Subway Sagas

Sharon and Sean record remotely for the first time! They dedicate this episode to their newfound hero, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York. Don’t get Cuomo FOMO - listen to this episode ASAP! Stay safe everyone!! (Otherwise Cuomo WILL find you) **Please bear with us on the audio quality as we work through the kinks of recording remotely as we honor the CDC’s social distancing guidelines**

Sharon and Sean are finally back! They record a mini episode in Central Park to catch up amid the COVID-19 craziness. Don't worry, they recorded into their own phones and maintained a distance of 12 feet (twice the required 6 feet!) at all times. They discuss the vital importance of transit during these trying times for NYC (and the country and world at large!). They also share their newfound love for Governor Andrew Cuomo based on his excellent handling of COVID-19 pandemic. Sean takes a moment to set the record the straight about New York State's impending shutdown of non-essential businesses, clarifying as Gov Cuomo did, that it is NOT a lockdown or shutdown of the state, nor is it a shelter in place mandate. Hope you are all staying safe out there! More content coming soon!!

In the final episode of 2019 and the Season Finale of Subway Saga’s Second Season, Sharon and Sean discuss their 2019 Transit Top Ten. Listen to hear what they feel were the biggest transit happenings of the year. And be sure to tune in for the Season 3 Premiere in early 2020!

Christmas is oh so near

Sharon and Sean tackle a trending topic in this episode - the New York Time's interactive digital post about the NYC subway map. Check it out for yourself here and see if your favorite parts of it align with Sharon & Sean's -  https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/02/nyregion/nyc-subway-map.html The whole feature takes less than 10 minutes to get through, and it's guaranteed to be some of the best 10 minutes of your day (besides the minutes you spend listening to this episode, of course)! Before they dive into the NYT's super cool subway map feature, Sharon and Sean catch up on how they spent their Thanksgiving weekends, which of course mostly involves Sharon talking about hers. Sharon is justified in dominating this conversation as she watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade irl, and witnessed firsthand as Ronald McDonald wreaked havoc. She is also reminded of an illogical MetroCard quirk based on the experience of her international visitor, former Subway Sagas guest, Victorrrrria! (@victoriamartinezbarrera) During News of the Week, Sharon shares a New York Times article about a full Thanksgiving dinner on the L train, and Sean discusses a non-NYT article about the deal the MTA recently struck with its major union.  Also, Sharon and Sean disagree about a nostalgic treat. 

Sean and Sharon have a very special Thanksgiving treat for you all - Jamie, THE Pilgrim Woman in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, joins them for this episode to peek behind the curtain and unveil the magic that goes into putting on the iconic American spectacle. Jamie is a true parade VIP, with TV time and all! You may remember Jamie from the "Saint-Georges" episode earlier this year when she told the amazing tale of how a Parisian metro worker serenaded her over the station intercom for her birthday. Jamie continues to amaze with incredible inside knowledge of and stories about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, including the secret Parade Studio warehouse in Jersey, costume party-buses, horse pooper-scoopers with rolling trash cans, political activist protesters, television cues, social strata of parade positions, and so much more! Jamie is dedicated to being part of the magic of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, having participated in it for nearly a decade now and even seeing an ex each Thanksgiving for the sake of a prime parade post. She's a pro balloon-head handler at this point, helpin' them march over potholes with ease. There's literally no better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than listening to this totally topical episode! During News of the Week, Sean discusses how the MTA intentionally flooded a G train entrance in Brooklyn while the station was open, and Sharon milks her new New York Times subscription by choosing an anti ferry article just to piss off Sean, which ends up backfiring. Sharon and Sean also catch up a bit after Sharon's terrible LA trip that caused her to miss meting the one and only ANDY BYFORD at the Riders Alliance gala. Jamie and Sharon sass Sean for not taking the opportunity to pimp the podcast to Mr. Byford. Sean did manage to discuss #BusLyfe with Andy Byford, and he and Sharon end up speculating about Mr. Byford passing the time on his prime bus-watching perch. Also, Sharon learns what an air marshal is. *This podcast is not sponsored by Macy's or any of its affiliates. Sean, Sharon, and Jamie are simply big fans of the Magic of Macy's.

