Reasons to be Cheerful

[bloviatrix]

Despite it being a very rainy spring and struggling to get games it, plus it being quite cold and wet yesterday, the boy's baseball team played two games of baseball including a 19 -2 blowout in the final to win the West Side Little League's Majors title. Kid went 2 for 3 with a walk and scored 3 runs in the final and his last AB of the season was a scorcher through the middle. 

After a hockey game this morning, the spring sports season has concluded. Now we get a well deserved break until hockey camp.

Edited June 15, 2025 by bloviatrix

[maison rustique]

Closed on my house today. Now the work begins. Have various service people scheduled over the next week (electrician, plumber, carpet, Google Fiber) and then cleaning!! And after all that can begin to finally start moving things gradually. Will be a couple of months before I am completely out of this place, but may be able to start staying there before.

 

At the closing this afternoon with my realtor. I'm the old one.

[splinky]

26 minutes ago, maison rustique said:

Closed on my house today. Now the work begins. Have various service people scheduled over the next week (electrician, plumber, carpet, Google Fiber) and then cleaning!! And after all that can begin to finally start moving things gradually. Will be a couple of months before I am completely out of this place, but may be able to start staying there before.

 

At the closing this afternoon with my realtor. I'm the old one.

Mazel Tov!

[Evelyn]

Congratulations!!

[bloviatrix]

Congratulations! 

[Steve R.]

Just curious -- will you be changing your name on the board?  "Maison Deux"?  "Maison Nouveau"?

Congrats! 🏡

[maison rustique]

@Steve R., oddly enough, I have Google Fiber coming today to install the fiber box. I have my network name set as Maison Rustique here and I've been pondering what to do with the one there. I guess I better hurry up and decide.

[small h]

Well, here’s an interesting thing that happened. I was coming out of my building and saw the M14A bus starting to pull away from the stop. I waved and tried to hustle, but I am not very speedy, and the driver either didn’t see me or (more likely) ignored me.

 

And then a teen on a bike got in front of the bus, forcing it to stop. I saw him point in my direction. This gave me the time I needed to reach the bus door - which I had to knock on, because the driver was still ignoring me. Once she opened the door and I got on, the teen rode off. “Was he holding you for me?” I asked. She said “Yeah, you got to be at the stop or I leave.” “I know,” I said, “but I was just coming out of the building.” “Then you wait for the next bus,” she said. “Or some nice kid buys me time,” I said, and then I walked quickly all the way to the back, because she was pretty pissed.

 

TL;dr The kids are alright.

[Wilfrid]

Of course, if I am already riding the bus and the driver stops to let a late-arriving passenger on, I am like, "Can we just go?" 😄

[small h]

I know. Same. And earlier the same day, the driver of a different bus I was on took some time to give detailed directions to a confused passenger, which annoyed me 'cause I was running late.

But this is less about me delaying the bus and more about a good Samaritan kid.

[bloviatrix]

With the kid away at camp the spouse and I got to have one our first leisurely date night in over 11 years. Theater, followed by dinner and then a movie - because why the hell not? Normally, we do one thing and run home.

[Wilfrid]

6 hours ago, small h said:

I know. Same. And earlier the same day, the driver of a different bus I was on took some time to give detailed directions to a confused passenger, which annoyed me 'cause I was running late.

But this is less about me delaying the bus and more about a good Samaritan kid.

My bus story today is the M3 running down St Nicholas and it stops and some dozen or so kids get on, mainly through the back door (not an SBS), which takes a while. Then they realize they are going the wrong way, so next stop they get off again, which takes a while.

This only happens when nobody needs to pay a fare.

Not to be political but any policy that says we should have a free bus network is like a policy we should let dogs shit in the street. Whoa, change!

[small h]

2 hours ago, Wilfrid said:

This only happens when nobody needs to pay a fare.

You'll never guess who disagrees with you.

[Wilfrid]

My babble was not very clear. We do have a free bus system essentially. Make it official? Okay. Like make it legal for dogs to poop. I am trying to say that practice has left policy long behind.

[Wilfrid]

Trying to be clearer. A policy discussion about whether bus travel should be free would be valuable if it wasn't essentially free already.

[small h]

8 hours ago, Wilfrid said:

it wasn't essentially free already

I have to push back on this a bit, as I think compliance varies but is not dead. As an extremely judgmental person, I am forever eyeing people who I either know haven't paid (like your gang o' teens) or suspect. And I think more people pay the fare than not, at least on my regular downtown routes. For one, I see them. And for two, I've witnessed a fair number of transit cop fare-checks, and these days, fewer people are getting caught having not paid than a year ago.

8 hours ago, Wilfrid said:

Like make it legal for dogs to poop

Or cats to live in bodegas!

https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-lawmaker-wants-to-legalize-bodega-cats-in-the-5-boroughs

[Wilfrid]

The MTA's own estimate is around 50% of riders not paying which I can totally believe. I have not seen a ticket inspection since before COVID.

I may be repeating myself but the fine is so low, that if your objective is to save money, then never paying your bus fare will leave you way, way ahead even if you get caught. Like once every five or six years.

I pay like out of charity because I like buses.

[splinky]

I enjoyed the "free bus" pilot program the few times that I got to use it in southeastern Queens, especially on days when my journey would have been a double fare involving 3 buses. The ride was much faster and people were much nicer about giving up their "free seats" to the disabled and elderly. Also, it's not really free because taxes. It's also nice to feel like you're getting something you already pay for, at no additional charge. I do not believe that people who can benefit from free buses are the equivalent of dog shit, but your mileage may vary.

The kids probably had school transit passes and many bus drivers prefer that they just go through the back door because it's faster, less annoying to the people in the front and the kids like sitting in the back, anyway

[MitchW]

FWIW, I never don't pay - I feel as if it's my civic responsibility.

[voyager]

43 minutes ago, MitchW said:

FWIW, I never don't pay - I feel as if it's my civic responsibility.

It's a pittance of other money we piss away without a second thought.   I DO take advantage of senior discount.

[splinky]

1 hour ago, voyager said:

It's a pittance of other money we piss away without a second thought.   I DO take advantage of senior discount.

I always pay, but my neighborhood has a rowdy band of senior citizens who never pay on their way home from the senior center. They hold the back door and board. Many times they’ve invited me to join them. I always thank them and refuse the offer.

[Wilfrid]

7 hours ago, splinky said:

The kids probably had school transit passes and many bus drivers prefer that they just go through the back door because it's faster, less annoying to the people in the front and the kids like sitting in the back, anyway

Good point. I didn't think of that.

[Wilfrid]

4 hours ago, MitchW said:

FWIW, I never don't pay - I feel as if it's my civic responsibility.

I try always to pay. If the Omny machine on the bus is out of order (not infrequent) or the subway train is already in the station and the "exit" door is being held open, then I sink into depravity.

[backyardchef]

Given my job, if I was caught not paying I would be fired immediately. Not worth the risk. I have an annual card. 

[bloviatrix]

Don't forget, depending on the bus, you may actually be paying before you board. I take the bus so infrequently that I forgot about this when I tried to get on the M86 earlier today. Oops.