The Hamptons Subway Newsletter: September 6–12, 2013

Week of September 6–12, 2013
Riders this past week: 18,412
Rider miles this past week: 189,942

DOWN IN THE TUBE
The number of people who took the Hampton Subway this past Labor Day week reached an all-time high. This may, in total, be a drop in the bucket as compared to, say, the number of riders who use the MTA subway in New York City, but pound for pound and apples to apples in considering population size, we are right up there. Hamptons Subway commissioner can say what he wants, but we here at the Hamptons Subway Newsletter believe this is a testament to the good works and proper service we provide compared, say, to the past few years, and we are proud of this accomplishment. Prior to this, the record high had been on the week ending September 3, 2008, when we had 189,941 people using the system. But then that fall in 2008 the bottom dropped out of the Hamptons Subway and everything else, so what can you do.

As far as celebrities were concerned this past weekend, that too was a record and there were so many on the system over the weekend that to list them all would fill up more space than this newsletter allows. Kudos to our celebrity spotter crew.

We’ll mention one. Justin Bieber rode from Southampton to Water Mill last Wednesday morning.

REAL OPPORTUNITY
Due to an error in our personnel department, all the extra employees we hired to handle the Labor Day weekend crowds last week will be remaining here helping out on the system this coming weekend too, even though the Labor Day rush is over. The error occurred in our IT Department, where the head of it, Joel Starkman, was not sure back in July which weekend was Labor Day weekend and so hired all the temps for both.

The opportunity is that throughout the system, the number of employees to help you will be triple this upcoming weekend. There will be three employees in each token booth, swarms of security people on the platforms, three motormen squished into the front of the lead cars, lots of people rushing over to assist you in boarding the trains. This is how it is at the Paris Metro, we are told, where they have champagne and chandeliers in the subway system. But don’t get used to it.

The week after, we will be short of help as usual again.

TRACK REPAIR DELAY
The tracks down in the tunnel about halfway between Amagansett and East Hampton will be replaced next Thursday so nobody feels that sudden lurch every time the train passes over this place. A delay of half an hour will occur between 2 and 3 p.m. when the workmen are on the tracks and we have to stop the trains so they don’t get run over. Hope you understand.

SUBWAY RESTAURANT
The Subway restaurant chain is offering a free second cup of coffee to all straphangers at their kiosks on the platforms between 7 and 8 a.m. Thank you, Subway!

NEW EDITOR AT THE NEWSLETTER
I’m Pattie Pringer. Hello. How’m I doing?

COMMISSIONER ASPINALL’S MESSAGE
Well, autumn is here and the temperature turns a bit cooler and brisk. Keep in mind that Hamptons Subway is heated in winter—we change over from air conditioning every year now on September 15 instead of September 1 because of global warming—and so, although you may need heavy coats during the offseason, you won’t need them down here in the Subway system.

And, thank you for your helping us break our attendance record last week.