TresSugar

7 Apps to Better Navigate Your Daily Commute

Emily Co — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:05:50 PST

Public transportation can be a curse and a blessing. On one hand, you're saving money and you're doing the environment good, and on the other hand, sometimes the mass transit system is so disorganized that it's made you late more times than you can count. Every smart commuter needs a hand - here are some apps to make your public commute more enjoyable.

What's Your Best (or Worst) Missed Connections Story?

Tara Sharp — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:10:41 PDT

I've been known to peruse my local Craigslist Missed Connections ~~daily~~ on occasion, mainly for its entertainment value ("Your friend offered me some cotton candy . . . I want to taste your 'other' cotton candy . . . " really?!), but I never thought that people seriously connected through them. But then one of my friends shared that several of her gal pals have found MCs about them.

Here's her true story about "Me: Guy at the end of the bar in the Giants hat that couldn't stop looking at you. You: Ravishing beauty with dark blond hair."

My roommate never went out - grad student, new to the city, not a lot of friends yet - and the one time she does, she gets an MC! I tried dragging her out for a drink for the 20th time, and she finally came. Another friend of mine who trolls MC saw the ad and remembered what she was wearing. It was definitely her in the ad. He described what she was wearing, said they kept making eye contact, and said, "It looked like you were dealing with your drunk, tattooed friend who was very loud." She remembered the guy as being cute but didn't write him back; she was too afraid. But one of the girls she was with did. And he didn't respond! I think he thought the email was fake, or he had regrets (he posted his MC at 3:30 a.m.).

Whether it was while riding on public transportation, at a sporting event, at the gym, or at another local singles hot spot (for us it's Safeway), do you have some juicy Missed Connections stories? Spill the deets!

Source: Flickr User Andy Mangold

The Allure of the Public Transportation Crush

TresSugar — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:00:38 PDT

I love the communal experience of commuting. Whether it's to find yourself sitting across from a man lamenting how he just got out of prison only to learn another county has a warrant out for his arrest (Friday), or for the possibility of meeting a non-ex-convict.

Craigslist New York analyzed its Missed Connections to name the L train the ride with the "best odds of a fellow passenger falling for you across a crowded car or platform, and then posting a 'Missed Connections' ad on Craigslist in search of you." A real honor! Years ago, on the same train, my friend once watched a girl hand a guy her number as she exited. My friend then asked if he intended to call her. "I kind of have to, don't I?" he asked (himself).

There's definitely an allure to meeting on public transportation. A feeling of destiny - of all the lines, of all the trains, of all the cars, you had to step into mine. The train itself is like a metaphor for the closing door of opportunity, and maybe that's what motivates people to act. Not that there aren't plenty of opportunities, like Missed Connections, to use your l'esprit de l'escalier after the fact.

There is hope for those of us who don't have trains to ride. A friend of mine once met a future boyfriend on the bus; I'll tell her story.

I took the same bus to work every day, and noticed a cute guy who did the same. We never chatted, until one day it was pouring rain and I hopped on the bus drenched, makeup running, hair a disaster. But the weather made for a perfect excuse to start chatting. We ended up discovering we were neighbors and he invited my roommate and I over to meet his roommates. We hit it off and ended up dating for six months.

The only problem I see - who gets the bus after the breakup?

Group Therapy: How Do I Chat Up My Commute Crush?

Tres Community — Tue, 11 May 2010 08:00:00 PDT

This question comes from Group Therapy in our TrèsSugar Community. Feel free to add your advice in the comments!

I've developed a little crush on a sweet-looking guy who rides the bus to work the exact same time as me every day. We've met eyes a few times and I've felt him notice me, but we haven't spoken yet (it's just been a few weeks). Based on his early-morning bus behavior - reading The New Yorker, The Nation, and playing on his iPhone - and the fact that I find him nerdy cute, I want to chat him up, but don't know how to get the wheels turning when we are, well, on the bus. For the most part everyone sits in silence in the morning, save the few really rude people who talk on their cell phones.

A few days ago I got on the bus to go home and he was there with an open seat. I was going to make the big move, plop down beside and and start stranger chat, but it turns out one of my new co-workers was sitting directly behind him with an empty seat (small world, right?!), and I felt epically rude not sitting with him. So, I passed up my crush and sat with co-worker. I was fully aware my crush was eavesdropping so I tried to sneak in the fact that I am single and sound moderately intelligent, but who knows what he paid attention to. My question for y'all is this: Is the bus just a creepy place to make a date? And if not, what's a good conversation starter? As silly as it sounds, I'm used to guys making the first move and the ability to move around and work the room a little, but when you're locked in a seat, there's no where to go.

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it, anonymously, to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

Source: Flickr User Michael Sacharewicz

NYC Sells Subway Station Names - Savvy or Selling Out?

TresSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:00:00 PDT

New York's MTA decided a long time ago that it would try to sell the naming rights to the city's subway stops, but it finally found someone willing to pay up. London-based bank Barclays has offered $4 million to add its name to Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Street station. The name will officially change when the upcoming sports center, also called Barclays Center, opens in 2012.

