Hamptons Subway Newsletter: Week of August 26–September 1, 2016
Week of August 26 – September 1, 2016
Riders this past week: 21,825
Rider miles this past week: 142,900
DOWN IN THE TUBE
Mayor Paul Rickenbach of East Hampton Village was seen last Tuesday afternoon boarding a westbound train at the Pantigo Station and continuing on to Georgica Station where he got off. Then he went back the other way heading east, got in his car at Pantigo and drove off. Since he’s master of all he surveys in East Hampton Village, he was apparently enjoying its splendor from east to west and then back.
In any case, that night, crowds assembled down on the platform at the Georgica Station to watch the celebrities come up the escalators for Ron Perelman’s big annual summer party. They got to see Jack Nicholson, for one.
MUSHROOMS
The recent discovery of rare mushrooms amidst the mold that grows between railroad ties along the tunnels connecting some of our stations has apparently created a sensation amongst local foodies. Farm-to-table restaurateurs and organic food shop owners vied to pick these mushrooms and as a result we organized an auction for the various growth patches between Amagansett and East Hampton, East Hampton and Bridgehampton and Water Mill and Southampton.
And so today, you will find “Pantigo Mushroom Pizza” on menus in many restaurants in town and bottled containers of Mecox Mushrooms and Hampton Road Mushrooms in most upscale food stores. Prices vary according to location and availability, but if you search, you can get the bargain East Quogue Mushroom paste for $1.09 a pound or the top of the line First Neck Mushrooms for $89 a pound at many shops and Zagat-rated restaurants in the area.
Initially we thought these products would be available for only as long as they lasted but it turns out that as soon as you pull up a mushroom others sprout up immediately. Who knew?
SUBWAY OLYMPICS
Maintenance people who scrub clean and repair the subway cars every night at the Montauk Yards have a boring job to do. But during the past two weeks, these workers held a nighttime 10-day Subway Olympics at Montauk where different cars raced against one another during the night between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., when the system is closed.
The 100 Meter Dash was won by Subway Car 8 with motorman Fred Thompson at the stick inside, the 200 Meter Dash was won by Subway Car 11 with motorman Harry McGillicutty at his stick and the 1,500 Meter Hurdles were declared a draw, after it was found that none of the subway cars could leap over any of them. Metal flagpole brackets were welded to the outside front of each car for the occasion and, flags made by individual motormen were stuck in them, so now that the events are over, the lead cars fly the American flags and drape their medals, Gold, Silver and Cinder, over their windshields. Look for them when you travel, and smile and wave at the motorman when you see one of these winning trains come charging by.
COMMISSIONER ASPINALL’S MESSAGE
This summer’s riders to the beach tracked sand all over the floors inside the cars, got the hang-on poles sticky with suntan lotion and otherwise made quite a mess of broken aluminum folding chairs, sandals, towels, plastic beach buckets and beach umbrellas throughout the system as they went to and from the beach in Southampton and East Hampton. We expect more cooperation from our riders and the $2.25 price a ride just does not cover it. Pick up after yourselves.