Hamptons Subway Newsletter: Week of November 9–15, 2017
Week of November 9–15, 2017
Riders this past week: 26,354
Rider miles this past week: 97,633
DOWN IN THE TUBE
Our celebrity spotters reported a double triple this week. In one subway car on one train were Paul McCartney, Jimmy Fallon and Alec Baldwin, and in two cars behind were Christie Brinkley, Jay-Z and Steven Spielberg. All were going from Bridgehampton to East Hampton last Wednesday at 3 p.m. and apparently none of them saw any of the others doing just that. Our spotters surreptitiously followed them up the escalators and, believe it or not, they all went off in different directions.
UNUSUAL SMELL
People have been reporting an unusual smell of turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing throughout the system during the last few days. We are checking to try to find out where it is coming from and why.
ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT E-Z PASS
As we reported last week, we installed an E-Z pass system at Southampton that would let you through the turnstiles without a subway card swipe. Great idea! No subway cards! And it uses facial recognition! Last week’s attempt at this was a failure. By Friday, though, the system was fixed, but when Frank Haliday, the Chairman of Subway Pass Ltd. pulled the switch at the ribbon- cutting, he vanished in a puff of smoke. We are afraid to turn it off now, so it is up and running in Southampton. Just remember it’s only working in Southampton. At other stations you have to use the card or you’ll get arrested.
SUBWAY JUMPERS
Local teenagers have embarked upon a very dangerous new fad. They come down to the platforms after school, board a subway car, then, as it heads off into a tunnel, climb up through the emergency escape hatch and, when a train coming from the other direction approaches, leap from the roof of their subway to the other one, then climb down inside and get off where they started. Their “partners” wait on the platform with a cell phone to time their return—if they see them across the tracks within eight minutes, the leaper wins a bet—or something. We’ve reported this behavior to parents, but, so far, the only suggestion we’ve received is to lock the escape hatches. This we cannot do.
DELAY CAUSED BY FILMMAKER
Hamptons Subway was pleased to have internationally renowned director Santana Picard shoot a pivotal scene for his upcoming film Priscilla Learns at our Water Mill station. It was scheduled for 5 a.m. on Friday, when Picard said the light coming down the escalator would be just right, and it was to end at 5:45 a.m.; just before the subway system opens for the day. It was a simple scene. Priscilla, played by three-time Academy Award winner Fifi La Rue is on the platform and mumbles to herself “here it comes” and the train pulls into the station. Who could have thought this would be so hard? Our trainman Ben Brantley took the directions “roll ’em” and “cut” on cue, but Picard never seemed to think he got it right. They filmed the scene over and over, finally bringing Brantley to tears and it wasn’t until 8:17 a.m. that Picard yelled, “It’s a wrap.” We regret the two- hour and 17-minute delay before we were able to open the subway to the public that morning. But it was for a good cause.
COMMISSIONER ASPINALL’S MESSAGE
An unidentified man has been handing out leftover Halloween candy in the subway cars at dusk every day since October 31. If you see him, please report him to the nearest subway employee.
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