Penn Station

This time they really fucked it up. There was a disabled train in the tunnel. Or was it three? I don’t think we’ll ever get the real story. I left the office a little after 5PM….I got home at 8:05PM. Just another day on the Fail Road.

It was about 5:05PM when I found myself on the way to the Fail Road….I cross 34th, I see the 34th Street exit was closed, we could tell by the gates. So we sheeple walk around to 33rd (The “Garden” Entrance)….we go down the stairs…that’s closed too.

There were no announcements. And more and more people are filling the concourse. Where are the people from the Fail Road? Nowhere to be found. Instead, we’re penned in like fucking animals Standing there like a herd, staring at a fucking gate. This was for more than an hour. During that time, there was nothing from the Fail Road. Police officers walked by, claimed ignorance (of course). We saw a guy with a Fail Road management badge pass by…he was running like he was being chased by bulls in Pamplona. I bet he was running…to do nothing. Fucking bastard.

Finally, at around 6:10 the gates were opened. And, as expected, the sheeple all rushed the gate. They also rushed the gate when they saw it open about a foot. There was a train that came into Penn (maybe it was the people from the disabled train(s)?). The cop behind the gate was yelling at them to get back. It was like yelling at the the wall. These situations bring out the worst in people. The way the Fail Road handles these, it’s understandable.

The Fail Road is a total, complete and absolute disgrace. Why does this always happen? My problem is not the delay itself but it’s the response. It’s like they are re-inventing the fucking wheel every time there is some sort of glitch. Is every delay that occurs the FIRST TIME THERE HAS EVER BEEN A FUCKING DELAY? HOW CAN THIS BE?

I would love to know who made the calls to close Penn and to not make announcements. In short, I would love to know who was the person who told thousands of people to go fuck themselves. This person should be fired, their benefits rescinded, and they should be dragged through the streets so we can tar and feather them for they are a complete failure as an employee.

This will happen again. I know it will. Bring on the fare increases.

FUCK THE FAIL ROAD!! AND FUCK EVERYONE WHO WORKS THERE. ASSHOLES! ALL OF YOU!

This morning, at Jamaica, I got off the train to transfer to the one to Penn. I step off, walk across the platform and wait for the 7:45. It rolls in, stops and we wait. I love when this happens. The doors didn’t open for four minutes. FOUR FUCKING MINUTES.

What were the conductors doing during this time? Were they hiding in their little cubby holes from us? Why does this always happen? Is it so fucking hard to OPEN THE FUCKING DOORS when the FUCKING TRAIN HAS STOPPED?

This happens at Jamaica, it happens at Penn….it happens all over the fucking place. What the hell is going on? I don’t want to hear that “it’s only a few minutes”….Yeah, it’s only a few minutes, but it’s not about the fucking time. It’s about how we’re standing on the fucking platform like assholes waiting for the fucking doors to open. But wait, they’re not opening because some asshole WHO WORKS FOR US doesn’t give a shit about their job.

Enough of this shit already. Next time the fucking doors don’t open, I’m gonna show my ticket later. Let the fucking conductor wait. They made me wait to get it. So now, they can fucking wait to see my ticket.

<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131728668895211266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/55a65992e4b084ed3d3583d3/55a66439e4b0b654c5984181/55a6643ae4b0b654c59841ed/1436968013375//img.jpg about two minutes, then it started again. All we heard was "I don't give a shit man, pay me"…"You had me walking around Brooklyn for three days without my money", "Am I as stupid as I look? Why are you lying to me", "You are disappointing me, I thought I could trust you man"….and on and on and on. All the while, this asshole is getting stares, people asking him to shut up, etc…he just ignores them.

Not a good day on the Fail Road. There are no good days on the Fail Road, but this one was one of the worst in the last month. Let’s start from this morning and work our way to the afternoon.

This morning, I had to take the 7:36, which goes directly to Penn. Not bad, right? Single seat, all the way in…Wrong. I could have taken the 7:17, but I was held up by some gardener’s truck down my block that couldn’t figure out how to make a fucking 3-point turn. I could have turned around, but by the time I got down the block and made a left onto the avenue…I would have been late.

I finally get past the truck when I’m once again stonewalled by the beloved school buses I wrote about the other day. By this time it’s already 7:15 and I know I’m gonna be late. So, I just say “Fuck it…just get to the damn station”.

