Planes, Trains and Automobiles...Screwed

Traveling alone as a woman has never been a problem until this last trip. I decided to take a flight home from New York City instead of a train because I didn’t want to have to wander about Boston at 11pm when my train got in. So, I took the safer route by flying since I could go from the airport, hop on a bus and the bus brought me directly to my car. You’d think this would eliminate shadiness. Well no, it didn’t!

When I left my conference I stood in the taxi line to get a cab to the airport. The concierge noticed a vacant car waiting to bring people to the airport. The driver said that his party didn’t show up and he’d take $25 from each person that got in and that he was going to the airport. I thought “Great! I’ll save my company money.” I use this service all the time for business trips so I didn’t think there would be a problem.

The guy who got in with me was running late for his flight. He told the driver that he’d give him a cash bonus if he could get him to the airport on time. Mind you, this is during rush hour in NYC! We stopped and went with gusto! I mean this guy slammed on the gas and sent me flying into the back of the front seat. Slammed on the breaks and I’d go slamming right back into my seat. Repeat for an hour like this! Insane. I popped mints like it was my job to keep my stomach from turning.

We get to the airport and since the guy was running late, I allowed him to get dropped off first. The driver dropped him at his terminal with a half an hour to spare. The guy gave him the $25 and a cash bonus and he was off. The driver took me to my terminal and he changed his tune.

“Where you go now?”

“Jetblue please.”

We arrive at the Jetblue terminal and I have my $25 plus tip ready. He looks at my money and says “I want $50.” I told him I didn’t have $50 (I did but he wasn’t going to know that.) He repeats himself “I want $50.” I replied “Do you take a charge card?” (At least if I charged I could do a charge back) he says he doesn’t. He get’s out of the car and get’s my bag from the back. I hop out of the car and look for security. There is no one. Of course this guy pulls up to the curb that is vacant. I realize I am not even at the JetBlue terminal. I am two up from Jetblue.

I walk around to the back of the car to get my bag and hand him his $25 (no tip now because he pissed me off). “I want $50!” I look around. There is NO ONE and I am ready to puke. I rummage through my purse and realize I ditched my pepper spray because it’s kinda frowned upon by the TSA. DAMN!

I look at him and say “I book you all the time. I know how much you charge for a trip to the airport and it’s not $50 and I know you can take a credit card. I am not paying $50 and I can guarantee you if I do pay $50, I will never book with you again.” He stares at my blankly “$50” he says while holding my bag. I reach out for my bag and he pulls it away “$50” he screams.

I can guarantee you that had I been dropped off first and that man was in the car still, this would never have happened. This driver knew what he was doing.

Since there was no security around and I was ready to puke and I ditched my pepper spray, I paid $50 cash. He threw a taxi cab receipt at me to fill out so I could at least expense the $50. The funny part is that had I taken a cab, it would have cost me $60 to get to the airport and I would have been fine with that. It’s the fact that this guy intentionally screwed with me that made me angry and feel violated.

I have notified the company and they are trying to resolve the issue but come on… that was uncalled for. I will never take a stray car service again. I’ll only be using car services that are pre-booked for me or a cabby. Lesson learned. HMPH!

Hoofing it!

This morning was a fun adventure. I get to North Station and hop off the commuter rail and when I go to the T station, it’s being evacuated. The only person in the building was the Metro paper guy and the MBTA police. I even tried to go into the building…what is wrong with me? That’s how much I dreaded hoofing it a half a mile to my office. I went in and tried to go down the escalator before getting kicked out by the MBTA police. Still don’t know what was wrong in the station but dam*, hoofing it sucked. I generally don’t mind walking. In fact, I embrace it when the weather is nice buuut I am feeling like I am on the verge of bronchitis/pneumonia and I really didn’t feel like using my energy before my work day even began. Hopefully the Orange line is back up and running this afternoon because I’m exhausted.

Picture courtesy of Joe-ks.com

Zip Your Lips!

This morning I saw a woman play the best train game I have ever seen. This woman is brilliant!

A woman boards the train with her daughter today. The daughter says to the mom "I want to play a game. What should we play?" The mother responds "Let's play Simon Says. You go first."

The little girl is so excited. The mother then says "Simon says 'Zip your lips!" the little girl holds her fingers up to her lips like she is zipping them. Then she has a confused look and unzips her lips "How long?" asks the little girl.

Mom responds "Until we reach North Station. Ready. Set. Go." The little girl rezips her lips and was quiet all the way to North Station.

We get to North Station and the girl unzips her lips. "Now it's your turn. Simon says.......Skip off the train." The mom skipped right off that train. 

