Share Your World – January 16, 2017

On January 16, 2017January 16, 2017 By dancingpalmtreesIn Uncategorized

Share Your World – January 16, 2017

Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?

Open. My cat Sylvester rests and relaxes in my closet. I have put baby blankets on the left hand side so he can be comfortable.

Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel?

Sometimes but not lately since I have not traveled anywhere in years.

What is your usual bedtime?

3:00 am in the morning since I work nights and don’t get home until 1:30 am or 2:00 am. Sometimes I don’t fall asleep until four or five in the morning. When you work nights you’re ass backwards as my grandfather used to say.

Do you like to use post-it notes?

Not recently. My supervisors use them at work but not me.

When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?

Years ago. I have arthritis so I can barely sign my name much less write somebody a letter!!

Any phobias?

Yes. Rats. Roaches and now trains since last week’s horrible subway train accident.

How tall are you?

5′ 1″.

Optional Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

The MTA, Police and Firefighters who evacuated us from the train. A man had walked across the tracks and was hit. The car I was in began to fill with smoke and the smell of burning flesh. We were trapped for at least an hour. Worst train ride of my life. I’m still shaken. But I still take the subway trains to work everyday.

Gratitude for my brother Stephen. He received an excellent progress report from his training center. Stephen is a genius.

Looking forward to taking an exam on Friday which will give me additional security qualifications.

Final Destination | Game Over

On January 13, 2017January 11, 2017 By dancingpalmtreesIn Death, L Subway Train, L Train, Subway, Subway Station, Subway Suicide, Subway Train, Subway train cars, Uncategorized

After that terrible train accident it’s gonna be a long time before I recover emotionally and mentally. Just being trapped underground. Smelling burning flesh.

I feel like a character in those Final Destination movies where the people think they’ve escaped death but the Grim Reaper catches up to them. Bad enough to contend with the rats both 2 legged and 4 legged. Deranged riders. Evil smells. Filth. Dirt.

Seeing homeless people who are badly in need of not only shelter but mental health services riding the subways has become a nightmare. Now every time I step onto the train to travel into the city I’m gonna be reliving that accident and wondering if I’ll make it to either home or work. The whole thing was so disturbing.

My Panic Attacks have returned and my Anxiety Levels are off the charts. Just when I thought I had conquered and that I would get better this set back happens. Now it will take weeks even months for my life to have some semblance of normalcy.

You never know when Fate will step in and say Game Over.

My prayers and thoughts go out to the MTA workers especially the Motor man and Conductor who were unable to stop the train before hitting the man. That’s a terrible thing to live with. Knowing you killed someone even though it was an accident.

Heroic Moments

A transit worker gently cradling a little boy and keeping the mother calm as we waited for rescue. The instructions of the Conductor who kept going back and forth letting us know what had happened and leading us to rescue and safety. The Transit worker who helped me cross a large gap as two of the subway cars had become unbuckled.

Also Again I can’t say this enough Hats off and a Military Salute to the NYPD and the New York Fire Dept for their care and assistance.

Thank you for saving our lives and getting us out from what could have been a worse disaster. Keep in mind that most Police Officers and Fire Fighters are good decent people who risk their lives to save others and who are there for us in all type of emergencies.

Please keep all MTA Transit Workers, the NYPD and the Fire Fighters in your prayers.

Last but not least I want to Thank My Fellow New Yorkers who remained calm and followed the directions of the MTA, Police and Fire Fighters. Despite that inner fear everyone worked together to help each other get to safe ground.

Horrible Subway Train Accident

On January 10, 2017 By dancingpalmtreesIn L Subway Train, Subway, Subway Station, Subway Suicide, Subway Train, Subway train cars, Uncategorized

Horrible Train Accident on the L Train. Was on my way to work when a man tried to cross the tracks and the train hit him. For a while there was total silence.

