid driving in those hours, if you can.  Try the glasses, if you’d like.  But above all… stay safe!

 

THE HIDDEN 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 the air pollution and health effects.  A better alternative is to use a mulching-mower and just grind up the leaves on your lawn, providing much-needed nutrients to your soil.  Or try composting them on your own property.

In most towns leaves must be bagged and left curbside for pick-up.  In other towns, like Stamford, Middletown and Farmington, you can just rake the leaves into a pile at the curb, loose, and the town will vacuum them up… eventually.

Often however, the piles of leaves left curbside get rained on, creating a giant soggy mess, blocking parking and leading to slippery roads.  At speeds of 40–45 mph, it can take up to three times longer to stop on wet leaves compared to dry pavement, with stopping distance increasing from about 80 feet to over 200–250 feet.

But the slippery, almost winter-like driving conditions caused by wet leaves also affect our trains.  Their wheels also slip on wet leaves and the trains’ “brains” sense it and go into emergency braking.  You’ll know this is happening when the trains suddenly “dump their air”, and brake quickly.

Usually it’s just a minute or so to reset the computer and you carry on.  But as in a real emergency, braking and stopping distance are quickly diminished.  Which is why railroads take a number of defensive steps to literally clear the tracks.

So bad was the leaf slime problem in years past that Metro-North would have 25% of its fleet out of service as the trains’ brakes locked the wheels to a stop, grinding flat spots on the wheels, requiring repairs.

This is especially a problem on the Danbury branch, a 397-foot uphill climb from Norwalk to “The Hat City”.  Often, locomotive-pulled trains couldn’t get enough traction so that they had to skip stations like Cannondale just to keep momentum to climb uphill.

You see, on a diesel locomotive there are only eight traction wheels making contact with the rails.  But on the electric M8 cars, every car is a locomotive, so contact with the wheels is spread across the entire train, increasing traction… another good reason to re-electrify the Danbury branch.

In years past the railroad used high-pressure water jets to blast the slippery leaf pectin from the rails.  But now they have resorted to lasers.

Laser Train photo by Emily Moser

Metro-North’s Laser Train uses high-intensity lasers to remove this contaminated layer in a single pass at speeds up to 60 mph, allowing Metro-North to clean the entire network at least once a day.  The train is a rare sight, usually operating overnight to clear the tracks in time for the morning rush hour.

Last year the Laser Train saw a 40% reduction in leaf-related “slip slide” events, leading to the lowest wheel-regrinding costs on record.  

So enjoy the fall and the beauty of the foliage.  But beware the dangers, whether driving or training, of “slip sliding away”.

 

 

 

TAKING YOUR BIKE ON THE TRAIN

 

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” is much different depending on your carrier.

METRO-NORTH:

You can bring your non-electric-powered bike on the train anytime except rush-hour.  Some cars include wall-mounted racks; check TrainTime for bike-friendly trains and car markings.  If you have a folding bike that can stow in the overhead rack, you can bring it anytime.

But if your bike or scooter is powered, the rules are quite different.

Metro-North Bike Racks

First, you can’t ride your e-whatever at the station, on the platform or in the train. You can only bring your wheels on the train if it folds up, weighs less than 100 pounds and is your property, i.e. not a CitiBike, VEO etc.

You cannot charge your e-bike on the train.  It must have UL-certified batteries and be stored in an area so it doesn’t block other passengers.  Whatever the rules may be, the train conductor or railroad staffer always has the final say and can stop you and your bike from being on the train.

Remember… if your final destination is Grand Central Terminal there are any number of Citi Bike stations just outside on the street.  At New Haven there are bike-shares available through Ride New Haven.

SHORE LINE EAST & HARTFORD LINE:       The e-bike rules here are quite similar.  Unlike on Metro-North, regular (non-electric) bicycles are welcome anytime.  On the Harford Line, CT Rail trains welcome bikes anytime for free.  But Amtrak Hartford Line trains accept bikes only with a reservation and a charge of $20.  All e-bikes with lithium-ion batteries are banned on all trains on the line.

At Hartford’s Union Station you can rent a scooter (but no bikes) through VEO.  Bikes may be added in the future.

CT TRANSIT BUSES:

Connecticut’s buses were pioneers in allowing bikes… not on the bus, but on racks mounted on the front of the bus.  The racks only hold two bikes, and its first-come, first-carried.

Only standard non-motorized bikes are allowed on racks; e-bikes, scooters, and motorized vehicles are not permitted, regardless of weight.