Shape Ups Chick- Still Shape Ups Chick?

This morning I encountered Shape Ups chick as she was walking down the aisle to get off the train. I was sitting so when I saw her walk by me, I eagerly checked out her shoes. Surely after Shape Ups were all over the news reporting that they had been falsely advertised as a slimming, toning shoe, I figured she would have ditched ‘em since they hold no fashion value what so ever. I’d also have to assume that if someone was wearing them previously, they’d strictly be wearing them with the hope of shedding some pounds and not because they thought they looked cool.

Well, I was VERY disappointed this morning to find that Shape Ups Chick is STILL Shape Ups Chick! She did not ditch them! What is wrong with her? You know you look like an astronaut. Extra! Extra! Read All About It! Shape Ups do NOTHING! You  must know this? Or maybe you don’t because she has been living under a rock! I am 100% floored that she is still sporting her space shoes. Eye Yi Yi! Unbelievable I tell ya…

Photo Courtesy of Sketchers

Strict Policy

Last night on my way home, I was asked directions twice in a row at the T stop. After a little over a year, I finally look to outsiders like a real Bostonian! It made my night. A guy next to me started talking to me about how he would go but to send non-Bostonian’s that way, I figured they’d get lost so I told them the most direct route. We continue chit chatting about the joys of public commuting and how he gets in specifically at the same T door I get in because when it stops at North Station, everyone gets off and he has plenty of room to ride out the remainder of his commute (Very strategic and I like it)!

I told him that I get off at North Station and he told me to be careful not to get trampled. He was joking and wasn’t expecting my retort “I have been trampled. Hence why I wear closed toed shoes while commuting. It’s not fun.” He is shocked.

“Wow! That is crazy! I have a strict no run for public transit policy. They get too much joy shutting those doors in your face when we are right there.” He says.

I like his policy. However, I can’t fully agree with it. If you don’t run for the train at North Station and you’re heading for the commuter rail and you miss your train, you are stuck sitting around North Station for another half hour to an hour! Not fun in my book. And yes, I do carry a book with me at all times but reading a book at North Station is not how I want to spend my evening. On the other hand, I  can agree with him on his strict no run for public transit policy because had people decided to walk instead of run, my foot never would have been mangled in the escalator (hence why I wear closed toed shoes now) and I would have never been body slammed into a cement wall. It’s almost a catch 22 to run for transit, you get home faster but you run the risk of injury to do so.

Shape Ups are a Fraud and I Knew It!!

If you recall correctly in my post Meet Shape Ups Chick I speculated that the only thing Shapes ups did was make you look like you were preparing for your trip to outer f*cking space! Yes?!

Well today, an announcment was made that Sketchers will have to pay "40 Million to settle charges by the Federal Trade Commission that the footwear company made unfounded claims that its Shape-ups shoes would help people lose weight and strengthen their butt, leg and stomach muscles. " Reports Jennifer Kerr. Get the full story from Boston.com here:  FTC: Skechers deceived consumers with shoe ads

I am in my glory today!! I knew it all along and everyone said that Shape Ups really did work! Well they DON'T!!!  SO.... HA!

If you wish to get a refund for your space shoes go here: https://skechers.action-settlement.com/

Comfortably Numb!

I have to say that in the last year or so of being a train commuter, the things I wrote about seemed to strike me as odd and out of the ordinary. However, lately I have become numb to the things people do. They are no longer shocking to me.

The Bull Fighting Jack A*s is no longer a threat to me. I am fully prepared to elbow him in his ugly face the next time he tries to run me over. Fat Bastard still cracks me up. I don't think I could become numb to her. The other day she sprinted from the T to the popcorn stand looking like a weeble (Remember kids- Weebles wobble but they don't fall over). I laughed all the way up the escalator watching her and people probably thought I was mental and wondered what the heck I was laughing at but come on... how is that not funny? After she secured her popcorn, she leisurely walked to the train. I did learn my lesson from her though, don't wear anything that you don't want ruined by flailing popcorn grease and salt!

Bad breath and body odor is not acceptable. However, it now equates to me lathering up my hands with pretty smelling lotion and holding my hands to my face for the remainder of the train ride (Yes, I look like the girl from Super Star but whatever, I don't smell grossness. I smell Peach Bellini lotion thank you very much). I have thought about spritzing the air with perfume or room spray like I tried to inconspicuously do when I had previously walked by the Occupy protesters but on a train, you aren't inconspicuous when it comes to spraying things. 

So, perhaps I haven't grown numb to these things. Maybe, I have just adapted to other peoples, eh-hem,  short comings and have adjusted my ways so that I don't have to suffer through my commute.