I get to the station around 7:17. I park in the lot…I wait for a little bit because they don’t open the doors of the train until 7:25 some days. I get to the platform around 7:20…the train is ready, waiting, BEGGING for us to take a seat so it can get on with its only duty in life, to transport us, the riding public. But wait! The doors are closed. The lights on the side of the train are flashing…someone is doing a brake test! Oh shit! I look at the guy next to me, he says “Brake test”….I say…”we’re gonna be late”, he nods. These are probably the same nods exchanged between prisoners against a wall preparing for death by firing squad. Then, we hear an announcement…”The 7:36 to Penn Station stopping at *bla bla bla*…will be operating with fewer cars today, please move to the center of the platform to board”….Fewer cars? We see eight! Let us on!

Finally, we see a Fail Road member, in a hoodie…laughing merrily along the platform. Definitely a crew member, paid by the hour…gotta love those Unions, eh? Someone asks him the obvious, “Is the train cancelled?”…we hear “In a minute!”…Yeah…will we know the train’s status in a minute? Will you answer us in a minute? Do you not give a shit?

Then, the rear two cars get unhooked and are pushed farther down to the end of the track. The remaining six cars are inched up more and go through more “brake tests”. Finally, it’s about 7:

It’s now about 7:30. Still more brake tests. Finally! The doors open! But no explanation as to why the short train.

We get on. We sit there until about 7:42. Are we waiting for any passing trains? What the fuck are we waiting for? No answers, nothing. At least we left.

Since this was a 6 car (6 fucking car) train direct train to Penn, it was crowded by the time we picked up the Westwood passengers. By the time we got to Jamaica, it was like a sardine can. We got to Jamaica late (what else to expect?). We finally arrive at Penn around 8:37 instead of 8:29. No, “sorry we’re late” announcements. I finally arrive at the office around 8:50 (once I negotiated the Pedestrian Spam of 7th Avenue)….

And this was only the morning.

I left on the 4:19, a double-decker (see left). It goes to Port Jeff…change at Jamaica for home. The fun begins at Penn. I see suitcases! Big ones! Rolling ones! Big ones being pulled by small people! Shit! The next thing I know, there’s some Indian woman blathering away on her cellphone and she drags this 1000lb. rolling case into the train. Keep in mind from Penn to Jamaica I usually stand in a vestibule because a) I can’t be bothered to fight for a seat, I’ll leave that to the rest of the idiots, and b) the seats are uncomfortable…I’ve been sitting all day anyway, I’ll stretch my legs. So, this woman parks her rolling case right in the middle of the vestibule. If anyone was coming up the steps or into the train, they would have fallen over this case. Also, the damn thing is blocking me because her goddamn cell phone conversation is so fucking interesting, I am invisible. I look at her as to say, “move the goddamn case, it’s in the way and not in a good spot”…she ignores me. Oh well. She’s still talking on the phone and making funny faces and waving down to the lower level where her kid and husband are sitting. Nice.

Then, more people came on with even bigger bags (and tried to stuff them into the overheads). I wish I had a camera. You fucking morons! Please, please Fail Road, BAN THESE LARGE SUITCASES FROM THE TRAIN OR FORCE PEOPLE WHO BRING THEM ON TO PAY A “PENALTY”. They are dangerous, take up space and have no place on a train. If your case is bigger than you…..YOU NEED TO BRING LESS SHIT AND YOU NEED TO CALL A CAB, IT DOESN’T BELONG ON A FUCKING TRAIN.

We finally get to Jamaica and I change for the train home. It’s supposed to arrive at 5:06…it arrives at 5:13. Late again. No announcement, no apology. This train has been late the last 5 times I have taken it. I take it about once every two weeks. Sometimes less.

Why can’t the Fail Road just get it right? Just once? Just get it right, please?

Thanks Fail Road. And thanks to the assholes who ride it, bring in your furniture next time. Have a great weekend.

My time wasted by the Fail Road this week, 45 minutes….

I would like the thank the morons on the steps going down to Penn that made me late for the 5:04 today. Yeah I left the office late, yeah there was a crowd of people to push through and all that other crap. If not for these gimps on the steps, I could have made that train.

Why are people so goddamn stupid? If you can’t wal

k normally, THEN WHY THE HELL ARE YOU TAKING THE GODDAMN STAIRS….TAKE THE GODDAMN ESCALATOR!!! What the hell are you trying to prove? That you can hold up almost a hundred of your fellow commuters? That you can make a lot of people angry? That you can make people late?

