HE'S BACK! Our former "Fearless Leader" - John K. Leary, Jr. - is apparently trying to get back into the transit management business, despite being "retired" and living somewhere on Cape Cod. Leary is part of a private consortium that is trying to take over the MBTA's Commuter Rail contract. You may begin laughing at any time during this message...

MONTHLY WEST CHESTER CLOSING On Friday, the Borough of West Chester will be having their annual December closing of Gay Street, otherwise known as the Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade. As an added bonus, Market Street will also be closed on Friday night. Let's just say this is going to cause massive headaches not only for commuters, but for SEPTA management who are undoubtedly going to have to do something very unusual - they're going to have to post detour signs for the 92, 104, 119, and 314.

STRANGE BUT TRUE Dave Barry couldn't possibly make this up. On Tuesday night, train #591, operating as the 12:15am from Suburban Station to Thorndale on the R5 line, was running about 15 minutes late getting into Overbrook. The reason? A passenger became ill, either because of medical or alcoholic reason, while the train was on the Lansdale side of the R5. #591 was held at Wayne Junction for about 10-15 minutes while a crew from Roberts Yard cleaned up the vomit. #591 ultimately arrived in Downingtown and Thorndale about 25 minutes behind schedule, due to an Amtrak work crew which hadn't cleared the interlocking at Paoli.

SAD BUT TRUE A day after the accident at the Snyder Subway station, a female jumper was killed by a westbound El train at 30 St. The incident occured at around 11:30am. No further details were available.

TURKEYS FOR DINNER, AND NOT RUNNING SEPTA Despite the apparent well intent of SEPTA to fulfill it's promise to operate only wheelchair accessible buses on weekends and holidays, apparently, the folks at Red Arrow are not getting the message. On Thursday - when SEPTA was operating on a Sunday schedule - 3120 managed to slip in on the 10:05am 104 to West Chester (4217 block). As an added bonus, the operator was boarding passengers from the island platform instead of the north platform (where the trolleys board). Living proof that ineptitude at SEPTA never takes a holiday...