Hamptons Subway Newsletter: Week of February 1–7, 2018

DOWN IN THE TUBE
Painter Audrey Flack was seen traveling from East Hampton to Amagansett on the subway Friday afternoon. Author Gail Sheehy was seen riding from Georgica to Bridgehampton on Wednesday morning. Actor Harris Yulin was seen on Thursday morning going from Southampton to Shinnecock, and philanthropist Sheri Sandler was seen Tuesday morning traveling from Westhampton Beach to Quiogue. All will receive Academy of the Arts Achievement Awards from Guild Hall next month.

DELAY BETWEEN GEORGICA AND WAINSCOTT
Riders will experience a five-minute delay when traveling westbound from Georgica toward Wainscott halfway between the two stops. Two piping plovers and their babies have taken up residence in a nest set in the tunnel wall where a chunk of concrete has created a niche. Three days ago, a motorman driving a westbound B train saw the birds there flutter a bit as he rumbled by and reported it to the Commissioner. On the one hand, piping plovers are an endangered species, but on the other they are not supposed to be in the subway. They nest at the beach. Until this gets sorted out, the Commissioner has ordered all trains to slow down to a crawl as they approach that spot. Riders on the subway cars can see the nest and the little family out the window because the niche is at eye level. Remain quiet and still as the site is passed. This slow-down might persist for weeks or months as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation wrestle for jurisdiction. Further intervention has occurred with the arrival of officials from the Port Authority of New York and the Suffolk County Board of Health.

HAILING A SUBWAY?
A man from Ohio was arrested on the Southampton platform yesterday for trying to hail a subway. He raised his right arm, the train approached and the motorman, thinking there was something on the tracks, stopped the train where the man was, resulting in the last three cars not arriving at the platform. The motorman lowered the window to talk to the man who said he was told to do that by some of his friends who had been to New York City. If he didn’t, the train wouldn’t stop. It did stop, so what was the problem? Voices were raised, the ruckus was observed by Subway Police and people in the back three cars were yelling. The man was arrested, charged and released until his arraignment on the condition he not do that again. He is wearing an ankle bracelet. At the man’s request, we will not release his name at this time.

SMART PHONE CHARGERS REMOVED
The chargers, which were put in place on platform poles everywhere last Friday, were supposed to be a new convenience for riders. But nobody has ever been seen using one, since everyone just wants to rush to get on the train. All 14 are being put into storage—well, make that 11. Three are reported missing.

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY
The Commissioner had hoped to have the proposed Wi-Fi installed throughout the system by this weekend so riders could watch the Super Bowl on the subway’s security cam screens Sunday, but it is not going to happen. Instead, conductors who shout “watch out for the closing doors” will add commentary about the score, what quarter it is and who is winning.

COMMISSIONER ASPINALL’S MESSAGE
As we won’t have the Wi-Fi in place in time, I have decided to not watch the game on TV at home but instead join with our treasured customers riding the trains during the game, getting the info from the updates.

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