Hamptons Subway Newsletter: October 16–21, 2015
Week of October 16–21, 2015
Riders this past week: 11,827
Rider miles this past week: 114,720
DOWN IN THE TUBE
Dan Rather, Michael Moore, Emily Blunt and Alec Baldwin were seen chatting together on Monday afternoon on the subway between East Hampton and Amagansett. All were involved in the “A Conversation With…” programs at the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) over the weekend, all on different days, but here they were all together in the same subway car. Salut!
RECOUNT CONFIRMS VOTE
At the insistence of Donald Trump, a re-count in the election to elect a Subway Commissioner for the next two years was held last Friday in the Hamptons Subway Building Auditorium on Ponquogue Avenue in Hampton Bays. On the first go around, the incumbent, Bill Aspinall, received 246 votes while Donald Trump received 53. In the re-count, the vote was Bill Aspinall 247 and Donald Trump 52. Someone had changed their vote.
HAILING A SUBWAY
Here’s one of those real human-interest stories. A shopkeeper from a small town in New Hampshire who said he never had been on a subway before caused a real ruckus on the Southampton platform the other day when he succeeded, he thought, in hailing a westbound subway. As it came toward the station through the tunnel, he held up his hand, the train stopped and he told everybody else on the platform that he had gotten it first and they should wait for another. After security was called, he apologized and said he had not known he could not do that but he did now.
ANOTHER DEATH
This is the third time in four years that a man from a company that claims to be able to de-electrify our third rail has died testing that his work was successful. Apparently, doing this is much harder than any of these firms believe. In this case, Ronald J. Fagerton, age 53, was the victim, according to Third Rail De-electrification Services, Inc., of Dayton, Ohio, who came and took away what was left of the body. There must be other ways of testing these things other than getting down on the tracks and showing you can touch the third rail to no effect. In any case, going forward we will not be paying these people for their services in advance.
COMMISSIONER ASPINALL’S MESSAGE
I am pleased to announce that this year, for the first time, our Count the Cars Christmas Contest will be automated. In the past, when you went up to the top of Fort Hill in Montauk to look down at our railroad yard there in order for your child, age 2 to 14, to count the cars, you wrote down your name, phone number and subway car count on a piece of paper, then put it into the slot in the green and red metal bin. This year’s automation does not effect the prize. The winner, last year and this, gets to ride with Santa Claus in the motorman’s booth of the lead subway car of the morning on Christmas day. The automation affects only how to enter. At the top of Fort Hill, you will see a white metal dispenser with a blue button on the front. Press it and swipe your credit card in the slot that blinks. After that, the dispenser issues a white piece of paper with a number on it. Go to the top of the dispenser and enter the number, then, at the appropriate place, enter the number of the cars your child indicates. You will be contacted two days before Christmas by email if you are the winner.
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