Sharon is back from VietJetsetting across Vietnam and is excited to tell Sean and all of you lovely listeners about it! Unlike with their trip to Buenos Aires, Sharon keeps the focus mostly on transit and transit-adjacent topics, and limits the content to one episode instead of stretching it across four. Her VietJetsetting of course includes planes, as well as a healthy dose of #BoatLyfe. She shares taxi adventures in an Uberless land, reminiscent of her and Sean's BA Taxi App exploits. She also discusses how Hanoi is all about that #MotorbikeLyfe. Beyond transit, Sharon's Vietnam voyage includes bats, monkeys, crocodiles, mausoleums, strange street food, angry tailors, and so much more! During News of the Week, Sharon vents about a drastic price hike on the JFK AirTrain, while Sean breathes a sigh of relief that his office will be relocating out of Midtown East before a 20-year MTA construction project kicks off there. Also, Sharon takes a four-hour boat cruise with her coworkers and lives to tell the tale.

Surprise, surprise, Sharon's going on another international jaunt, so she and Sean unite to record before she jet sets to Vietnam. 

Happy Halloween!! Sharon and Sean have one more Buenos Aires episode for you (we promise this is the last one!). The topic of this episode is Tierra Santa, which is a religious theme park in Buenos Aires. It claims to be the first and only religious theme park in the world (we have not independently verified this claim). Tierra Santa is so magical that we don't want to spoil any of it here in the description - you'll have to listen to learn more! During News of the Week, Sharon discusses the NYC Subway's 115th birthday, while Sean talks about another theme park - the newly opened Nickelodeon Universe at the brand new American Dream megamall in north Jersey. Also, Sharon takes a Shining to an extremely large sweater.

Are you ready for more Buenos Aires content? Sean and Sharon sure are! This episode is all about boat transit in BA. #FerryLyfe The dynamic duo discusses their ferry adventure to Uruguay via the delightful BuqueBus ferry company. Their Uruguay adventure includes choppy waters, a curious pancake-like dessert - "Que es pancake?", landmarks closed due to bad weather, and lots of storytime. They also recount their trek to the Tigre River region, which they traveled to and from via regional rail (along with some familiar feathered friends). They enjoyed a lovely catamaran ride on the river thanks to help of a particularly persuasive Brazilian. In News of the Week, Sean discusses a close call about transit hero Andy Byford, while Sharon shares San Francisco's plans for their very own busway! Also, Sean gives Sharon a very special gift.

Sean and Sharon are back with more to say about their trip to Buenos Aires! This time they actually discuss transit, focusing on the SUBE card, which Sharon intentionally and affectionately mispronounces as SOOB. Before they SOOB, Sean takes on the NOOBs in recounting a recent Amtrak experience with an especially sassy conductor who was highly upset about a NOOB mistake some of the passengers made.

In this episode, Sharon and Sean scratch the surface of their recent trip to Buenos Aires (BA), Argentina. They cover their transit adventures getting to and from Buenos Aires (i.e. their trips to the airport and flights), and are saving their BA public transit adventures for another episode. However, this episode has plenty of #TaxiLyfe, including how to get around in a city where Uber is illegal and unreliable. Sharon and Sean spend the majority of the episode talking what they did, ate, and drank while exploring the beautiful city of Buenos Aires. Mate? Tango? Huge steaks? Vermouth-infused wine? Afternoon tea? Shark Tank Colombia? This episode has it all!  You'll be booking your trip to BA by the time you finish listening. During News of the Week, Sharon talks about the incredible Miss Subway Pageant while Sean recounts a thrilling race to JFK between the new Uber Copter service and the MTA.  Also, Sharon buys a diffuser after visiting  a fancy hotel.

Sean convinces Sharon to allow them to dedicate an entire episode topic to him ranting about the sorry state of MTA escalators in Midtown East this past summer. Sean dubs it "The MTA's Summer of Escalator Hell" as he gets himself worked up venting about the number of broken escalators at the 53rd and Lex E/M station. His rant includes ever-changing timetables, egregious misuse of MTA resources, and passive-aggressive privately-owned escalators. During News of the Week, Sharon shares a dark tale with a surprise fortunate ending, while Sean dissects an article about the progress (or lack thereof) the city has made in improving #BusLyfe. SEPTA makes an appearance in this episode’s anecdote. Also, Sean brings back M.T.A-holes with an offender that Sharon dubs the best M.T.A-hole segment yet.

Fear not! Sharon and Sean reunited after a brief hiatus to record more Subway Sagas episodes!

Sharon and Sean venture out to JFK AIrport...for fun (!!)

