Brian Abbott’s Blog

An article appeared in the Times this week about the new automatic trains. These trains will begin running on the L line. The goal: to have a fully automated train without the need for human beings to run them. Arguments that trains will run more efficiently which, in turn, results in more trains running and less time waiting in stations, are valid; however, the subway loses something in return.

What I will miss are those things that make the subway unique. No, I’m not talking about the scratchitti… I’m talking about the train conductors. Typically, trains have a driver at the front and a conductor in the middle car. The conductor’s job is to open and close the doors and make the announcements. We’re already losing the announcements on the new trains that have appeared on the 2 and 6 lines. These now have piped in pre-recorded announcements from male and female automatons.

When I hear them, I am thankful that the announcements are far more audible than they are on the older trains. This is likely due more to the audio system rather than the person making the announcement. However, our personalized ride is being lost. As I ride the train day in and day out, I get used to the characters that I hear from those old speakers. My favorite was the Italian guy, with the broken Italianized English. “This-a stop-a is-a ninety-six-a street.” Or the woman who had the comforting voice at 2 A.M. who reminded me of my aunt. Even the south asian guy, with his Indian-sounding accent, was a pleasure to listen to and ponder his story of coming to this country. Certainly, the most fun is had when the driver and the conductor are having a conversation that’s piped into each car without them knowing it.

While I may wait less in the overheated stations for a train, I’ll be sad when the cast of characters disappears.

Waiting for the train at 157th Street. A large, muscular man is boxing, without gloves, the pole and station walls. I make every effort to board any car that he does not.

Today I’m heading out to meet a friend in Queens; I’ve not been out there for some time. Queens is not terribly easy for me to get to as there’s really no way to do it on less than three trains.

We met at on the platform of the E,F,G,R,V line in Jackson Heights, a station (74 St-Broadway and Roosevelt Avenue) that is finally getting its deserved renovation. One more stop on a local train and we were off eating Malaysian food, which is just as good and quite a bit cheaper than in Manhattan.

We adjourned to a bar right next to the Jackson Heights station. I’d not seen the station from the outside for several years. From the outside, the renovation is nearing completion. However, I found the outdoor station to be rather ugly. The 74 St-Broadway station is an express stop in Queens and also connects with the elevated number 7 train. After Queens Plaza, I would imagine this is the busiest station in Queens.

Imagine a small airplane hangar, cut it in quarters, and plunk down one quarter at the point where these lines cross. Perhaps this provides a picture of this new station. The high part of the quarter is opposite the 7 line and the entrance to the underground E,F,G,R, and V lines. Its walls are all poorly designed glass, distributed in small rectangular windows that say ’60s, and glass block, that says… Well, it says, “ugly” as far as I’m concerned.

However, once we left the bar, I had the chance to venture into the station to catch a train back to Manhattan. It was about a quarter past two in the morning and as I walked into the station, I found myself quite pleased. The large interior space is effective in tricking us into thinking that the station is far larger than it really is. Furthermore, the station is a success because of its simplicity. One large stairway up for the 7, one down for the E,F,G,R, and V. While I mocked the exterior earlier in the evening, it wasn’t hard for me to understand why it won the bid after experiencing the interior.

And, of course, the E was running on a different line into Manhattan. For once this worked to my advantage as I was going to visit another bar on 58th Street.