NEXT STOP! is a humorous, slice-of-life book offering tips that will make your train adventure more enjoyable, with stories that are as funny as they are real.
While commuting from Milford, CT to Grand Central Station in New York City, I observed many humorous events and developed a set of tips that converted my mundane three hour daily routine to one that became bearable, at times even enjoyable. In NEXT STOP! I share these tips and stories to help others enhance their commuting experience. Read about three types of riders and their “3 A’s”: Attire, Accoutrements, and Attitude. Laugh at how they differ and see what happens when they are cramped together in a small, confined space. See how commuters are “creatures of habit” and how that is disrupted when the unexpected occurs.
I have travelled extensively during a long and successful career in Information Technology, enduring many modes of transportation. With NEXT STOP! TIPS AND TALES From A Train CommuterI take the reader through the experiences of a unique type of commuter, the train commuter. I decided to write NEXT STOP! after riding the train daily for severla years. It didn’t take me long to realize that the people that travel routinely by train compose a very special community, a community full of quirks that made for some great stories. With the assistance of Rhode Island-based writing and editorial consulting firm 3am Writers, my book became a reality. “I knew Tom had a great story, and it was an honor to be called upon to edit the book,” stated Aileen McDonough, company president, “NEXT STOP! is a wonderful collection of pithy stories and tips.”
Excerpt
A few years ago, I thought taking a train to work was an easy thing. After all, you just get on in one place and get off in another, right? Simple!
Several years of commuting by train from Milford, CT to New York City on the Metro North line have taught me just how wrong my initial impression was. This book is an attempt to help you, the reader, learn from my mistakes instead of making them yourself. (I’m sure you’d much rather make your own, unique mistakes. Or make none at all. Dare to dream!)
I am not an historian, a social scientist or even a railroad buff (more about those guys later.) I hope to help you see some humor in train travel, and pick up some tips that should help for a more enjoyable ride. This book may be helpful to anyone that may currently ride the trains regularly, or anyone who’s just landed a fabulous new job that happens to be a train ride away from their home. Much of what is presented here can be used for any train line, not only Metro North. If nothing else, you can read this book on the train, and make your trip go by a little faster.
But if, like I was, you’re facing the idea of taking the train on a daily basis and are new to the experience, my advice to you is do your homework, experiment, finalize your strategy and execute your plan.
Or, you can just get on and get off.
Farctured Frazzled Folk Fables and Fairy Farces, Part II satirizes popular children's stories into adult-oriented renditions. FFFF &FF, Part II is also available in Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble e-book formats.
