Community Corner
At the Station: A Worker Heads Home
Who's at the Summit Train Station? Each week, Patch heads there to find out.
Each weekday, on average, 3,642 people board a train in Summit, according to New Jersey Transit. The Morris & Essex lines that serve the station carry workers and students, the young and the old. Throw in the train station's sideline as a shortcut through town, and few places offer a better glimpse of Summit's diversity.
Every week, Patch talks with one person at the station. With trains to catch, our questions cover the basics: who are you, where are you from, and where are you going?
Julio Ramos, 53, of Orange, Saturday, 6:40 p.m., on a bench inside the station.
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What do you do?
I work at the Short Hills Mall. I do cleaning for Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue–housekeeping. It's two jobs. Two different companies. I work at Bloomingdale's from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at Saks from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. If I didn't work two jobs I wouldn't eat.
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How long have you been working there?
Fourteen years. I've lived in Orange for 21 years.
So you've been commuting from Orange to Summit for 14 years too?
Yes.
Where are you from originally?
You mean what country? Uruguay.
Do you have family here?
I have a 14-year old daughter who lives with me, and two other daughters who are out of the house. I have a little granddaughter who is three months old. I have a wife; she died of cancer six months ago. This was a really hard Christmas.
How do you get to work?
I take the train from Orange to Summit and then the bus from Summit to Short Hills. From Orange to Summit is 20 minutes, and from Summit to the mall is 10 minutes, but you have to wait for the bus or train to come. Right now I've been waiting for 20 minutes. I can do it in an hour if everything goes well.
Any thoughts on the Summit train station?
I've never had anything interesting or anything bad happen to me here. The station is good enough. Better than Orange. In Orange it's a little dangerous. At the time I travel, it's ok.
What train do you usually take?
In the morning, I take the 6:05 a.m. from Orange to Summit. Today I'm taking the 6:50 p.m. train back home, but on other days it varies.
You have tomorrow off, right?
Yes. I work six days a week. On Sunday, it's time to eat a little ravioli and have a glass of wine.
