Dec.4,
2019
Dear Diary,
Dear Diary,
I
returned to JFK airport, from visiting family in Canada, at midnight the Tuesday night / Wednesday morning following Thanksgiving. Even
though I live about as far as possible from JFK in the city - at the
northern tip of Manhattan in Inwood - I planned to still manage to
get home via public transportation, determined to capitalize further
on a cheap flight by not spending $80+ on a car. As a 22-year New
Yorker, I would think myself capable of selecting from all the
possible routes and options to make it home at a relatively
reasonable hour! I was confident that there were enough options that
I could avoid the perennial “being mta'd”.
I kept my cheerful mood throughout the hour-long wait for the plane to dock at the gate – it meant I could finish watching my documentary! And call my family to let them know I'd arrived!
The AirTrain was running at 16-minute intervals, but mine to Jamaica arrived within 8 minutes – no problem! I could take the LIRR to Penn Station 20 minutes after arriving, or the E six minutes later – I could make the E! And it would be for subway fare only! And even though the A was stopping at 168th street, I could still transfer instead to the 1 to get home!
The benches on the E were filled with very tired and mostly sleeping men. The one across from me snored like a proverbial saw. Two-hours jet-lagged from the west, I brightly read my book, while sensing the weight of those who had worked hard all day or were going to work at this hour, or might not have anywhere else to keep warm. Only 36 stops to go!
How would I have known, before we neared Manhattan, that we were running on the F line? (A baroque musician would have no problem with E=F, but my strong sense of absolute pitch finds this difficult to comprehend!) No Penn Station for me.
But I could exit at 57th street and walk over just two short long blocks to Columbus Circle for the 1! And get fresh air along the way, which would be much appreciated after 36 stops amid the gasses of large sleeping men!
And there was even a booth! I'd realized I could have been $2.75 more frugal, since I was travelling after midnight, and planned to start an unlimited metrocard in the morning, which I could have bought before my first subway train instead. There were no people in the station – no line at the booth! Would it hurt to ask if they might be able to refund the $2.75 if I refilled the unlimited ride there?
I asked.
The station attendant was very kind and said, well no, unfortunately not.
“Ok, I have two metrocards here, can I instead combine the monetary amounts on them, so I can make one a monetary card, and the other an unlimited?” (Monetary amounts on an unlimited card can't be used until the time period of the unlimited expires.)
He had me swipe the cards: $3.75 on the one card, and $1.50 on the other card.
“Wait – how is it possible – I just put $20 on one of the cards at JFK – how is it possible that so much of the balance is used up already? The AirTrain is only $5!”
“I wouldn't be able to tell you that – you'd have to mail in the card and request a refund.” He gave me the envelope with the correct forms. Presumably I had been double or triple-charged at the AirTrain turnstile, which had been behaving problematically but didn't betray its mistake fully. It was the $3.75 card that was thus aggrieved.
“Ok, I have a third card here – can we make this one the unlimited one?” (It had no balance on it.)
“No – that's an AirTrain card; you can't make it unlimited.”
“Ok, can I transfer the $1.50 from the second card to the AirTrain card, and make that the monetary one?”
“No, because - “ and I still don't really understand the reason why, but something about transferring balances to AirTrain cards not being possible.
My math seemed to be failing me. I had three metrocards. One was afflicted by being overcharged, and would thus have to be sent in an envelope for reimbursement (never mind the time of filling out the form.) The other was the magic card, being unlimited and monetary at the same time, while of course it wasn't possible to do both at the same time (as I might wish to if I have a guest I would swipe in.) And the third card appeared to be useless, but nonetheless still worth $1.
Both of my parents are mathematicians. I've grown up surrounded by math. But tonight the attendant and I appeared to be stuck in a math puzzle, and must have gone back and forth for five or ten minutes, he patiently humouring me but unable to deliver justice; from my side, “I've just spent half an hour longer on the train than planned because there was no way to know that E=F, I've been triple-charged for the AirTrain, and I have three metrocards here, but you're saying I still need to buy a new metrocard for $1 to make it possible to have an unlimited card and a monetary card?” There didn't seem to be a way around it. And it was 2am. His suggestion of going downtown to transfer at 14th street without paying to re-enter the train system seemed really unappealing, and equally it didn't make sense to put off buying the unlimited metrocard and pay $2.75 for the next leg of my journey left me even more in the red.
Do you see the answer?
