“Being a train conductor seems like a simple, boring job: Collecting tickets, opening and closing doors, reminding people to keep their feet off the seats. Yawn.” – Jim Cameron Continue Reading →
A Metro-North Conductor’s Memoir
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Opinion
Recent Posts
Coach Morello Opens Up about Preventing Stillbirth, “Counting the Kicks”
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“Stillbirth, which is defined as the loss of a baby at 20+ weeks of pregnancy, happens to 1 in every 220 pregnancies in Connecticut. Despite this, stillbirth remains one of the most underfunded, under-researched and overlooked maternal health outcomes. We simply aren’t talking about stillbirth enough, or what can be done to prevent it.” – Tony Morello Continue Reading →
Filed under: Opinion
Talking Transportation: Night Driving, Blinded by the Light
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“It used to be that the Connecticut DMV checked headlight alignments during your bi-annual emissions tests, but that ended in 2001. A bill (HB 6163) before the Connecticut legislature in 2023 would have restored those tests, but it never became law.” – Jim Cameron Continue Reading →
Filed under: Opinion
Talking Transportation: The Dangers of the Fall
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By Jim Cameron
I love the fall. But I hate the leaves! Sure, they look pretty as they change colors, but when those leaves are spent and fall to the ground, they present real problems for travelers. Whether you rake your leaves yourself or have someone “blow” them for you, disposing of leaves is a hassle. Growing up (many years ago) I remember we used to burn our leaves, heedless to the air pollution and health effects. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Opinion
Talking Transportation: Bikes on Board
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“Taking mass transit is great. But when you step off your train or bus, what do you do to get to your final destination? Increasingly, that means BYO wheels: a bike, e-bike or scooter.” – Jim Cameron Continue Reading →
Filed under: Opinion, Jim Cameron, Talking Transportation
Talking Transportation: Tips for Riding Amtrak Acela
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“I finally had a chance to ride the new NextGen Acela and I have to admit, I was wrong: This really is Amtrak’s train of the future.” – Jim Cameron Continue Reading →
Filed under: Opinion
How Safe Are You on E-Scooters and Skateboards?
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As if our roads weren’t dangerous enough already, there’s a new generation of “micro-mobility” silently swishing around our streets for us to worry about: electric scooters and skateboards. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Opinion
CT Traffic Deaths Down Except for E-bikes. Wrong-Way Crashes Down. Train Fares Up.
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“Higher rail fares (with the same slow service) and unending traffic are other reasons more than 17% of Connecticut residents chose to work remotely. In some towns the numbers are much higher: 39% of Weston residents and 36% in Westport.” – Jim Cameron Continue Reading →
Filed under: Opinion
Diana Jackson, “Walking the Walk” All 2,192 Miles of the Appalachian Trail
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The Darien native is one of over 3300 people each year who try to walk the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to Maine. But she’s one of the 25% of them that actually completed the task. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Opinion
A Transportation Centennial: Formation of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, August 1925
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“As one historian put it, a Pullman porter had the best job in his community and the worst job on the train. There was no room for promotion. Passengers often referred to Pullman porters by demeaning names like “boy”, or “George”, applying the first name of the Pullman cars’ owner.” – Jim Cameron Continue Reading →