G Replaces F (?)

The NYC subway is generally confusing for people like me who are confused in general. I've been living in the city for like eight years and I still don't really get it. I stare at the subway map unable to retain any sort of memory as to what goes where. A, C, E, 1, 2, 3, Q, F, L, V, 4, 6, S? It's always kooky to me. What goes where again? I have to physically point at the big subway map with my finger and trace routes out.... which I should simply be beyond at this point. 

Anyway, on Sunday I headed down to the subway to go into town. My station is Bergen Street. The F train brings me into Manhattan. The only other train that runs in my subway stop is the G. I don't know the G. I don't know where the G goes. I've only been on the G once when I got on it by accident when I wasn't paying attention and ended up I don't know where. So I'm a little scared of the G. Anyway, there was a sign posted on my platform on Sunday that said this:

G replaces F between Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts and Stillwell Ave

I stared at this sign as a G train pulled up. There was probably a dozen people on the platform with me. I looked to see what people were doing. Some looked confused like me. Did that sign apply to right now? What did that mean 'replaces'? What was with Hoyt-Schermerhorn? That's not a stop on my F. Where's Stillwell? I had no idea where Stillwell Avenue stop is. That's not an F stop either. I'm Bergen Street. It's not mentioned here. I heard some warbley announcement from inside the G train. I stuck my head in to listen but I couldn't make out what the conductor was saying. The speakers were all blown. I stepped off the mysterious G and decided I was better off waiting for my F. When the train pulled away there was only one other person on the platform with me. We sort of shrugged at each other.

20 friggin minutes go by (a long stretch for subway waiting) and I see another train coming down the tracks. Finally my F! ...but it wasn't an F. It was another G. I looked at the sign again.

G replaces F between Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts and Stillwell Ave

Huh? I didn't know what to do. What about Bergen Street? I was scared of the mysterious G but something was definitely messed up. G's don't come twice in a row. I didn't understand. I didn't know the Hoyt-Schermerhorn stop. I didn't know Stillwell. They weren't a part of my F world. I stepped onto the mysterious G again and listened for an announcement. Nothing. I guess I was obviously in a subway panic when someone said, 'Ay! If you want the F you gotta take this train and transfer at the next stop...' Ahh.. saved.

G replaces F between Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts and Stillwell Ave.

I got it! Stillwell is a G stop before my stop. Hoyt is G stop after my stop. They're G line stops. In between the G REPLACES the F.  Got it! Umm... Sort of...

The only thing that bothers me is I don't understand why the stupid sign couldn't say, 'F train not running right now. If you want the F train get on the G. You can transfer to the F at the next stop.' That's what it meant to say. Simple. Why phrase it so weirdly and make assumptions that there aren't clueless people out there? Clueless like me and the only other person on the platform who was afraid of the first G. The person who also refused the G for the second time and continued to wait on the platform for an F that was never coming.

As the G train pulled away with me on it, I made eye contact with my clueless cohort. Standing alone on the platform, she watched me go by and I could see she knew she had screwed up. She knew she should have been with me for a ride on the mysterious G.... And as the train disappeared into the tunnel, she probably turned to that stupid sign and cluelessly wondered WTF!?!

ok bye!

tOdd