cold and wet in philadelphia
The bar was great! Then the game got rained out. Then the septa lines shut down after an hour of waiting. Then the cabs dried up. Now a
we’re cold, we’re wet, and we’re waiting for a cab that’ll never come.
Fuck this city.
Comments
so we found a cabbie. The only empty cab inall of Philadelphia. He was afraid of new jersey so u had to haggle on the price. He has already called me not two minutes after being dropped off about being lost on the way back to rte. 70.
FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCKING BULLSHIT FUCK!
I’m still shivering from that game. They’ll let you back in with you ticket, but what about the people who lost theres, including this dumbass right here. Reached in my pocket some time and it must have fell out. I just gotta pray I can call the ticket office tomorrow.
smirks
Which Septa line stopped running? All of them? That’s terrible. I hate that the 6th largest city has such a lame public transit system. What about Patco? That’s supposed to run all night. Did the cab driver make you pay for his return trip?
john, you should have called me. i could have grabbed my car and drove you guys home.
I’ll never stop being amazed that Philly has such horrible public transportation. I’m still convinced that’s one of the main reasons why it’s never fully experienced the boom/population/business infusion it rightfully should have. For the past 20 years I keep expecting New York-centric people and businesses to realize that only an hour and a half to 2 hours away is a great city, with lots to offer, at about half the price of New York and start moving down there in droves and/or having businesses open Philly offices.
Or you could’ve stopped by my place to dry off and warm up. I could have conceivably driven us back to Jersey very early in the morning, but at least you could’ve waited for a cab indoors.
I think this is one of those situations where you wanted to sulk about stuff and feel angry?
Honestly, Luke and Justin, we didn’t even think of that. We were just cold, wet, and pissed off.
What was the concern with Septa?
Don’t you take Patco back to NJ?
Fagun said:FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCKING BULLSHIT FUCK!
I’m still shivering from that game. They’ll let you back in with you ticket, but what about the people who lost theres, including this dumbass right here. Reached in my pocket some time and it must have fell out. I just gotta pray I can call the ticket office tomorrow.
Why didn’t you hang it in your souvenir lanyard?
Oof. My sister was at the game and dropped her ticket, too. Dunno how that worked out, since she got the ticket from my sportswriter uncle. Whoops!
I think she had to go stand on a very long line in the cold rain.
Things not worth standing outside in the cold rain for:
- Everything
I was at the first game at Citizens Bank park when it opened a few years back, and it was 45 in a light rain. Sitting still, it was unbearably cold and we didn’t even make it through half the game. Can’t even imagine last night.
Let me just say from experience that if you’re going to agree to go to a football game with your father, even though you hate sports and hate football more than any other sport, that late November and early December in the 35-40 degree rain, when your father’s season tickets at the time are 5 rows from the top of Giants stadium is not the time to do so. Just a word to the wise.
Jay said:Things not worth standing outside in the cold rain for:
- Everything
What about a romantic kiss?
YOU MUST HEAR ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE!
after ditching hutch, reggie and co. for a ballpark experience, i realized that having a story to tell is much better than sitting in a warm, dry bar.
i left my house at 6 p.m. to pick up my good friend colin, who was taking a train from NYC. he had been at game 4 but had to take an early monday morning train back to manhattan for work. we drove back to my house, hopped on the speedline, then hopped on septa to the stadiums.
we finally found our friends surrounding a huge screen projecting the game onto it. it was sort of difficult to see, but i fashioned a beer cooler into a step stool and watched from there. the cops came over and broke up the whole setup and colin and i booked it to another group with a tv where we watched the fourth inning. still no idea why only ONE got broken up. most of our friends had left. but colin and i refused.
anyway, wet from rain, cold from 39 degree weather, we found another tent with a tv set up where we watched, while it rained harder and harder. my gloves were useless. i ditched them. when they pulled the tarp onto the field, colin and i walked to septa to go back to cc. once we got to septa, we realized the rain had stopped, so we walked back, only to see throngs of people leaving the ballpark. we made phone calls and listened on the radio only to hear the game would not resume.
we walked back to septa, waited in a cold rainy line for tokens, pushed through a disgusting amount of people, hopped on the local train and took it to walnut-locust. we waited for the speedine for 40 minutes only to hear those dreaded words hutch and co. heard: indefinitely suspended. colin and i walked back up to broad (his jacket was soaked through and he had a fleece wrapped around him like a cape) and tried to hail a cab. these cabbies wanted $75 for a ride to westmont. fuck that.
we found shelter in the doubleday hotel to warm up while i hailed a cab. i noticed three other guys having trouble too; they were going to lindenwold. i told the guys to hail a cab, tell the cabbie westmont, they will pay for it and i’ll drive them home to lindenwold. after about 45 minutes, we found one willing to do it for $30. we rode to my house, all three of these dudes piled into the back of my car and i drove them home. now, we’re friends for life.
got home around 3 a.m. passed the fuck out. called out of work this morning. phone barely works. i feel a bit sick. but i don’t regret a second of it.
