Comments on: The crowd psychology of Grand Central Station

By: RedShirt77

RedShirt77 — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 20:08:00 +0000

Where is a ven diagram when you need one.

A terminal is a kind of station. So really both terms are right.

In the sense that Grand Central Station is at the Grand Central Terminal building….

By: An Infinitude of Tortoises

An Infinitude of Tortoises — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 19:32:00 +0000

Yes, it can be somewhat confusing that in railway terms station can refer either generically to a stop along a rail line or specifically to such a stop that is not a terminal — i.e., a structure that a line passes through rather than an end point. Which is all the more reason, I’d say, to stick to terminal when talking about terminals — such as Grand Central.

Besides, they put the place’s name right out in front, in big letters….

By: An Infinitude of Tortoises

An Infinitude of Tortoises — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 19:12:00 +0000

A good point. In general, of course, one may expect any USPS Post Office station to include “Station” in the name. And a postal terminal wouldn’t make much sense, unless perhaps it’s a dead-letter office: as with a roach motel, stuff would come in but not go out!

By: An Infinitude of Tortoises

An Infinitude of Tortoises — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 19:09:00 +0000

I second that sentiment regarding Schlichting’s book! It’s probably the best work available on the place.

By: RedShirt77

RedShirt77 — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 19:03:00 +0000

A “terminal” or “terminus” is a station at the end of a railway line.

Is a “station”

By: welcomeabored

welcomeabored — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:15:00 +0000

I missed all of that in my visit to Grand Central. I was over at ‘The Campbell Apartment’ drinking overpriced martinis and rubbing elbows with those who could actualy afford to be there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbell_Apartment

By: LinkMan

LinkMan — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:12:00 +0000

FWIW, the United States Post Office located next to Grand Central Terminal is officially called Grand Central Station.

By: jsd

jsd — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:15:00 +0000

If Grand Central exists to passify and calm passengers, Penn Station exists to enrage and destroy souls. Damn you Robert Moses.

By: Steve Howatt

Steve Howatt — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 12:36:00 +0000

The Crowd as Spectacle…

http://improveverywhere.com/2008/01/31/frozen-grand-central/

By: Amelia_G

Amelia_G — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:01:00 +0000

“rendered the Crowd into a spectacle”! I wish we had people-watching opportunities like that in Seattle. Would have to include a roof, preferentially a transparent one. (We also need more skylights and balconies, and periscopes to keep our tunnel-like apts. and cafés from blinding you in the front and being too dark everywhere else.)

By: digi_owl

digi_owl — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 06:56:00 +0000

I’m partial for:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL24wnZqQB0

By: nosehat

nosehat — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 04:55:00 +0000

Crowd psychology of Grand Central you say?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn9ifIhCIhg

By: Michael J. Walsh

Michael J. Walsh — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 04:24:00 +0000

You are so correct!

A good book on the amazing construction of the current structure is: “Grand Central Terminal:Railroads, Engineering, and Architecture in New York City” by Kurt C. Schlichting, isbn: 9780801865107

By: An Infinitude of Tortoises

An Infinitude of Tortoises — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 04:05:00 +0000

Maggie, About that headline: you do, of course, mean Grand Central Terminal. You may call Station "colloquial"; I call it simply wrong. Only if one is speaking of the subway station or the old structure that predated the 1913 building would "Station" be correct.