11/16/03 Views from Northport, L.I.; Mike on LIRR:

Mike and I went to Northport, Long Island today to videotape a community theater play. Here are some of the things we saw:

1. Why the hands?

2. Why is "Only" in "quotes?"

3. Is "Away" adding anything useful to the idea of being "Towed?"

That sign was found in the parking lot of this establishment.

Not bad!

24 Hours!!! I'm impressed. After taking these pictures outside, and then entering this establishment, I was approached by a woman who asked me, fairly bluntly, "what are you doing with that camera?" First I asked her how she know I was taking photos. Apparently she's the owner and she was watching the security camera feeds in the basement when I took these photos. I had to explain to her, from scratch, what a web blog is, and then introduce the idea of a photo blog to her all in a few minutes.

I stopped at Mom's house, dropping off the car. My mother prides herself on making Orange Juice available to me whenever I am around. It has somehow become a microcosm of her motherly duties as a provider. A symbolic gesture of her continuing ability to address my needs, and my continuing need for them. And so, when it turned out that the orange juice in the fridge, of which there was of course plenty, was expired by about a month... well... it was a horror.

OK, just kidding. It wasn't a horror. But mom was disproportionately disturbed by this, and it most likely won't happen again for a long while.

Mike talks to grounded girlfriend on LIRR.

The tunnel under the East River. 1 of 4 tubes. Used by the LIRR and Amtrak. Penn Station is ahead, but not yet visible. This tube is under the land under the East River. This is the view from the first car of the older electric fleet. The new electric cars have a full width cab at the front, and thus, no "railfan" window.

The partial-width cab on an old M-1 car. The door happened to be open.

The large handle in the middle of the console controls the speed and breaking of the train. As there is no wheel to steer, you adjust the speed with your hands. Should you have a heart attack or become incapacitated while driving, and let go of the handle, it pops up to this position and throws the train in emergency brake. Thus, you must always hold down the handle while operating the train. Buttons at top right of photo on silver panel control opening and closing doors. Buttons, center, above the "9046" control intercom to other cars or to the control towers. "9046" is the car number. Button at far left bottom corner of photo is for shutting off a bell that rings when you exceed speed limits. If you don't shut off the bell after a certain amount of seconds, the train will emergency break. The panel on the upper left of the photo, to the right of the number, displays the speed of the train in the direction of the operator. Everything else.... I don't know about.