OTHER BUSES IN CONNECTICUT:

All GBTA (Greater Bridgeport) buses are equipped to carry your bicycle… two-bike maximum, first-come first-served.  Norwalk Transit rules aren’t crystal clear.  You might want to consult your carrier’s website or ask the driver before trying to transport your device.

PORT JEFFERSON FERRY:

The Port Jefferson Ferry allows bicycles and e-bikes onboard, but according to company policy, they are considered luggage and must be kept with the rider at all times.  Cyclists are required to carry their bikes as well as any baggage up and down staircases to the passenger decks.  If there’s room you can use the elevator.

Whatever your destination, always BYO (and wear) a helmet when operating on two wheels.  And remember:  E-bikes and scooters should use UL-certified batteries and never be charged aboard any vehicle or station.

 

 

THE FOLLY OF A BRIDGE TO NY

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 expertise.

“A reporter from The CT Post called me to talk about housing,” he told WFSB’s “CT ‘25”.  “I always liked the idea of a bridge.  And now this thing has ballooned into a massive story.”

Shapiro on WFSB 10-5-25

He even helped by generating a lovely artificial intelligence image of the structure, complete with red, white and blue towers, which was gobbled up by the media.

A fourteen mile bridge, costing a guesstimated $50 billion?  It’s a good thing Shapiro didn’t dangle the idea of flying cars to the reporter.

Shapiro has never built a bridge.  His expertise is in affordable housing projects in cities like Bristol, Fairfield, Milford and Easton.  That’s great, and certainly needed.  But a bridge?  Nah.

I asked CDOT about the idea of such a bridge and they said “None of the regional MPOs (regional planning agencies) have this in their long-range plans.  It is not in CTDOT’s long-range plan for the state either.”

It’s not that our state’s planners lack vision… just money.  They must focus on the feasible, not fanciful.

Shapiro says a cross-sound bridge would get Connecticut residents to the lovely Long Island beaches faster.  But that’s hardly the justification for a $50B bridge.  And anyhow, what’s wrong with Connecticut’s beaches?

As for the $50B estimated price… Shapiro says the new Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, the Mario Cuomo Bridge, cost $4B for its three mile length.  “If  you prorate that out to fifteen miles, it’s $20B,” he says.  Factor in inflation and adding a train line on the bridge and you’re at $30B.  Rounding upward, because things always cost more than planned, and he suggests a $50B price tag is reasonable.

But is that a fair calculation?  Is that how Shapiro bids on housing development jobs?

And what would it cost to drive across this hypothetical bridge?  Shapiro suggests a one-way toll of about $40.

Shapiro's AI vision of a bridge to NY

Compare that to the one-way fare of about $75 for a car and driver on the Bridgeport – Port Jefferson ferry.  That makes Shapiro’s bridge look like a bargain… except only those who take the ferry pay the fare.  Build a bridge and all of us taxpayers pay for it, even if we never go to the Hamptons.

And if there were a bridge, wouldn’t that just worsen traffic in Connecticut with more New Yorkers going to New England?

The idea of bridging LI Sound has been studied by experts as recently as 2017.  They concluded that there were serious environmental issues and maybe ten or more state and federal agencies would need to be involved.  Most concerning, the report said that tolls would cover only 22% of the debt service (with guess-who paying the difference) and that it would take five years to plan and eight years to build.

Meantime, our state’s housing crisis is happening right now.  I wish Shapiro would focus on his real skill-set and not dangle unfeasible, bright shiny objects in front of a click-hungry media.

 

IS GOVERNOR LAMONT LEADING BY EXAMPLE?

 

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 $3500 in damage?

This isn’t a hypothetical question.  These are actual cases of state employees, including former Chief of Staff to Governor Lamont, Jonathan Dach.

All of this comes to light in the latest detailed report from the Auditors of Public Accounts, a non-partisan, independent body appointed by the legislature. Their reports make for interesting reading, but little else:  they have no enforcement powers or ability to penalize for wrong-doing.

Consider their report this past week on how the Governor’s office is run:

·       Of the three cars assigned to the office, mileage logs were not kept.

·       The Governor’s Office had 92 laptop computers for their 30 employees.

·       Time sheets for staffers were approved by superiors who had no direct knowledge of the employees’ work hours.

In response to the audit, the Governor’s Office said they agreed with the findings and would try to do a better job.  End of story.

Some of these matters require mandatory referral to the Office of Ethics, but there seems to be little enforcement happening there, the case of Jonathan Dach being a good example.

