Charlie on the M.T.A.

[Dave McClung]

Denny and Susan recently took their family to Washington, D.C. to visit the Smithsonian Museums. They had a great time, but came back with a story that brought back old, old memories.

Their story was with the Washington Metro System. On that system, one buys a ticket before their trip. When one enters a station, the turnstyle records the entry station, then when the passenger gets off, the turnstyle reads the ticket and deducts the appropriate fare. When they bought their tickets, they paid the fare for nonrush hour, but they got back earlier than planned. They didn't have enough fare left on their tickets, so they couldn't get out of the station.

It only took a few minutes to solve the problem, but when they told the story, it reminded me of Charlie on the M.T.A. I was surprised that neither Denny nor Susan had heard it.

Here is a link to the song that will bring back memories to those who are old enough to remember the Kingston Trio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VMSGrY-IlU

[Joanne Vergin]

Is that what happened to him? Poor guy. :)

[John Kennedy]

Thought about that song several times while riding the "T" in Boston this summer.

[Hal Paul]

Denny and Susan recently took their family to Washington, D.C. to visit the Smithsonian Museums. They had a great time, but came back with a story that brought back old, old memories.

Their story was with the Washington Metro System. On that system, one buys a ticket before their trip. When one enters a station, the turnstyle records the entry station, then when the passenger gets off, the turnstyle reads the ticket and deducts the appropriate fare. When they bought their tickets, they paid the fare for nonrush hour, but they got back earlier than planned. They didn't have enough fare left on their tickets, so they couldn't get out of the station.

It only took a few minutes to solve the problem, but when they told the story, it reminded me of Charlie on the M.T.A. I was surprised that neither Denny nor Susan had heard it.

Here is a link to the song that will bring back memories to those who are old enough to remember the Kingston Trio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VMSGrY-IlU


Whenever I take the DC metro I buy a day fare card, it costs a little more, but I don't get stuck because I miscalculated the fare first thing in the AM. It also gives me the freedom to change my mid about where I'm going and what I'm doing that day without going back to upgrade the card, and since the card is good until midnight, I usually can find someone who is getting on the train to give my card to when I've finished my trip.

Cute song.

[Ryan Scott]

They have an automated system on the 'T' in Boston now, with the electronic cards known as "Charlie Cards." My parents couldn't figure out why and I had to enlighten them to the song.

Apparently it skipped a generation. I became familiar with the song, when it was featured in a performance by Hal's singing group in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle.

[Mike Schutz]

They have an automated system on the 'T' in Boston now, with the electronic cards known as "Charlie Cards." My parents couldn't figure out why and I had to enlighten them to the song.

Apparently it skipped a generation. I became familiar with the song, when it was featured in a performance by Hal's singing group in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle.

Well, it might have skipped your parents - but it didn't skip their/our generation. I knew the song before I went to Boston as a freshman - a year after your dad.

[Gina Stevenson]

Denny and Susan recently took their family to Washington, D.C. to visit the Smithsonian Museums. They had a great time, but came back with a story that brought back old, old memories. ..............

When they bought their tickets, they paid the fare for nonrush hour, but they got back earlier than planned. They didn't have enough fare left on their tickets, so they couldn't get out of the station. [/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]It only took a few minutes to solve the problem, but when they told the story, it reminded me of Charlie on the M.T.A ...............

Well, thanks for "splainin'," Dave. Wondered how on earth anyone could not reeeally get off of a subway train. Now that you've explained how one guesstimates their trips & prepays accordingly, I can see what they were singing about. I've known that song since it was first out ... knew all the words ... but could honestly not understand it, in spite of having gotten lost on the Montreal subway once long, long ago (doesn't work the same way ... or didn't then, anyway). ;)

They have an automated system on the 'T' in Boston now, with the electronic cards known as "Charlie Cards." My parents couldn't figure out why and I had to enlighten them to the song.

"Charlie Cards" ... cute! :basic05

[Glenn Harris]

In all the times I've been to DC I've always bought a day pass so I didn't even know that they had a difference in rates based on time of day.

You learn something new on Naznet every day.

[Marg Shurtliff]

Had heard that song multi times but never paid much attention to the verses nor even thought much about the significance of the chorus . It all makes sense now . Poor Charlie . If his wife could hand him a sandwich why couldn't she hand him the nickel he needed to get off ? :laughing

[Gene Tatsch]

... If his wife could hand him a sandwich why couldn't she hand him the nickel he needed to get off ? :laughing
?then how'd we ever get that catchy song?!:fun15

[Glenn Harris]

Had heard that song multi times but never paid much attention to the verses nor even thought much about the significance of the chorus . It all makes sense now . Poor Charlie . If his wife could hand him a sandwich why couldn't she hand him the nickel he needed to get off ? :laughing

A ham sandwich keeps him alive. A nickle brings him home. nuff said.