We've long forgotten the days when stadiums and arenas were named after their locations, but subway stations? New Yorkers better be prepared to see a Miracle Whip sign on the 34th Street station or get ready to take an express train to Taco Bell Avenue.

Do you have a problem with corporations invading public space or is this a good way to subsidize the taxpayers' burden of paying for public transportation?

Photo by WalkingGeek

Front Page: Public Transportation Ridership Hits 52-Year High

CitizenSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 07:43:16 PDT

Public transportation ridership in the US has hit a 52-year high, as Americans search for a cheaper way to get around. - Reuters
President Obama delivered a speech today on US education woes, calling for an overhaul of the broken system. - New York Times
Violence is rising in Iraq. At least 33 people were killed in the latest bombing in Baghdad. - BBC News

Nadya Suleman has agreed to let her 14 children be visited by foster-care workers for at least six months. She will live with her children in a new home found for the family. - Reuters
Violence is escalating in Northern Ireland, after a police officer was shot dead last night, the third such shooting in 48 hours. - The Times of London

Source

Should States Impose Development Laws to Cut Car Use?

LibertySugar — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:00:54 PDT

California is close to adopting a law aimed at slowing the increase in vehicle emissions by encouraging housing and development projects near job sites and transportation hubs. It's sort of a "if you build it here, they will ride the bus or stop driving" plan.

If passed by the Senate, the measure would tweak the current regional planning process by setting some new goals to reduce emissions. This would be the nation’s most comprehensive effort to cut back on sprawl and would essentially reward cities and counties that comply with efforts to minimize driving (and thereby emissions).

One enthusiast told the New York Times the law means California is "planning for housing needs, transportation needs and climate-change needs all at the same time," while others worry it will override some of the current development laws.

Source

Congressman Targets Islamic Subway Ads - Train Wreck?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:45:30 PDT

The Islamic faith may be getting a ticket to ride - the New York City subways that is. A series of ads selling Islam are planned to hit cars in September - unless one US congressman has his way. Rep. King (R-NY) says advertising for Allah is fine - but he thinks the people sponsoring the messages unacceptable.

The 1,000 posters set to grace the subway's 6,200 cars are sponsored by the Islamic Circle of North America and showcase Q&A style headlines like, "Head Scarf?" or "Prophet Muhammad?" followed by "You deserve to know."

One cleric promoting the campaign said:

The idea is to evoke certain thoughts in the mindset of the person who is looking at the ads and get them to a point where they can reflect upon certain words that one could define as hot words or key words that get thrown around a lot but are not necessarily defined in the most proper context.

Why would Rep. King have a problem with that? It's not the ad, it's the money behind it. One of the backers is Siraj Wahhaj, imam of a Brooklyn mosque. Though he was the first Muslim to lead a prayer before the House of Representatives, he was also a character witness for convicted 1993 World Trade Center bombing mastermind Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman.

King (also a ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee) says, "he is a known Islamic extremist, and you would be giving him credibility and stature through a known government facility." King is asking the MTA to can the campaign. Should they?

Source

Are High Gas Prices Getting You on the Public Bandwagon?

LibertySugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:45:22 PDT

While gas prices break records, so do ridership rates on public transportation systems across America. The New York Times reports that the biggest increases are seen in areas with a significant driving culture, such as the South and West.

Mass transit systems are having trouble coping with the masses. Rising fuel costs hit the systems hard, and the economic slow down means less funding from sales tax receipts. Thus, there is not enough money to put more buses on the street. Even so, people are opting for the standing room only services.

American bicycle shops are also reporting stronger business so far this year. A record number of commuters are expected to participate in Bike-To-Work Week and Bike-to-Work-Day (May 16th).

So, what about you? Have gas prices caused you to change your transportation habits? Do you think high gas prices could eventually motivate Americans (and their cities) to ditch their cars and develop efficient mass transit?

Source

Chronic Groper Faces Life in Prison

LibertySugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:00:09 PDT

Freddie Johnson has been arrested 53 times for groping women on NYC subway trains. Now, he faces life in prison for his latest arrest, which came only two weeks after his release from prison.

This time, plainclothes officers recognized Freddie from police photos of repeat offenders. They followed him, while he groped a female passenger selected at random.

Gropers often attack in crowded areas, and almost always escape. Apparently, there is not a crossover of offenders that grope, and those that engage in rape or other serious sexual assault. According to a recent survey, 63 percent of respondents reported being sexually harassed in some way on the NYC subway.

Like graffiti - the negative impact of an anonymous grope seems less severe than other crimes; but both subway-prone crimes decrease the overall feeling of security in the community. Plus, unlike graffiti, which everyone sees, groping involves personal violation, not shared with all the other riders.

If Freddie Johnson is intent on re-offending, does New York have no choice but to lock him up forever? Or, should we spend tax money locking up more dangerous offenders, while suffering an occasional grope?

Source