Coming home last night from a wonderful time at the flickr NYC meetup, I wondered what could possibly ruin my good mood. The Answer, as always, is the MTA. For, you see, after a 15 minute wait at West 4th street, and then not getting a seat on the train, after we crossed the bridge it was announced that D trains would all be running over the B line due to a power outage at 36th street. Of course, as soon as we pull into DeKalb, what should happen to pass by but another D train on the D train line, only its mostly empty and has plenty of seating. After the hike from the B platform to the D/N/R platform at Atlantic/Pacific street station, we get the new announcement that it's in fact a police investigation at Prospect Ave, and that no trains at all are running. In fact, it's suggested that we take a bus, which is a load of crap, becuase there are hardly any buses at Midnight. At least I got a seat to wait it out on the R train. No sooner we get the announcment from the conductor that it's going to be a while, do we get the station announcement that all is back up and running. So I hop on the express train (which also happens to be an R), and we settle in ... To sit in the tunnel for another 10 minutes. Why? CONGESTION! No train has been running through the tunnel for at least 30 minutes, but somehow the empty tunnels are "congested" with the phantom imaginary train cars that only the MTA in it's infinate "wisdom" can see. By the time I finally get onto an N train, we're stuck at 59th street waiting. Why? Becuase the tower has decided to hold the train another 5 minutes. Becuase when you haven't been running any trains for half an hour, holding another 5 minutes makes things better, according to the fucked up MTA math. I used to get all upset about people that jumped the turnstile or tagged the system. Now I understand. The system has been stealing my time, nearly several months according to my calculations. Probably the same for other people too. These guys who tag or don't pay are just righting their personal equations. They're stealing back their time and money that the system has taken from them. Oh, and Prospect Ave? No cops. No investigation. Just more lies and bullshit from MTA incompetants that have their heads so far up their asses it would take a team of proctologists and professional spelunkers to untangle it all.