I overslept a little this morning, by about ten minutes, and raced to catch the 7:20 train. I needn’t have bothered. I’ve been taking that train because it has a connection to Hunterspoint Avenue in Queens, which is just two subway stops away from Grand Central — and the subway’s right there, up and then down some stairs — and then that’s only a couple of short blocks away from my office. But this morning, at Jamaica, where the Hunterspoint train connects, they were announcing a thirty-minute delay. So I just stayed on until Penn Station in Manhattan and walked to the office.
I actually tried to take the subway from Penn Station — it’s basically just the reverse of my new evening commute — and I swiped my MetroCard to get through the turnstiles and everything. (After having to back up and wait in line at the machine when I discovered my card was empty.) But the train was so packed I couldn’t get on, and it seemed silly to waste even more time waiting for the next one. It’s a straightforward walk, and it wasn’t raining too badly.
Still, I could have caught the 7:37 train and done about just as well.
I wonder – in all seriousness – if there’s an app that helps plan the commute?
I find Hopstop.com pretty helpful for that sort of thing. They apparently have an iPhone app, but I’ve never tried it. The maps app I do have is good, too, but sometimes offers some weird suggestions.