Then the conductor came through to tell us that there was a guy under the train. After a while the car I was in began to fill up with smoke and a horrible smell. The conductor came by again to tell us that it was the smell of burning flesh. At that point I just wanted to get out.

We were moved to other cars. After a while the Police and the Fire Dept. came to evacuate us. It was one of the most terrible unsettle experiences I’ve ever had. I still can’t get that smell of burning flesh out of my nostrils or my memory. May the poor unfortunate guy Rest in Peace.

In these cases the MTA has to shut off the power so Emergency services can remove the guy’s body or what is left of him.

My Thanks to the New York City Police, the MTA and Fire Depts. who got us out from that underground hell!! Kudos to my Fellow NYers who did not panic and followed the instructions of the MTA, the Police and the Fire Fighters.

I must say that I’m still shaken up and still trying to find a way to get to work. People either kill themselves by jumping in front of the train or get killed all the time so I still must go to my job. Suicide by Subway. Very Common.

Anyway I’m getting ready to go back out to find a working train to take me to work. However given how I feel I’m gonna back off social media for a while.

I’m gonna close comments for this post because basically there is nothing anyone can say or do to make me feel better. As for the poor man. He’s dead. Thinking of taking a Posting Hiatus after this horrible/terrible incident.

Crappy Commute

On December 15, 2016 By dancingpalmtreesIn Broadway Junction, L Subway Train, L Subway Train 14th Street, Raunchy Rambler, Subway Station, Subway Train, Subway train cars, Uncategorized, Vomitus Express17 Comments

I’m enjoying my new job position with new duties/responsibilities and opportunities to gain my security skills however my night-time homeward bound commute is fast becoming a new level in Dante’s Inferno!!

Mayor Bill de Blasio!! You are about to be a one-term Mayor because the subway trains are filled with the mentally ill homeless. Homelessness is New York City’s #1 problem with the MTA’s poor service a close 2nd. Coming from 77th Street in Manhattan going to Broadway Junction in Brooklyn should not take more than 45 minutes at any time of the day or night. Traveling from Manhattan to Brooklyn should never be an hour and a half trip. Speed up the service. Increase the frequency of the trains. Put Transit Police on all the subway trains! Most of all Please house and provide services/programs these poor unfortunates who have no other choice in this bitter cold weather than to camp out in the trains!!!

Broadway Junction

Arriving L Train

L Train Views & Vistas from Broadway Junction

Tales from the Gross Side

I’m also tired of riding the Vomitus Express. I don’t know whether it is just the holiday season, people riding the trains have addiction problems or they are all three sheets to the wind but every night no matter whether I get on the first or middle cars somebody has decided to live in Barf City. To My Fellow NYers if you can’t hold your liquor please STOP Drinking and/or getting high riding the subways!! The rest of us are tired of stepping over and trying to avoid upchuck land!! Last week on the A train this guy was covered Barf. He did not move so I don’t know if he was just passed out or dead. Either way I let the Transit people deal with the mess. Here’s an idea for two new dolls for the holiday season: UpChucky and Toss My Cookies Tillie!!

Lucky for me I’m not squeamish. Over the years as a Museum Security Officer I’ve seen some of the visiting public/tourists do every body function known to mankind in a public space. Museums are located in rich wealthy neighborhoods so the bulk of the visitors are well heeled but not well-behaved. The Upper-Crust of society can no more control the lower body functions than their brains or tongue. Trust fund babies in every sense of the word. At least the poor mentally disturbed people riding the trains have an excuse. They are sick, have multiple disabilities, homeless, hungry and nobody to help them. I still wonder what is the excuse of people who have more money than God!!

On that note I can truly say that other than having to ride the crazy subway at night I Love and truly enjoy working the Late shift. I’ve found a camaraderie in this new building that I have not had in the previous eight years. I’m extremely happy to work in such a wonderful environment.

I have more subway adventures that I will share in my persona of the Raunchy Rambler. The next train tale will be the Hapless Hermaphrodite!! Stay Tuned!!