Sharon and Sean reunite to record again at long last! And since it had been over a month since they last recorded, it meant they had no choice but to do another episode dedicated entirely to News of the Week! They catch up on all the transit-related news from mid July through early August that they weren't able to discuss, including: - How the MTA temporarily lost all the numbered lines  - The upcoming Shuttle Train Renaissance  - An MTA worker hedging his bets  - The MTA homelessness task force  - MTA heroes - Alternative names for the new OMNY Card  - Local politicking at the MTA’s expense  - A Brooklyn bus town hall meeting Also, Sharon finds her beach on the M train.

Sharon and Sean start off the episode recounting their July 4th weekend, which includes New York City's largest patio, illegal rooftops, a muppet dog, "adult parties," and pub cheese! The topic of the episode is great food finds across the city, as venturing out in the city to find delicious food is one of Sharon and Sean's favorite activities. You'll want to make note of the places they discuss to try for yourself, especially if you're particularly partial to any of the following food items: - Tres leches cake - Cheddar jalapeno biscuits - Heath bar cookies - Bake & Shark (or Shark Bake as Sharon repeatedly refers to it throughout the episode

After over a year, Sharon and Sean revisit the topic of subway ad campaigns. In a conveniently topical coincidence, they start off the episode discussing Otter Pops, which Sean has never heard of before, growing up in New England where Fla-Vor-Ice was king of the freeze pop market. Sharon relishes enlightening Sean on the joys of Otter Pops and consumes half a dozen of them in the process. (Similar to Seamless and Grubhub, Otter Pops and Fla-Vor-Ice are apparently owned by the same company - who knew!  https://www.eater.com/2018/8/21/17660626/freeze-pops-ice-otter-pops) If the freeze pops aren't enough to entice you, you'll definitely want to listen to hear Sharon and Sean's latest take on some of the more recent subway ad campaigns, including one that has a deep cut reference to an NYC occurrence that they discussed on an episode earlier this year! During News of the Week, Sean shares distressing news that the MTA Board is making moves to strip our beloved Andy Byford of control of crucial capital projects. Sharon then lightens the mood with a story about a rogue slug disrupting travel for 12 thousand straphangers in Japan. In the anecdote, Sean tells the tale of a surprise encounter with a character from Astoria #BusLyfe in an unexpected place.  Also, Sean struggles with a mystery delivery at work.   

Fresh off seeing creepy horror flick Ma,

Sharon and Sean are joined this episode by fabulous guest, Jamie Habanek! (@jamie_habanek) Jamie is Sean's former coworker and current volleyball

We hope you're all as excited about this as we are - a full episode dedicated entirely to News of the Week!!! 

Sharon and Sean reconvene to loosely catch up on Sean's recently travels, mostly focusing on the theme Sean chose instead, which is 10 reasons why driving is worse than mass transit. Before they get into that, Sharon mocks Sean for having his first acai bowl ever in 2019, which leads them to reminisce about Sean's poor taste in vodka when he was in his 20s. 

Sharon and Sean finally reunite after weeks apart! Sharon recounts tales of her recent travels to Utah and Scotland. During News of the Week, Sean gives the lowdown on the first phase of the MTA’s tap’n’go payment system, while Sharon shares how Fate brought her to Utah the same weekend as a very important 150th anniversary celebration. Also, Sharon sings creepy songs from her Utah youth.

Sharon and Sean are joined by Sharon’s boxing buddy

A new first for Subway Sagas - a kid-friendly episode!!

Sharon and Sean spend Easter together

Sharon and Sean are joined by phantastic Philly guest, Joe Aquino! (@JoeAquino) Joe isn’t the biggest Philly phan, though he is a fan of Ciao Pepperoni! (available at your local Trader Joe’s) The trio discuss Joe’s transit experiences, mainly focusing on SEPTA in Philadelphia. This episode is guaranteed to entertain you, with the discussion touching on a potpourri of subject matter, including: - Wawa Day - Celebrating 55 Years of Wawa

Sharon & Sean are runnin' on fumes after a long flight back from Europe and a late night out (guess who was who!

Sean traveled to Mexico City (CDMX) solely to avoid helping Sharon move to her new apartment on the Lower East Side. As an added bonus, he had some incredible food and got to experience CDMX’s impressive subway system while he was down there as well!

Sean schleps to Sharon's new apartment (and is foiled by the subway countdown clocks in the process) to record on the LES for the first time ever! Sharon provides sweet treats from Supermoon Bakehouse to commemorate the occasion.

