Open Thread Wednesday 1/14/09

By on January 14, 2009 2:00 am in Brooklyn Heights
BHB Photo Club pic by fkuffel

BHB Photo Club pic by fkuffel

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

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  • nabeguy

    Has anyone encountered the humonculous at the High Street station who pushes everyone aside going down, regardless of whether they’re walking or not, all the time muttering, “move to the right, move to the right”?
    BTW, Gougestedes is good but I’ve come to call it “Greedystedes” in my mind.

  • yo

    Gristedes was always Greasy Ted’s for me

  • Senor Salsa

    Thanks for all the community insight to the Subway elevator/escalator etiquette query. There seems to be some conflicting opinions and interpretations on a few variables…which stands to reason. One scenario appears to enjoy an obvious consensus (correct me if I am wrong).

    Can we all agree that it is BAD ETIQUETTE to throw your hand between the closing doors of an obviously crowded elevator…?

    It is one thing for an individual to ‘kindly’ HOLD the elevator for a scrambling rider…it is another thing for an individual to ‘selfishly’ HALT the elevator’s doors.

    INSIDE HOLD = kind;
    OUTSIDE HALT = selfish

  • hoppy

    This thread sounds straight out of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” I can imagine Larry David kindly holding the elevator door for Marissa Winokur, only to have her race ahead of him on the platform and grab the last available space on the next train.

  • GHB

    Fay – “Esclators were invented so you didn’t have to walk up and down stairs. ”

    “No way I am walking down or up and esclator.”

    If you don’t know how to spell “escalator”, you have no business riding one!

  • FeiFei

    I don’t think it’s rude to stick your hand in the elevator because isn’t it just as rude to see this person coming and not push the “open” button for them? I know you make eye contact with them and you’re secretly wishing they don’t make it and you feign helplessness. Besides, those elevators are dangerous and once you have had your hand crushed once, you won’t do it again. (yes, I’ve learned my lesson) What I do now is push the down call button on the outside to make sure the doors stay open for me. People inside the elevator don’t see me do this, so no one gets angry and I get inside the elevator.

    If I’m the first one in, I get in, push down, and then step to the back and let the elevators do the work.

  • rdg

    Oddly enough, the mean-spirited sounding replies for the High St, escalator debate are those who are rushing to get to trains and walk down the escalator. I have bad knees–and it is uncomfortable for me to walk down them–and when I do, it’s slow. If you’re in such a hurry, leave earlier. Steps are meant for those who can walk down them, escalators are not. Yes, I move to the side when I have to–with the resultant grease getting on my pants leg.

  • James

    Has anyone had any experience, good or bad, buying furniture from Nova Zembla? Comments appreciated.

  • Andrew Porter

    A belated comment for “Jen” — post 4th from the top: that entrance to the subway [R at Montague and Clinton] is due to be closed by the omnipotent and all-knowing MTA, so if they do, you won’t have any problems with the elevators there ever again. Ditto the entrance at Court and Joralemon, btw…

  • alex

    Senor Salsa,

    I have to disagree. I don’t think it’s “kind” to hold the elevator for someone on the outside. Kind to that one person, maybe, but what about the dozens already on the inside who you’re holding up even longer?

  • Jazz

    We are rubber, you Fay, are glue.

  • Jeremy

    Andrew, actually the plan says they’ll eliminate the station agents at those entrances, but the entrances themselves will still be open. (Although the Montague Street entrance WILL be closed 11pm-6am since the R will be routed over the Manhattan Bridge during that time and there won’t be any service on the platform. At least that’s what I think it says-there’s a confusing reference to the N which doesn’t even come this way anymore.)

  • DB

    Everywhere in the civilized world, people stand on the right and walk on the left on escalators. I don’t see why High Street should be an exception.

  • Beavis

    Guess England isn’t part of the civilized world. It’s the opposite way there.

  • CM

    I usually avoid the elevators at the R train Court Street station – far too slow. The only problem is that there’s a (presumably) homeless man who’s taken to camping out on the stairwell and I end frequently up tripping over his jacket in my scurry down to the platform.

  • Anonymous

    maybe you can get squadrone to work on legislation about proper usage of escalators and elevators. Judging by the comments this is urgently required.

  • bornhere

    Jeremy – From what I read in the Brooklyn Paper article, and from what I got after rereading it (and way too much parsing), the Montague Street R train closing seems to refer to the station entrance — not just the booth. So when we have to walk an extra block and navigate the increased crowds at Court and Montague, we’ll fondly recall the elevator dramas. Or maybe not.

  • Jeremy

    The BP article isn’t written clearly on that point…but I read the actual MTA plan and it doesn’t talk about closing the entrance, just the staffed booth.

  • Billy Reno

    I once let an elevator close on Charles Bronson at Barney’s in L.A. Not on purpose, but boy, did he look “Death Wish” perturbed!

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