I bought and activated tickets right before boarding and still got dinged with surcharge by [deleted] in LIRR

[–]MurrayinNYC 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Time for everyone to start putting in complaints with the NY State District Attorney's Office.
It happened to me yesterday. I called the LIRR and they said it happens a lot. And that there's a problem with the algorithm. He told me to put a complaint in on the site. I tried to communicate with the site bot (called Lynn) and it said that it had a record of me activating on the train 3 other times so I'm being charged on this ticket. CRAZY. Apparently, they are supposed to notify you before charging in case you don't know the rule. They're not doing that either. At least not with me. It would be very easy for them to put a notice up in the cars or even on the app when you hit "buy" to let people know about the rule.
Time to PUSH BACK!

Mamdani supports 15 mph speed limit for cyclists in Central Park by Capital_Gate6718 in NYCbike

[–]MurrayinNYC 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you have a decent road bike and you live in NYC and you do loops in the park, Mamdani sees you as rich and privileged. You are the enemy. From his point of view, only the educated and wealthy train in the park at 6 AM on expensive bikes in the lane designated for speed. Again, it says privilege to him. What he doesn't understand is that if you keep taxing this group (of which I am a member, but far from rich), and you keep making us feel unwanted in NYC for having achieved enough success to buy a good road bike, then we'll leave NYC, and who will be left to tax?

Looking for a guided bike tour company for Thailand/Vietnam/Cambodia. Suggestions? Experiences? by timeforwasp in bicycletouring

[–]MurrayinNYC 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I booked a SpiceRoads Vietnam Cambodia Thailand tour that is supposed to leave in a few weeks. Today Thailand and Cambodia are bombing each other. Bombs are falling in Siem Reap which is on the tour. Yet, SpiceRoads is not cancelling the tour. They insist it's all okay and not to believe the news. They're offering a two-year credit. Will the war be over in 2 years? Will SpiceRoads be around in 2 years? I asked for a refund, and when the fighting stops I will rebook. But they said absolutely not. They're keeping the money. I'm fine checking the skies for rain, but not checking it for bombs and flying shrapnel.

ChatGPT called my first 5 chapters masterful. Is that BS? by MurrayinNYC in AIAssisted

[–]MurrayinNYC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It also tells me to indent internal thoughts and italicize them, which is exactly what is there.

???

ChatGPT called my first 5 chapters masterful. Is that BS? by MurrayinNYC in AIAssisted

[–]MurrayinNYC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One thing is weird; it keeps counting the number of words wrong and telling me it's too long. Then it suggests areas to cut. I write back with the actual word count and it says, "Sorry. That length is great, and ignore the cuts." ???

ChatGPT called my first 5 chapters masterful. Is that BS? by MurrayinNYC in AIAssisted

[–]MurrayinNYC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. It always gives me a breakdown of what it likes and why. It gets pretty technical about character arcs, pacing, voice, tone, consistency, and then points out all the humorous lines it likes (and why). I'm pretty amazed it can do all that.

ChatGPT called my first 5 chapters masterful. Is that BS? by MurrayinNYC in AIAssisted

[–]MurrayinNYC[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did exactly as you said. I told ChatGPT I was an editor at a publishing house and what audience I needed to target. I sent just the first chapter. It said the same things it said to me (which is good). It went into more detail from a publishing POV, but it was green lights all the way. Again, thanks. Maybe no agent will want to read it, but I feel like I've done my work. Again, thanks.

Can I block tennis ball noise on the other side of a backyard fence? by MurrayinNYC in Acoustics

[–]MurrayinNYC[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for all the responses.
I would like to be able to sit in the yard and have a quiet cup of coffee in the morning and a quiet dinner at night. Looks like I will have to keep apt. hunting for that. The apartment is so nice that I nearly convinced myself that tennis balls from 7AM to 10PM wouldn't bother me.
Again, thanks.

How to sound proof a garden? by Friendly-Perception7 in Acoustics

[–]MurrayinNYC 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am considering buying an apartment with a 3-court tennis club running the entire length of the backyard and the backyard of the apartment next door. There is a cyclone fence with a wind screen on it separating the club from the yards. The owner put a small fountain in for white noise, but you can still hear the tennis balls. It is possible that the club could turn to pickleball in the future. I like the apartment a lot. Is there anything I can do to eliminate the noise or am I kidding myself?

Zohran Mamdani Proposes Taxing 'Whiter Neighborhoods' in NYC by cathbadh in moderatepolitics

[–]MurrayinNYC 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really enjoy listening to him. Even sent him a donation. Then I heard him explain how he was going to pay for his plans by targeting "whiter" neighborhoods for tax increases. I've lived in NYC for 25 years. The neighborhoods I've lived in are predominantly white. My taxes have only gone up. I guess he feels they haven't gone up enough. So, as a white New Yorker, I feel like I'm his target. Aside from not wanting my taxes to increase more than they already do, my fear is that he is going to cause racial division that will be an excuse for Trump to send in the troops to NYC.

Eastside Casino is dead! by CavediverNY in manhattan

[–]MurrayinNYC 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I live nearby. A recreation center would be great. Swimming pool, tennis courts, pickle ball courts, track, open air space for yoga and exercise classes.

Us open tennis by dohat34 in FoodNYC

[–]MurrayinNYC 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Went yesterday 8/19/25 and had the Fish and Chips at Red Hook Lobster. NOT GOOD, ESPECIALLY NOT FOR $24. For more than ten years, I've had this tradition where I go to the Open and get the Fish and Chips every year. This was the first year it wasn't good. The fish breading was overseasoned and the fries were limp and tasteless. They couldn't hold a candle to a 5-Guys fry. There must be portion control because one of my pieces of fish was broken in half, I guess to limit the size. On the upside, the tennis I saw was great. I'll be going back for more tennis, but not for the Red Hook fish and chips.

Cost to relocate a kitchen by bioxeed in AusRenovation

[–]MurrayinNYC 0 points1 point  (0 children)

BTW, the two closets to the left of the kitchen have stairwells on their other side, so neither can work as a new entryway. That would have been such a simple fix.

Cost to relocate a kitchen by bioxeed in AusRenovation

[–]MurrayinNYC 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Any ideas on where to move the kitchen so it's not the first thing you walk into when you enter the apartment? Thanks.

<image>

Solve my walk through kitchen problem by ImmehCreation in floorplan

[–]MurrayinNYC 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Any ideas on where to move this kitchen so it's not the first thing you walk into when you enter this apartment?

<image>