What is the big goddamn deal with the proposed alcohol ban on the Long Island Rail Road? There seems to be more resistance to this than when the last fare hikes went into affect. Are there that many drunks amongst us?

Is it that hard to wait until you get home to have your drink and “unwind”? I think it is all bullshit. The Rail Road should announce that on January 1, 2007, there shall be no more alcohol sold on its platforms OR consumed on its trains. All of these people who say they need to “unwind” and “it’s their right” or “it’s been this way for 100 years” are totally off base.

The people who are defending this policy and opposing the proposed ban are morons, in my opinion. Why would you be opposed to something that is being proposed not only for your benefit, but for the thousands of other commuters who ride with you? Is your after work drink THAT IMPORTANT to you that it can’t wait until you get home? It’s not like there will be soldiers in jackboots and pantaloons stalking the trains throwing you in prison camps if you are caught. What is the big fucking deal here?

The Long Island Rail Road is a PUBLIC ENTITY run by NEW YORK STATE. If it is illegal to drink on the subways and buses then why should it be LEGAL to drink on the Rail Road? I don’t want to hear the bullshit arguments about the FRA and all that crap. In black and white, WHY SHOULD IT BE ALLOWED? This is not a right, it is a PRIVILEGE that is extended to the riders by the Rail Road. And, since it is a PRIVILEGE, the Rail Road has a right to rescind it based on NOTHING or based on behaviors that it has observed. Maybe the “Smead Incident” has something to do with this. Maybe it does not. Either way, I am in favor of this proposal.

The employees (bartenders) who may be affected if this ban goes into affect will be taken care of. They are UNION, nothing will happen. They will still be employed, probably in some other faculty. If they are affected, that will be sad. But, nobody apologized to me or the thousands of others that have been laid off by companies throughout the years FOR NO APPARENT REASON. Consider this a wake up call to the “real world” for them.

If you wish to comment, please do. It still doesn’t change the fact that I feel anyone who is opposed to this proposal by Pally is probably a drunk anyway. I can say that here because it’s my fucking blog.

This is what I hope happens to all you drunks who defy this policy once it goes into effect 😉

There are some things that happen on the Fail Road which I will never understand. One of them is why we sheeple are all herded onto a car and the doors are shut…only to have us move about 2 feet a minute. Some days the 5:04 to Hempstead needs about 5-6 minutes just to clear the platform on track 15. Then it’s a slow crawl until it clears Woodside. I don’t understand this. I probably never will.

What is going on down there under the tunnels or on the other side of the river? It’s not like you’re drving along on Hempstead Turnpike and there’s a backup because there’s a car that is disabled or there is construction. One would assume that if you’re train is ready to leave at said time that it would be smooth sailing. But, this is the Fail Road.

Yesterday, 12-12, the 5:04 was ready to go at…*gasp*5:04. The doors close, usual announcements, etc. Then, we start moving. After about 15 seconds, we stop. It’s now just turning 5:05. We remain motionless on track 15, having not yet cleared the platform. No annoucements, nothing.

We fly through the tunnel…then slow down. A crawl through Woodside, then the stops at Forest Hills and Kew Gardens. The doors never close right away at either of these stops, even though maybe 10-15 people at the most get on after the rush of those who get off the train.

The 5:04 arrives at Jamaica at 5:35. Late. No annoucements, nothing. Thankfully the transfer to WH is still waiting for us. Needless to say the people on the WH train are pretty pissed off. They’ve been waiting for more than 5 minutes.

The journey ends at WH about 10 minutes late. Another 10 minutes of my life wasted on the Fail Road. I can’t stand it. If I actually kept records of how much time of my life the Fail Road has wasted because they can’t get their shit together, I bet it’s about 5-7 work days a year.

I don’t care that “at least I arrived home” or “it’s better than driving”. That is bullshit. They owe us good service because we pay every month. We have our tickets out. We listen to those bullshit annoucements. We put up with all of their crap.

Please, someone tell me why I must arrive home 10 minutes late almost everyday.

NJ Transit to Run Double-Deckers

I heard about this while getting ready this morning (for another day on the Fail Road). Great. The people over there in “Joisey” can luxirate in their new cars, without the middle seat, with room to spare. And us morons on the Fail Road have to continue to endure the rolling sardine cans they call an M7.

What an f’n joke. Who the hell is in charge at the Fail Road. How far up their asses were their heads when they decided on those god-awful M7’s? I bet old man Dermody couldn’t even squeeze his wide ass into a seat, yet he expected us to like it. In fact, he came out many times saying they were more comfortable and were much better than the old equipment. No shit Jim, considering theM1’s and M3’s were being held together by duct tape and the adhesive ads on the vestibules. There was nowhere to go but up.

See you later. I have to rest up to prepare for another day of short trains, and moron riders 😉

The 7:45 from Jamaica to Penn was short…again. Tickets were also checked again, with the conductor climbing over people and bags to make sure the usual people have their monthlies. Insane.
To make it worse, we arrived on track 17, what an abomination. My fellow passengers don’t make it any easier. What a bunch of idiots. I almost got knocked over by some woman with a bag that must have weighed 100 lbs. I bet it weighed more than her. What gives people?

Also, there was a woman with 3 Toys r Us bags full of gifts, huge boxes. And, if it wasn’t crowded enough, she took up 3/4 of the vestibule because the bags were so huge and she insisted on standing between the doors. Since she wasn’t holding onto anything, every movement of the train sent her flying into me, the doors, or the partition. It was pretty funny. She also insisted on viewing pics she snapped from her digital camera. All while “surfing” while the train was moving. Priceless.

At one point, my newspaper touched her shoulder and she gave me a dirty look. So I have to excuse you for nearly tearing my knee ligaments numerous times yet my damn paper can’t touch you? Can’t you see how F’n crowded we are? Can’t you see that it only touched you because you’re taking up the space of three people?!

Whatever.

Can’t wait for the ride home.

I have a feeling there will be some “residual” delays on the Fail Road because of the cold weather we had Thurs into Saturday.

It seems to be any kind of weather condition causes a calamity on the Fail Road. I wonder if it was always this bad. Was service this bad in the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, etc. When there were less people on the Island and MORE service on the Fail Road?

It makes you wonder if it’s the system or if it’s the people who are running it that are to blame…

I’d like to give a mention to the LIRR Commuters Group over on Yahoo. It’s a great place to go if you want to find out some Fail Road info. And, if you want to read some spirited arguments.
Good stuff…

Hi.

Welcome to my first foray into the blogosphere. Here, I will voice my frustrations about the Long Island Rail Road (aka, The Fail Road). There are some good things that happen on the Fail Road, and a lot of funny things. Mostly though, it’s mainly bad. Very very very bad.

In the coming posts I will rant. And then I will rant some more. Then, if I feel like it, rant a little bit more. In case you haven’t figured it out, I love riding the Fail Road 😉