Really? Are you sure you don’t regret a second of it? Cause it was a pretty shitty story. It sounds to me like you made a terrible decision and are doing your best to feel good about that decision.
For the scrabbled community at large, I would like to highlight a few choice pieces of IM conversation from earlier that day with Christina as I was trying to convince her what a terrible decision she was making:
- 4:50:48 PM John Hutch: This sounds pretty destined to fail, I gotta tell you
- 4:53:12 PM John Hutch: is thi sanything official?
- 4:53:19 PM John Hutch: it’s just some friends of yours, right?
- 4:53:23 PM John Hutch: where are they getting the signal?
- 4:53:36 PM John Hutch: how decent is the projector?
- 4:54:25 PM Xtina: i don’t have the answer to these questions
- 4:54:30 PM Xtina: they are work friends of my friend kelly
- 4:55:03 PM John Hutch: but they’re not affiliated with the ballpark or anything, right?
- 4:55:31 PM Xtina: no
- 4:55:20 PM John Hutch: I know I tend to be negative
- 4:55:34 PM John Hutch: but honeslty, I think this sounds way too failarrific.
And then there’s this:
4:58:49 PM Xtina: the only problem i forsee if not b eing able to see the screen as best as i want.
and another plea for sanity:
- 4:58:46 PM John Hutch: you’re taking lauran
- 4:58:50 PM Xtina: yes
- 4:58:51 PM Xtina: she is here
- 4:58:57 PM Xtina: she is still deciding
- 4:59:10 PM John Hutch: does she know how much potential FAIL is involved in the screen idea?
- 4:59:17 PM Xtina: yes
(Note: Lauran opted for the oh-so-boring, storyless “warm, dry bar” option which was great until the game got rained out).
And finally, this:
- 5:06:28 PM Xtina: i am leaving here at 6 p.m. to pick up my good friend colin from the train station
- 5:06:33 PM Xtina: then, we are driving into center city to park in a lot
- 5:06:37 PM Xtina: then, taking the subway to the stadium
- 5:07:44 PM John Hutch: You are just full of awful ideas.
- 5:07:46 PM John Hutch: Full of ’em.
- 5:08:06 PM John Hutch: Why ON EARTH would you drive into the city to take the subway when you live RIGHT NEXT TO THE SUBWAY?
- 5:09:40 PM Xtina: it’s six in one hand, half dozen in the other
Hehe. Turns out she was right about that one.
Hahahaha…..One of the reasons I love the scrabbled is because I know that no matter how much of a gratuitous, curmudgeonly contrarian I am, posting on the same board as John makes me seem positively accomodating at times. I at least have the excuse of old age on my side.
hahahahah! Justin. That is outstanding.
And hey! I gave her credit on her last decision. If only she’d stuck with it and not listened to me there.
Reggie said:
Why didn’t you hang it in your souvenir lanyard?
I didn’t get one, I thought they were giving them out, but must have ran out before I got there.
Well, called the ticket office and they’re going to reprint it for me. Luckily the ticket came by way of my partial season ticket plan, because if you got yours from a scalper or ebay or something, you’re screwed if you lost it.
Although I did find a ticket lying on the ground at the game that I happened to pick up, so I guess now I may have an extra ticket to the game through all this. But what bullshit this all is, wasting a start by Hamels, calling the game 2 innings too late. Makes me sick, or maybe that was the cold, wind, and rain I was subjected to last night.
If by some random twist of fate that’s a ticket for row 19 in section 307, that’s the one my sister dropped. She managed to lose the sucker (along with, I’m sure, hundreds of other people)… but there’s no reprinting since she got hers from our sportswriter uncle.
For some reason, her loss comforts me slightly because it means I’m not the only one in the family with a habit of clumsiness, awkwardness, and complete absent-mindedness. My flaws aren’t my fault! They’re hard coded in my DNA! Take THAT, gravity!!!
hahahaha john. normally, i am one to opt for a nice, warm place but all of that was overshadowed by the fact that i wanted to be AT the stadium if the phillies won the world series.
i knew i was serious about it when theresa offered to DRIVE us back into center city to watch the game. we refused.
i know that my setup didn’t sound too appealing to anyone else, but as i reinforced to john, i was willing to take my chances. i mean, we all ended up watching the game just fine. the cheers from inside the stadium and the fireworks made it worthwhile. everyone was huddled and cold with beer and snacks and high fives and it was great … for four or five innings.
of course, i couldn’t forsee any of that other shit happening, but like i said, i knew i was taking my chances. i’d do it again tomorrow! but yeah i think we’re going back to the fieldhouse ha.
HEY JUSTIN, DO YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A SPORTSWRITER UNCLE??
man, i am glad we have a night off. it would have been an epic fucking effort to go out and do all of that again tonight, with more beer.
this post is A+ entertaining. and hey, i caught my train last night with only 5 minutes of lateness…woo!
