Driving full circle around Manhattan
- Thread starter canada-man
- Start date
Many years ago I took a city bus in mid-town, it went south to Lower Manhattan and then back up north to Harlan and back to the original spot in mid-town where I originally got on.
UPDATES:
(1) The express buses no longer accepts coins/cash.
(2) The Select Bus Service (SBS) now accepts OMNY. So you can pay with your credit card when you board.
There are two very important aspects of the Express Bus that you did not mention. First, once you board an Express Bus, you cannot get off the bus until it gets to the other borough. For example, if you board a BxM bus in Manhattan, the earliest stop you can get off the bus is the first stop in the Bronx; intra-borough trips are not allowed on Express Buses. Second, you cannot board an Express Bus that originated from another borough. This one is obvious because the bus stop will say "Drop off only" for the Express Bus. This is to enforce the rule I just mentioned; intra-borough trips are not allowed on Express Buses. So if you are in the Bronx and a BxM bus coming from Manhattan stops at your bus stop, you are not allowed to get on because the only trip you can possibly make on this bus is another stop in the Bronx (the borough you are already in) and that is not allowed. These rules are to prevent (impatient or rich) people from using the Express Bus as a swanky expensive local bus service (which will slow down service) and to prevent the possibility of people getting on and off the bus at the same stop (causing collisions at the the front of the bus because there is no back door) by making stops "pick up only" in the origin borough and "drop off only" in the destination borough.
"(1) The express buses no longer accepts coins/cash."
Same with a regular bus (at least that was the case in 1993).
I tried to get on a regular NYC bus back in 1993 and offered to pay cash. I said I was from Canada and didn't carry any NYC Transit tokens. The bus driver said he was not allowed to accept cash.
Fortunately, not one but two ladies behind me offered to pay my fare. I then offered to reimburse the lady with cash but she politely declined.
I heart New York.
Same with a regular bus (at least that was the case in 1993).
I tried to get on a regular NYC bus back in 1993 and offered to pay cash. I said I was from Canada and didn't carry any NYC Transit tokens. The bus driver said he was not allowed to accept cash.
Fortunately, not one but two ladies behind me offered to pay my fare. I then offered to reimburse the lady with cash but she politely declined.
I heart New York.
That bus is/was the M10. It was also interesting to see the mix of passengers as we got to different spots along the route.That bus did a complete loop. I got off where I initially got on.
The subway is really a trip, although you need either a local guide or an good navigation app. I don't see much point in driving around Manhattan in a car, though. Maybe if you were collecting samples for a noxious odors study?
...One time I took the subway to LCC (Long Island City). I missed my stop. I spoke to the station master. He said: "DO NOT LEAVE THE STATION, NOT SAFE!". You have to go back one stop. No, he didn't charge me an extra fare.The subway is really a trip, although you need either a local guide or an good navigation app. I don't see much point in driving around Manhattan in a car, though. Maybe if you were collecting samples for a noxious odors study?
I worked in LIC in the mid 90s. Prostitutes were across the street where I worked and it definitely was not safe. We would have a car service to take us back into Manhattan each night after sunset.
Now it’s all cleaned up. You can live there and raise a family.
This is scary. You and I might have unknowingly crossed paths in the 90's. I had a meeting in the big green Citibank building and missed my subway stop and had to turn back.
One Court Square - Wikipedia
Tell me you're kidding. So, we were in the same building, maybe even at the same time.I worked in that building
Back in the day of tokens and rattan seats and leather straps to hang onto (NYC subway riders then and now are called "strap hangers"), I poured over subway maps to see if I could ride every inch of track on one token. To make it even more difficult, I would not be allowed to repeat any track already traveled. If I reached a terminus I could go back in the opposite direction. The challenge was figuring out transfers and hubs. Never cracked that nut. I'd get about halfway through then get hung up having to repeat track traveled. Only two ways to do it, as far I could tell: run across tracks to the other direction to get to a transfer, or ascend to daylight and then go back down to jump a turnstile. I think it has been done before but without the "repeat" restriction I imposed on myself.
As a side note: all the map/directions apps are great if you're driving or walking somewhere unknown, but printed maps of all kinds still stir my imagination. Growing on the ocean for most of my life I've always been infatuated by the Maritimes and their many faces looking out to vast waters. As a 12-year-old I got a map of those provinces from an Esso gas station--and American Esso, now long known as Exxon. I still have that map, Now a lifetime dream will be realized in three weeks: driving up to PEI for 10 days. Thank you, map!
As a side note: all the map/directions apps are great if you're driving or walking somewhere unknown, but printed maps of all kinds still stir my imagination. Growing on the ocean for most of my life I've always been infatuated by the Maritimes and their many faces looking out to vast waters. As a 12-year-old I got a map of those provinces from an Esso gas station--and American Esso, now long known as Exxon. I still have that map, Now a lifetime dream will be realized in three weeks: driving up to PEI for 10 days. Thank you, map!
You could actually do it on no tokens. Just say you are from Canada and don't have any NYC Transit tokens. Make sure the two ladies behind you hear it. I'm sure both of them will offer to pay your fare like they did for me. Just kidding!
The NYC subway system is a maze. No wonder I got lost going to Long Island City.
