Endymion Ponsonby-Withermoor III writes:

David of Broadway wrote:
Both my work schedule and the subway routes have changed since then
(late 2003). Also, I've taken to driving between the subway and work
..
Wow. That's a long paragraph. Sorry.

Oh. I see. Does most of the NY subway run (even allegedly) to
some sort of (published) schedule ? In most other cities that I have
seen, the timetables are effectively hidden from public view: people
just get the first available train, with no real idea as to when it's
supposed to arrive/depart.

Subway timetables are posted at http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/schemain.htm
and are also available in printed pamphlets (if you're fortunate
enough to find one). There are somewhat more detailed timetables for
internal use.

Since there are so many merge points in the system on almost all
routes (all except the 1, L, and two shuttles), one train falling
ahead of or behind schedule can create problems on several other
routes.

Seems a bit of an unacceptable situation though, that a few minutes can
throw-out all your connections.

That isn't exactly what happens. I have an unusually long commute,
mostly against the peak flow, and it just so happens that the second
leg runs at unusually long headways (by subway standards). Also, if
I'm late to work, I can never make up the missed time, so I very much
avoid being late to work. (I can count the number of times I've been
more than two minutes late in the past two years on the fingers of one
hand, and those latenesses have all been due to serious problems on
the subway, including one derailment.)
--
David of Broadway
New York, NY