Maybe this post will make the New Jerseyan Scrabblers realize they should move to Philadelphia, especially since it sounds like Patco was the problem and not Septa.
yeah but at least in Jersey, you can park your car for free. i love South Jersey and Philly equally. fuck Philly for not having an easily accessible Wegmans and other such awesomeness. and fuck South Jersey for not being a major city.
i am eloquent tonight.
alycia said:Maybe this post will make the New Jerseyan Scrabblers realize they should move to Philadelphia, especially since it sounds like Patco was the problem and not Septa.
it’s my next move. there, or london. i get $ will have something to do with it.
mandy said:fuck Philly for not having an easily accessible Wegmans and other such awesomeness.
the key is to to have family in jersey, so when you visit them, you foodshop at the same time. unless you foodshop AT your parents house…which is awesome.
i have a confession to make.
i am feeling physically and emotionally drained by this whole process. yesterday, i ate eggs and toast in the morning. nothing the rest of the day. today, i ate a grilled cheese sandwich and some phillies ice cream. nothing else.
i also didn’t go into work, opting to take my two days at the times later in the week.
the whole strategy of baseball has always been a love of mine and now, when it’s rearing its head the most, is all too much for me to take. is it this normal to feel this way? i’ve always gotten emotional about baseball (and sister act 2 and babies in my family and so on) but this is out of control. i can’t believe how WEIRD i feel. it’s like breaking up with your boyfriend at night, then waking up in the morning and that thought of what happened the night before coming to you in the morning.
Justin said:If by some random twist of fate that’s a ticket for row 19 in section 307, that’s the one my sister dropped. DNA! Take THAT, gravity!!!
No random twist of fate here, it’s sect 208.
christina said:i have a confession to make.
i am feeling physically and emotionally drained by this whole process.
Don’t worry, it’s not just you. Those were my exact words to my co-workers when it turned out that I had to actually show up. I felt drained all that, get yourself hyped up for the game for so long, everyone tells you that they’re going to win this game and you actually telling yourself. The baseball gods are punishing the Philly fans for getting optimistic, ‘Know your role! Your are the pessimistic un-lovable losers!’
Oh god. Face painters. The inbred mongrels of sports fandom.
With a little photoshopping, it would look like your dad is uppercutting those two through the skull. Alas, I’m too lazy.
mandy said:yeah but at least in Jersey, you can park your car for free. i love South Jersey and Philly equally. fuck Philly for not having an easily accessible Wegmans and other such awesomeness. and fuck South Jersey for not being a major city.
i am eloquent tonight.
but we get beautiful farmers markets riddled with fresh meats, dairy and produce from local farms. who needs wegmans. or south jersey. i hate new jersey more than anywhere. i can’t believe i can’t pump my own fucking gasoline.
And who cares about free parking when in Philly you can get around without a car? I know Septa sucks but after taking it twice a day, every day for two and a half years, I have had only 10 bad experiences. I think that’s pretty good.
I’m with you Luke. New Jersey is just one big suburb and suburbs are lame.
I can get more living space for less money in new jersey. Also, a back yard. Also, I can grill.
However, in Philly I can play chess in Rittenhouse Square and having considerably more diverse workday lunches. Still, the only way it wouldn’t be too expensive to live in the city is if I got a job in the city as well and sold my car.
Also, safety. It’s a very real concern for me (about Gos).
John said:
Also, safety. It’s a very real concern for me (about Gos).
Sexist
Shut it before I make safety a real concern for you (about your face).
Hahaha
John, what do you mean about safety for Gosia? Bad things can happen anywhere. I lived alone in the city for over a year and had absolutely no problems. I hate to say it, but most of the crime in the city takes place in certain areas and is all related. It’s also amazing how the borders of neighborhoods work. I live about six blocks from Kensington and feel completely safe at night.
Philadelphia doesn’t have to be expensive. It was cheaper for me to move here than to stay in Collingswood alone. And in my last apartment, which was really big for not a lot of money in a nice neighborhood, I had a backyard and the possibility to grill.
I do understand that if you don’t work in the city, it doesn’t make sense to live here. But the city is a really great place to live. I wish more people would give it a chance, at least for a little bit.
Well, Lauran was attacked in a perfectly fine neighborhood (2nd and South) walking back to her car. Are your chances going to go up in K-town? Sure. But the fact remains: living in the city involves Gosia walking alone down city streets at night. Living in the burbs means Gosia walking 10 feet from her car to the door.
Fact is, I’d still love to live in the city and if I ever find myself at a point where I’m making enough money at a job in the city that I can afford a place with enough space and a parking garage, I’d absolutely love it. But the chances of that happening before we have kids (and we’re not raising kids in the city) is pretty slim.
I’d much rather live in Westmont, Collingswood, or Haddonfield where we can just walk to the train to get to the city.
All of your points make sense. I guess we are just coming from different perspectives. I used to worry about my boyfriend driving home at night in Wisconsin because of all the drunk driving. And now I worry about my brother and guy friends in the city because of the recent random attacks on young white guys.