As the weekend shutoff of service between Queens and Manhattan goes into its 15th month with no end in sight--don't be fooled by the posters, the ever-paternalistic MTA chooses to dole out the bad news in two-week intervals--many of you will be spending more time on the platform at Queensborough Plaza waiting for a connection. Ever the optimist, your correspondent has some suggestions on making that time bearable, if not enjoyable.
1) Take an art walk. Perhaps you thought those grayish screens covered with pigeon shit on the north side of the lower platform were merely functional. But no, they are actually silkscreened glass panels, part of a piece called
Columns (2000) by Sydney Cash. In the right light, they can actually be quite charming, if not exciting.
2) Do some long-distance window-shopping in the Plaza. Believe it or not, that's a new hipster coffee shop between the MetroPCS and Wines & Liquors stores.
3) Do a head count. See how many fellow passengers amass on the platform before a train comes in to relieve a pressure.
Most importantly, bundle up! Even in this mild winter weather, Queensboro Plaza is a notoriously cold and windy spot. Don't let the MTA give you the flu on top of all its other gifts!
One more tip: don't actually count on N service! Grrr......
ReplyDeleteBut we are still better off than the lowly L riders who get no alternatives whatsoever. The message is clear...MTA to outer borough residents: Drop dead!