Summer, Where Are You?

All I want to do this summer is drink beers on a roof. I'd like to be able to see the city skyline from whichever roof I end up on, but it's not a necessity. While having dinner with Amanda on Tuesday, she told me that she has roof access and can make my summertime dreams come true. I took some time away from my very busy work schedule today, to come up with some new goals.

Lay a blanket on the grass and sip a Slurpee.
Take sunrise photographs while standing barefoot on the beach.
Meet good people and make friends with them.
Spend less time interneting and more time outside.
Consume hundreds of soft serve ice cream cones.
Drink on my stoop even though I live in Fishtown.
Dance enough to break a sweat.
Dip corn dogs in ketchup and then eat them. Finish one and repeat.
Have my shoes off whenever possible.

Maybe I Should Buy a Bike

It took me an hour and a half to get home from work tonight.

Police activity at Somerset station caused delays. Then a fire at Girard caused major delays. I got to 15th Street and saw this. Commuters packed on the platform, waiting for the 69th Street El. On my side, a train sitting quietly on the tracks.

Once on the train, we crawled from station to station. Not a word from the conductor as to why things were moving so slowly. After leaving 2nd Street, we arrived at Spring Garden. From the conductor, we finally hear, "Listen up, listen up, listen up passengers! Due to a situation at Girard, Spring Garden will be our last stop. There will be shuttle buses waiting for you when we get to Spring Garden." He never mentioned where the shuttle buses would be taking us. He also didn't take into consideration that the 5 bus, which departs from 2nd Street, is also headed towards the Frankford Transportation Center.

Once at Spring Garden, I found myself in the middle of this:

Septa commuters.

Everyone attempting to exit Spring Garden, meanwhile this station only has one turnstile. It was then that I decided to get back on the West bound train, in hopes of catching the 6:38pm 5 bus. We arrived back at 2nd Street at 6:33pm. This gave me enough time to make it up the stairs to catch my bus. I stood at 2nd Street until 7:05pm. This is when I gave up on SEPTA and called a friend for a ride home.

I understand that things happen. All I'm asking for it better communication between SEPTA and it's commuters. Have announcements at each station, letting passengers know about the delay and the shuttle buses. Don't wait until we're pulling into the last stop to tell us that it's going to be the last stop. Give us time to prepare, time to figure out another way home. Please.

SEPTA

It took me an hour to get home from work tonight.

It usually takes about 15-20 minutes. I sat patiently on the train at 2nd street from 6:19 to 6:34pm. I watched two trains pass on the opposite tracks. I heard the conductor, zero times. Finally, I got off the train and took the 6:38pm bus home.

I pay $20.75 every week so that I can get to and from a job that makes me miserable. Handing over that money, knowing that delays will make me late to work, is infuriating. I don't want to give you my money. I could get a bike, but I'm fat and lazy and frankly I'm scared that I'm going to get hit by a cab that would rather leave me for dead than help peel me off the ground. So, I ride Septa. It always seemed like the better choice, now I'm not so sure.

This 'operating on a single track' bullshit is getting old. Take my $20.75 along with the money from the other commuters and fix it already. I see the men in the neon jackets walking around with their hardhats and walkie-talkies. But, I also see people standing on platforms shoulder to shoulder because they've been waiting for a half hour to board a train.

I'm not going to complain about the smell, the cleanliness, the deafening volume on most trains, the rats, the human feces, the dangerous bus drivers, the unsalted platforms after a snowstorm, the broken elevators, the filthy escalators or even the poor attitudes from 97% of the employees. I'm just pissed that I've had to see this, several times over the last few weeks:

Septa, not moving. Why? Couldn't tell you.

Accumulation

Conclusion

Thanks to some folks over at SeptaWatch.blogspot.com, I've learned that the incident at the Berks stop was nothing more than a fire.


Click the photo to read the article.

Let's hope that it was a small one and that no one was injured.

What Happened?

On my walk to the El, I saw two large orange Septa trucks at my stop. When I turned the corner, I saw that the elevator was closed and the gate was shut, so I assumed the trucks were there for maintenance.

As I walked up the stairs, I got to the second landing and noticed caution tape. I took my phone out of my pocket to call my boss, I was afraid the el was shut down and that I'd be late for work.

Once upstairs, I saw this:



The gate was open, which is usually used for wheelchairs and strollers. I didn't have to pay my fare, though I was nervous that something terrible happened. I twittered a few news sites, but haven't heard anything. Google didn't pull any matches when I searched "Septa Berks El".



Anybody know what's up?

1778 Frankford Avenue

I moved into my apartment in December of 2007. I dedicated a few months to getting my place together, painting the walls, adding furniture and making it feel like home. I wasn't taking photographs and wasn't feeling inspired to pick up my camera to change that. I eventually decided to splurge on a new camera and that definitely gave me the boost I needed.

I wandered around Center City and took photographs of various places and things, but I wanted something more. So, I started a project. It was simple.

Follow the demolition of the hideous, abandoned building across the street from my apartment.

Demolition lasted a few weeks, maybe not even that. One weekend morning, my Mom was headed over to pick me up... and my 4 loads of laundry. I got a phone call from her, asking why my street was blocked off, asking if I was okay. I was completely oblivious to what was going on outside.

Rumor has it that one of the workers was using the backhoe and dug too deep. Rumor has it that the worker had a beer in his hand while working. With one mistake, the foundation was compromised and the house that was standing next to the one being demoed, collapsed.

The house on the right was just built. I wonder, what would have happened to the crumbled home had that new house not been there.



September 13, 2008 - Fire officials were on the scene of an apartment that collapsed Saturday afternoon.
The front of the 3-story apartment collapsed at around noon on Frankford Avenue in the Fishtown section of Philadelphia.
Authorities tell Action News, four of the units were occupied and more than half a dozen residents are displaced.
A construction company was demolishing the unoccupied part of the apartment building, however, the occupied section starting crumbling, too.