Just realized the standing platform on the last car is faster than fighting for a seat, and I don't care who judges me | Commuter Chronicles - nhfree.com
Just realized the standing platform on the last car is faster than fighting for a seat, and I don't care who judges me
Everyone on my line acts like grabbing a seat on the 7:12 is the whole point of the commute, but I started doing the opposite about four months ago and it's cut real time off my trip. The deal is that the last car on my line opens its doors right at the foot of the stairwell at the Franklin Ave exit, while everyone crammed into the front cars has to walk the full platform and then queue up at the turnstiles. I get on, stand by the door for six stops, and I'm up the stairs before the seated people even get their bags sorted. I timed it three days in a row last week and I'm hitting the street about 90 seconds earlier, which sounds small until you're trying to make a 7:45 transfer at the bus bay. The other thing nobody talks about is that standing means I never do the awkward dance with some guy who wants the window seat and keeps sighing at me. My back hurts a little by Friday, sure, but I'd rather deal with that than the slow shuffle of 40 people funneling through one exit. Has anyone else figured out which car lines up with their exit, or am I the only one playing this game?
How long did it take you to figure out which car lines up with the stairs? I did the same thing on my line about a year ago and it took me a solid week of guessing wrong before I got it down. One thing that helped me was counting the cars from the back instead of the front, since the front car changes length depending on the station. Also try standing on the side closest to the doors that open at your stop, saves you a few seconds when everyone else is pushing the other way.