Sean joins Sharon at her Kips Bay apartment to record an episode there for the last time. 

Sharon and Sean discuss the hottest NYC Transit topic of the moment: Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio's recently announcend "10-Point" plan to fix the MTA. They start by questioning the validity of the premise that the plan actually has 10 points

Sharon & Sean attend the Riders Alliance's I

 In honor of Sharon's birthday, we have what just may be our best episode yet!

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Sharon and Sean are joined by special guest Donnie D’Amato, the King of Love

Sharon and Sean re-brand the "Scum of the Earth" segment as "M.T.A-holes". In honor of the re-branding, they dedicate the theme of this episode to recapping the Scum of the Earth they've discussed in past episodes, in order of least offensive to most heinous. Who will come out on top as the biggest M.T.A-hole of them all? The Smartphone Son-of-a-Bitch? The Halloween H8er? The Selfish Subway Stander? The Bus Door Stander? The Subway Sitter Space-hog? Listen to find out! Also, Sharon decides she'd like to supervise an MTA Eagle Team. 

Sharon and Sean put Sean's birthday gift to good use by paying a visit to the crown jewel of NYC, the New York Transit Museum (NYTM)!! They recount some of their favorite exhibits from their visit to pique your interest and whet your whistle. But first, they share their News of the Week! Sean is excited to talk about the NY Post article he read, while Sharon has some BIG personal news to share. Sean's anecdote this week includes a Queens bus bait & switch and unsanctioned all-door boarding on Queens buses. Sharon and Sean scratch the surface of all the NYTM has to offer. Everything Sean talks about is related to Queens, of course. Sharon shares her favorite exhibit, which takes #BusLyfe to a whole new level. They discuss the current rotating exhibit "Underground Heroes: New York Transit In Comics" and hope that, someday, there will be a ferry exhibit in honor of the Ferry Renaissance NYC is currently experiencing. Also, Sean predicts the return of the Polar Vortex.

Gabi is back with Sharon & Sean to discuss finding beauty in unexpected places, namely, the NYC subway system. Before the trio dives into MTA art, they discuss a difficult to locate LIRR station and Gabi teaches Sharon & Sean what " wilin’ " means. Sharon also loses her shit over Gabi and Sean mislabeling Idaho as part of the Midwest. Now onto the art! You'll hear about: - Breathtaking flowers at the newly re-opened 28th St 6 station

Today is Sean's birthday 

Sharon pulls in surprise guest (Sean’s childhood friend) Alex Stull for a nail-biting tale of Illinois transit bait n’ switch. Also, deep dish pizza cuz Chicago

Subway Sagas is back after a holiday hiatus with the moment you've all been waiting for - the debut of Season 2!!

Hi everyone! Sean & Sharon return with an attempt at some solo interviews over the holidays. Hear about Uber hi jinx, NH parking garages, and a couple of our fans (THE RETURN OF NICKD and KathleenC!!) SORRY THE AUDIO SUCKS. It will only get better the rest of 2019 :D

Sharon and Sean are still in a hectic holiday haze and are wingin' this episode.

Worn down by the holiday hustle, Sharon and Sean record a fun-sized episode about the most absurd/hilarious MTA

Still bloated from Thanksgiving, Sharon and Sean reunite to discuss Sharon's housing crisis. Speaking of bloat, the duo starts off the episode reminiscing about past bloat-related incidents, including Sharon’s Birthday Bloat!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Sharon and Sean are joined by regional guest, Erica Clayton (@ericaribou), for another super-sized episode! Erica is originally from the *former* hat capital of the world

Sharon and Sean tackle a heavier topic in this episode, discussing terrifying experiences on the subway. But before they dive into that, they plug their upcoming Subway Sagas Happy Hour at Club M1-5 on Wednesday, November 14th, 2018! See social media for details (@SubwaySagasPodcast). Speaking of social media, Sharon discusses how she's become a shoppable Instagram model. She also shares an anecdote that involves witnessing someone pop a squat on a subway platform and an MTA cleaning lady spreading Fake News. In terms of horror on the subway, the co-hosts tackle a range of topics including the 1995 Tokyo Subway Attack, "If you see something, say something" in action, spooky sparks, and fist fights. Also, Sharon and Sean offer to be Andy Byford's unpaid interns.

Happy Halloween!!!

It's our 30th episode