Eventually I did, and voiced what I wanted to do. I wanted to walk to Columbus Circle as planned, I wanted him to top off the magic card with $1.75 more so I'd have $2.75=1 ride on it, and then add an unlimited week to it (cutting my losses), and then I would fill up my AirTrain card to use as a pay-per-ride (which, for whatever reason, IS possible). And I would mail in the the aggrieved card. He said ok, and I'm not sure I had been able to communicate why this was the functional solution that more or less did not leave me short-changed, but he was amenable, and set to work on the $1.75. I handed him my credit card, but was rejected: “booths are cash only.”
“Ok, I can do that.”
But I wanted to use my credit card for the $33 unlimited week, so went to the machine for that. Then tried to put $20 on the AirTrain card, and the machine rejected the transaction. So I returned to the booth. Was it a look of trepidation, or amusement, the attendant and two friends gave me when I returned? Actually, it was one of the friends who processed my transaction, and I sensed that her guard was up, that she was prepared to argue with me if necessary, but when I turned out to be friendly and at least superficially not crazy, but straightforwardly able to request something politely and coherently, she placed me in the harmless-oddity/mildly-amusing-diversion category. When I looked around the station with bewilderment following our transaction, both she and the original attendant called out to direct me to the best exit to get to Columbus Circle.
I double-checked the bank notifications on my phone – yes, I'd been charged $20 at JFK. In the time I checked this, the original attendant exited the booth and walked towards my exit. Conversationally, we walked up the stairs together, he explaining that he was on break, and had three more hours to go afterwards. (Was he really not annoyed at me, after I'd taken so much of his time over the math puzzle of $1 at 2am?) Up top, he again pointed me in the right direction, and seemed to hesitate as I stopped to pull my mittens out of my suitcase.
It turned out we were walking in the same direction – he'd waited for me - and so the conversation continued. He explained that he was walking a few blocks west to the pharmacy, since their prices are the lower NJ prices, whereas those more on the east side are the higher NY prices, so the walk becomes worthwhile for him. I suppose we were on a similar mission of frugality. My mood started going back to the cheerful side. Here was someone at 2am who would put up with a math puzzle over $1 and still make conversation? That's nice, and comfortable too!
As we continued to talk, I realized that something I had just told friend from home, had once again show itself to be true: “New York can be a frustrating and tiring place to be, but I love the people!”
I kept my cheerful mood throughout the hour-long wait for the plane to dock at the gate – it meant I could finish watching my documentary! And call my family to let them know I'd arrived!
The AirTrain was running at 16-minute intervals, but mine to Jamaica arrived within 8 minutes – no problem! I could take the LIRR to Penn Station 20 minutes after arriving, or the E six minutes later – I could make the E! And it would be for subway fare only! And even though the A was stopping at 168th street, I could still transfer instead to the 1 to get home!
The benches on the E were filled with very tired and mostly sleeping men. The one across from me snored like a proverbial saw. Two-hours jet-lagged from the west, I brightly read my book, while sensing the weight of those who had worked hard all day or were going to work at this hour, or might not have anywhere else to keep warm. Only 36 stops to go!
How would I have known, before we neared Manhattan, that we were running on the F line? (A baroque musician would have no problem with E=F, but my strong sense of absolute pitch finds this difficult to comprehend!) No Penn Station for me.
But I could exit at 57th street and walk over just two short long blocks to Columbus Circle for the 1! And get fresh air along the way, which would be much appreciated after 36 stops amid the gasses of large sleeping men!
And there was even a booth! I'd realized I could have been $2.75 more frugal, since I was travelling after midnight, and planned to start an unlimited metrocard in the morning, which I could have bought before my first subway train instead. There were no people in the station – no line at the booth! Would it hurt to ask if they might be able to refund the $2.75 if I refilled the unlimited ride there?
I asked.
The station attendant was very kind and said, well no, unfortunately not.
“Ok, I have two metrocards here, can I instead combine the monetary amounts on them, so I can make one a monetary card, and the other an unlimited?” (Monetary amounts on an unlimited card can't be used until the time period of the unlimited expires.)
He had me swipe the cards: $3.75 on the one card, and $1.50 on the other card.
“Wait – how is it possible – I just put $20 on one of the cards at JFK – how is it possible that so much of the balance is used up already? The AirTrain is only $5!”
“I wouldn't be able to tell you that – you'd have to mail in the card and request a refund.” He gave me the envelope with the correct forms. Presumably I had been double or triple-charged at the AirTrain turnstile, which had been behaving problematically but didn't betray its mistake fully. It was the $3.75 card that was thus aggrieved.
“Ok, I have a third card here – can we make this one the unlimited one?” (It had no balance on it.)
“No – that's an AirTrain card; you can't make it unlimited.”
