thought of the day

Did you ever notice how when you wake up early and go to the library in town to have peace and quiet to do some reading for school and homework, that a family with a loud child who climbs all over the floor and furniture decides that despite the fact that there are 8 other free tables, the one directly next to you looks the most appealing?

c'est ma vie

thought of the day

Have you ever noticed how if you're eating with someone else while chatting away, that you rarely notice anything annoying? Have you ever noticed how if you are not eating, and someone else in the room is, that it is suddenly apparent to you that the way that they chew is gross, or that they feel the need to hit their teeth with their fork every single time they take a bite which ends up sounding like nails on a chalk board?

Just a thought...

a sharp decline

There are many different kinds of days; good days, bad days, lazy days, hectic days, sad days... the list goes on. Sometimes you wake up late, stub your toe, slip in the shower and the rest of the day goes like that- you expect it and you thrive on each misfortune as it comes your way. It fuels your hatred for mankind and almost makes you high with misanthropy. Then there's the sneaky day.. the one that starts off pretty good, a hot cup of coffee in your jammies, freshly shaven legs, blue skies, no work... and then ONE seemingly insignificant thing happens that catches you off guard and everything goes to shit in a series of events leading to a downward spiral of frustrating misery and self pity. Since the beginning of the day was so great, you're in a state of disbelief as one wrong train (that sets you back 40 minutes) is followed by a missed train, that you watch pull away knowing that you'll be waiting for 20 minutes, outside at night, while you're eaten alive by blood sucking insects. Then when you get home (an hour and a half later than you would have if the day hadn't turned on you) you're starving, so you make dinner, and pour some stress relieving wine for yourself and then just when you think you're ready to settle down for the night, you take your dinner out of the oven and sprinkle it with Pecorino Romano, and then realize that it's spoiled and has now melted it's foulness into your dinner, rendering it inedible.

Such is my life.

are we so service oriented?

I used to think so, but maybe customer goods and services have been reduced to just goods, but without the services? Traditionally, the US has been known for their "customer is always right" mind set, and nearly every sector of the job market has strived to accommodate the desires of their customers. Over the past several years I've noticed a sharp decline in the quality of services provided, but right now I'm going bitch about the MTA.

Like thousands of other people, I ride the NYC subway every day. Time and time again, I stand waiting for my train and think, what a dump. There is no excuse for NYC to have such a putrid, stink hole excuse for a subway system when many other prominent American cities have beautiful ones. This city represents America to a lot people who visit here from other countries, and what a message it must send. We live in a city full of artists, and we could easily beautify the stations with volunteer projects or urban design competitions... yet the ceilings are deteriorated and black, rats squeak and nibble on garbage that floats in puddles of rancid water, and filth radiates from all directions.

When I moved to the city only a few months ago, I was faced with familiarizing myself with what lines to take, when I could take them, and which ones would get me there the fastest. I also had to (and still have to) figure out when certain trains stop running (late nights and weekend schedules)... One thing that I regularly feel upset about is the lack of subway directions for the public. I still get angry when I get on a train and it's packed... I want to verify something on the MTA map, and I find that one of the two maps that are typically provided are not there, or the train is so packed that I cannot reach the map. Time and time again, I look up above the doors and think, you know, I pay what, 78 bucks or something every 30 days to ride the subway, and I would really like to look up and see a damn subway map... instead I see poorly designed ads (ad space which I assume takes precedence over rider services) ranging from dental services, to Bud Lite ads, to ESL language schools. What my issue is, is what the hell does the MTA spend their massive budget and revenues on that they can't reserve those spaces above the doors for stop maps, which would serve their customers greatly?! Hell, a huge population of people in this city are tourists, and they have no idea where they're going.. wouldn't it make sense?

For anyone who's ever been to Paris, you would immediately recognize where I'm coming from. Paris's metro system has an easy to read, eye level directory at every junction and turn along the way to the train.. complete with directional arrows. Each train features either a map above the doors or a map not unlike the lit up map you see on the new N and green line trains. To make things even clearer for metro riders, often one will find another directory.. a nice, basic, large one right on the wall ( at every outlet on the platform) listing the train's stops.

It seems so simple, and yet, I feel that the MTA doesn't put the rider's convenience on the top of their list of priorities.. We're given "report cards" to fill out our opinions on train service, but are New Yorkers so accustomed to being inconvenienced and poorly serviced that they just don't expect anything more?

Well it really ticks me off. grrr....