[Dave McClung]

The song was orginally a political ad. Wouldn't it be great if we still had political ads with some humor?

[Gina Stevenson]

Had heard that song multi times but never paid much attention to the verses nor even thought much about the significance of the chorus . It all makes sense now . Poor Charlie . If his wife could hand him a sandwich why couldn't she hand him the nickel he needed to get off ? :laughing

?then how'd we ever get that catchy song?!:fun15

Gene, you're too fast! I was going to suggest, when clicking the "quote" dealie on Marg's post, that we'd then have no cute song. Oh, well ... ;)

The song was orginally a political ad. Wouldn't it be great if we still had political ads with some humor?

Political ad? OK, which Charlie was running ... and for what? "Amen!" to those humorous political ads, BTW ... some (most?) are just awful these days ... actually, for the last how-many years, it seems.

[Dave McClung]

Gene, you're too fast! I was going to suggest, when clicking the "quote" dealie on Marg's post, that we'd then have no cute song. Oh, well ... ;)



Political ad? OK, which Charlie was running ... and for what? "Amen!" to those humorous political ads, BTW ... some (most?) are just awful these days ... actually, for the last how-many years, it seems.

Gina
Listen closely to the last verse. It will answer your question. The original version was in support of Water A. O'Brian. The Kingston Trio changed it to "Charlie O'Brian" or "George O'Brian."

The song was written in support of Walter A. O'Brian campaign. He lost.

[John Kennedy]

The song was orginally a political ad. Wouldn't it be great if we still had political ads with some humor?

We do. It's jsut there's such a pervasive lack of a public sense of humor, that the ads don't stand a chance. Altogether too many people regard offense as a sort of dietary supplement - and they take some at every opportunity.

[Gord Evans]

Got on the Metro at Regan, headed for Smithsonian (blue line?). Bought my ticket based on returning to Regan in a few hours ... just doubled the fare to Smithsonian ($1.35 X 2 = $2.70) and bought the ticket.

Walked the Mall from the Washington Monument to the Capitol Building, saw what I wanted to see, then headed for L'Enfant Plaza for a bite of lunch. After lunch, walked down the stairs at L'Enfant and boarded a "yellow line" heading back to Regan. As I was leaving Regan Metro station I realized that taking the "yellow line" back had added one stop to my trip ... I calculated that I didn't have enough left on my ticket to be able to get out. So I put the ticket in the appropriate slot, asked for a re-calc and was prepared to pay a little bit more to have a ticket that would allow me to exit the station.

The machine responded that no more $$$$ was due, and when it gave me back my ticket, I used it in the turnstile and it worked fine. So, either I miscalculated, or DC Metro was being kind to this Canadian tourist. Either way, I was a happy camper, and very jealous of a city (DC) that provides the means to travel from the airport to the middle of the city on a fast, clean Metro for about $2.00.

In Toronto, you're paying either a taxi or limo driver to get you to the heart of the city ... probably upwards from $20. Toronto needs to expand it's Subway service out to Pearson International. I guess that would make a lot of taxi drivers unhappy, though.

Too bad.



Denny and Susan recently took their family to Washington, D.C. to visit the Smithsonian Museums. They had a great time, but came back with a story that brought back old, old memories.

Their story was with the Washington Metro System. On that system, one buys a ticket before their trip. When one enters a station, the turnstyle records the entry station, then when the passenger gets off, the turnstyle reads the ticket and deducts the appropriate fare. When they bought their tickets, they paid the fare for nonrush hour, but they got back earlier than planned. They didn't have enough fare left on their tickets, so they couldn't get out of the station.

It only took a few minutes to solve the problem, but when they told the story, it reminded me of Charlie on the M.T.A. I was surprised that neither Denny nor Susan had heard it.

Here is a link to the song that will bring back memories to those who are old enough to remember the Kingston Trio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VMSGrY-IlU

[Hans Deventer]

Toronto needs to expand it's Subway service out to Pearson International.

We have a railway station underneath the central hall of Amsterdam Airport. It will give you a direct connection to Amsterdam, but also to many other cities in the Netherlands, including my home town, and in fact even down to Antwerp, Brussels and Paris.

http://www.benthemcrouwel.nl/portal_presentation/transport/schiphol-station