You’ll remember that Dach was the Governor’s Chief of Staff, a $215,000 a year gig that was, as the Governor’s Office said, “a round the clock job”.  Dach apparently spent a lot of that time driving including 2300 miles for personal trips visiting the beach, restaurants, brew pubs and even a Dave Mathews concert, according to the audit.

Electronic tracking in another state-owned Ford Escape showed somebody once drove 113 mph on a trip from New London to Hartford.  That’s illegal, even for a staffer in the Governor’s office.

What did Ned Lamont have to say about all this? 

“The people of Connecticut deserve transparency and accountability… we need to lead by example,” he said last June.  He added that he would seek reimbursement from Dach for personal use of the state car.  But there’s been no further word on what, if any anything happened since Dach left his job in June.

As for the computers, $7423 worth of laptops “could not be located”.  But the Governor’s staff added that as soon as a laptop is no longer under warranty, it’s replaced and the old model is given to interns for their use. Great.  Blame the kids.

Regarding the time sheets for the $3,746,724 annual payroll for the office’s couple dozen staffers, the audit says “limited resources” in the office meant they had not adopted a formal timesheet approval process.

In an era of tight finances, it’s discouraging to read that the Executive branch of state government, which claims that it wants to lead by example, has failed in its oversight of equipment and staff.  It makes one wonder what’s happening in the other 88 agencies in our state, their 45,000+ employees and 3300+ state vehicles.

And though they are lacking in any real power, kudos to the Auditors of Public Accounts for making all of this information public.

TIPS FOR TRAVELING ON AMTRAK 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 known as Avelia Liberty.  They hold 25% more passengers than the existing Acela trains and can, at least for 32 miles with fast, straight track in New Jersey, travel up to 160 mph compared to the old Acela’s 150 mph.

My fantasy:  driving a fast train!

Just a few of the new trains are running so far but 26 are more on the way, replacing the older Acelas which will be retired.

BOOK EARLY:       We booked our Acela tickets about two weeks in advance and scored senior fares (10% discount) of “only” $204 one way from Stamford to Washington DC.  Waiting at the station to board I heard the ticket agent startle a younger passenger seeking a ticket to DC by quoting her the same-day walk-up fare of $402 one way.  A minute later the helpful agent said she could make the same trip a half-hour later (on the slower train) for half as much.

RESERVED SEATS:         Seats on all Acelas are now reserved.  But don’t trust the seating chart you’ll see online.  When we boarded the train we found our seats faced backwards (not in the direction of travel) and had no window. 

The seats with no window!

But a helpful conductor found us better seats right on his phone.  Consult a third-party seating chart to make sure you get the seats you want.

If you want the Quiet Car, be aware there’s only one car with 59 seats.  Otherwise you’ll be enjoying the “finance bro” across the aisle making deals enroute by phone.

BOARDING ADVICE:        The cars on the NextGen Acela are much shorter than the regular trains, so position yourself carefully on the platform to minimize walking once the train arrives.  I noticed Amtrak staff at each station helping minimize “dwell time” for the train by getting passengers off and on as quickly as possible.

USE THE RED CAPS:       If your train originates at your station, like our return from DC, get priority pre-boarding with the help of the Red Caps.  Avoiding the throngs queueing to board is worth a tip, even with reserved seats.

HOW’S THE RIDE?:         In a word, spectacular.  All the Acelas run no faster than Metro-North in Connecticut, but south of NYC it’s a whole different railroad.  True to its promise our train hit 159 mph on the straightaways in New Jersey and the ride overall was very smooth, unlike the 25-year-old Amfleet cars or the 50-year-old Amfleet cars on the slower trains.

SERVICE:     Enroute the cabin cleaning staff came around to collect trash and Café Car items were available (credit cards only) from a cart moving between the cars.  

The Café Car itself looked great with self-serve windows displaying the food items. But there are no tables to sit down, just some counters where you can perch and munch.  The food offerings were “premium” and priced accordingly. 

Enjoy your lunch, delivered to your seat!

The on-board Wi-Fi was spectacular… truly 5G.

ON-TIME?:   Like many Amtrak trains, even the super-Acela tends to run a few minutes late in Connecticut because of Metro-North traffic.  We departed about ten minutes late from Stamford but, because the schedule is padded, were on time out of Penn Station NY and arrived early in Washington DC.

IS IT WORTH TRYING?:             Yes, at least once.  Amtrak has a lot riding on these new trainsets, so try one soon and you’ll see what the future will be like.