There must 50 or 60 steps on that staircase. It’s hard for people who can walk NORMALLY. What the hell are you morons doing there? If you can’t even walk STRAIGHT or you have a goddamn CANE….YOU SHOULDN’T BE ANYWHERE NEAR THE FUCKING STEPS.

Next time I see one of these old bags, I swear I will throw th

em down the steps. It’ll take care of two things at once. And, I won’t be late for my train.

No I won’t leave earlier. I was held up because the elevator in my building took a half hour to get to my floor. On top of that there was the usual lead feet on 7th avenue who act like they have NEVER SEEN A TALL BUILDING IN THEIR LIVES. MOVE OVER YOU ASSHOLES!!!! People have better things to do than walk around you.

On my shit list:

– Tourists

– Old People

– Slow people

– Stupid people

– Cellphones

– BlackBerries

– Fail Road Management

My complaint:
Customer (Phil….) – 08/15/2007 06:56 AM
Does anyone know why the 7:45 Jamaica-Penn “express” was held for 15
minutes today at Jamaica? The train arrived at 7:50 (5 mins late in
the real world). Just before it arrived, the 7:45 to FBA (my train
from WH) was last called and left. No announcements made about it
being late, nothing.

So the 7:45 arrives and we sheeple get on…and it sits there. After
a few minutes, we saw important looking Fail Road types with walkie
talkies squawking, shiny badges, serious looks and walking down the
platform as if their feet were stuck in gooey glue.

There was meeting of the brains around the 8th car (these serious
Fail Road types and the crew). And still, no announcement. But
wait! There’s a train on track 4! It says Penn Station! That’s the
train I wanna be on! Now there’s a steady trail of morons running
out of the train to track 4. What they didn’t notice was that it was
a “No passengers” train. I heard someone say, “maybe they’ll stop
here and help us”. HAHAHAHAAH!!! You are so naive lady. Said morons
file back into train. There were other trains that arrived like the
7:53, but by the time it was announced and I ran down the platform up
the steps (with the leadfeet) and down the steps again, I would have
missed it).

So, it’s now about 8:05, the meeting outside the train is still
ongoing. I wonder what they’re speaking about? Astrophysics, the
Mets, the Yankees, where to go for lunch?

A lady by the door then asks a collector if we’re leaving soon and he
says, “yeah, we are”. She goes, “now”? He says, “whenever we feel
like leaving” NICE!

So we finally leave, no announcement, no apology, Nothing. Tickets
weren’t even taken. If they were, there would only be shreds of the
collectors uniforms left.

Total travesty. How come there was no announcement made? How come
we were held there for so long. What was the problem?

I was 10 minutes late. While I do not punch a time card, it would be
nice to know what the problem was this time. I didn’t see any rain,
or snow. Could it have been “switch problems” or the usual shoddy
service we have come to know from the FAIL ROAD.
You have a lot of work ahead of you, Ms. Williams…..it’s been
broken since 1834.

Their Reply:
Subject
—————————————————————
Why Was the 7:45 “Express” to Penn From Jamaica Held for 15 minutes
on 8/14?

Discussion Thread
—————————————————————
Response (Jennifer Uihlein) – 08/28/2007 03:05 PM
Dear Mr. L:

Thank you for your e-mail. Please accept my apologies for your
dissatisfaction with the service provided on August 14, 2007. We
recognize that effective communication with our employees and
customers is essential, and on that end, we regret that we did not
meet those needs. As information, on the date you referenced, the
train scheduled to depart Jamaica at 7:45 AM and arrive at Penn
Station was delayed in Locust Manor due to an ill passenger. The
customer was removed upon arrival at Jamaica Station.

I appreciate your understanding in this matter and hope that your
future travels are more satisfactory in nature.

Sincerely,

J. Uihlein
Editorial Officer
Public Affairs

If this response did not address your e-mail, use the Send E-mail
button.

Question Reference #070815-000005
—————————————————————
MTA Service: Long Island Rail Road
Sub-Product: Penn Station & Western Terminals
Category: Complaint
Date Created: 08/15/2007 06:56 AM
Last Updated: 08/28/2007 03:05 PM
Status: Closed
Date/Time of Event: 08/14/2007 07:45 AM

Location of Event
—————————————————————
Jamaica Station

My comment:
Next time, just tell us that the train is being delayed for whatever reason. Don’t just leave us hanging there.
Typical. What else should we expect. I bet the passenger was sick because of the shit service.

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