“Ok, can I transfer the $1.50 from the second card to the AirTrain card, and make that the monetary one?”
“No, because - “ and I still don't really understand the reason why, but something about transferring balances to AirTrain cards not being possible.
My math seemed to be failing me. I had three metrocards. One was afflicted by being overcharged, and would thus have to be sent in an envelope for reimbursement (never mind the time of filling out the form.) The other was the magic card, being unlimited and monetary at the same time, while of course it wasn't possible to do both at the same time (as I might wish to if I have a guest I would swipe in.) And the third card appeared to be useless, but nonetheless still worth $1.
Both of my parents are mathematicians. I've grown up surrounded by math. But tonight the attendant and I appeared to be stuck in a math puzzle, and must have gone back and forth for five or ten minutes, he patiently humouring me but unable to deliver justice; from my side, “I've just spent half an hour longer on the train than planned because there was no way to know that E=F, I've been triple-charged for the AirTrain, and I have three metrocards here, but you're saying I still need to buy a new metrocard for $1 to make it possible to have an unlimited card and a monetary card?” There didn't seem to be a way around it. And it was 2am. His suggestion of going downtown to transfer at 14th street without paying to re-enter the train system seemed really unappealing, and equally it didn't make sense to put off buying the unlimited metrocard and pay $2.75 for the next leg of my journey left me even more in the red.
Do you see the answer?
Eventually I did, and voiced what I wanted to do. I wanted to walk to Columbus Circle as planned, I wanted him to top off the magic card with $1.75 more so I'd have $2.75=1 ride on it, and then add an unlimited week to it (cutting my losses), and then I would fill up my AirTrain card to use as a pay-per-ride (which, for whatever reason, IS possible). And I would mail in the the aggrieved card. He said ok, and I'm not sure I had been able to communicate why this was the functional solution that more or less did not leave me short-changed, but he was amenable, and set to work on the $1.75. I handed him my credit card, but was rejected: “booths are cash only.”
“Ok, I can do that.”
But I wanted to use my credit card for the $33 unlimited week, so went to the machine for that. Then tried to put $20 on the AirTrain card, and the machine rejected the transaction. So I returned to the booth. Was it a look of trepidation, or amusement, the attendant and two friends gave me when I returned? Actually, it was one of the friends who processed my transaction, and I sensed that her guard was up, that she was prepared to argue with me if necessary, but when I turned out to be friendly and at least superficially not crazy, but straightforwardly able to request something politely and coherently, she placed me in the harmless-oddity/mildly-amusing-diversion category. When I looked around the station with bewilderment following our transaction, both she and the original attendant called out to direct me to the best exit to get to Columbus Circle.
I double-checked the bank notifications on my phone – yes, I'd been charged $20 at JFK. In the time I checked this, the original attendant exited the booth and walked towards my exit. Conversationally, we walked up the stairs together, he explaining that he was on break, and had three more hours to go afterwards. (Was he really not annoyed at me, after I'd taken so much of his time over the math puzzle of $1 at 2am?) Up top, he again pointed me in the right direction, and seemed to hesitate as I stopped to pull my mittens out of my suitcase.
It turned out we were walking in the same direction – he'd waited for me - and so the conversation continued. He explained that he was walking a few blocks west to the pharmacy, since their prices are the lower NJ prices, whereas those more on the east side are the higher NY prices, so the walk becomes worthwhile for him. I suppose we were on a similar mission of frugality. My mood started going back to the cheerful side. Here was someone at 2am who would put up with a math puzzle over $1 and still make conversation? That's nice, and comfortable too!
As we continued to talk, I realized that something I had just told friend from home, had once again show itself to be true: “New York can be a frustrating and tiring place to be, but I love the people!”
And
so, as he caught my words, the evening began to be bright and
shiny and luminous again. We parted ways at his drug store, and I
continued to the 1 at Columbus Circle. It was only coming in 16
minutes? No problem! I could start writing this meanwhile! 215th
street and 110 steps to go up the hill? A chance to try out whether
my roller-board suitcase could go up the bike ramp! (It did.) Another
66 steps up to my home – par for the course!
I finally made it home at bit after 4pm. A non-stop flight to my hometown is a little over four hours; here in the city it took just four hours to get home. But it's ok – I'm staying up late to write a good story!
Although I am falling asleep doing it now. Good night!
I finally made it home at bit after 4pm. A non-stop flight to my hometown is a little over four hours; here in the city it took just four hours to get home. But it's ok – I'm staying up late to write a good story!
Although I am falling asleep doing it now. Good night!