I prefer to find out my morning train's service status via the size of the crowd at my subway stop, but for the less laissez faire, there's some good news. A Bushwick start-up has started hawking miniature subway countdown clocks—much like the ones that live inside some real subway stations—so you, your roommates, and your visitors know exactly how delayed the L train is no matter how hard you're trying to forget it exists in the first place. And for only $299!
The startup, NYC Train Sign, is the brainchild of one Timothy Woo, who was inspired by the famed website istheltrainfucked.com. (Currently, the L train is f*cked.) Woo also wanted to know what was up with the subway without having to access the MTA's website, either online or on his phone—hence the birth of the clocks, which are synced to real time MTA data. "It’s functional home decor, but it's also a nostalgic piece for people who love New York City and NYC living, which so often revolves around the subway,” Dara Denney, NYC Train Sign’s director of sales and marketing, told Curbed.
The clocks are made with tiny Raspberry Pi computers and sit on 3D-printed bases, and they look quite a bit like the real thing. The company has been leasing them to local businesses for $29/month, so bargoers can plan their exit depending on when their next train is coming.
The clocks are convenient, though it may be more economically savvy to stick with MTA.info for subway updates—NYC Train Sign will charge $299+ to folks who want to purchase these for their own homes, though you do get to pick your preferred train stop. The bad news is, the signs still won't make the trains run on time.
