Some Kind of Monster: The Commute In on the LIRR
Some of the most striking images during yesterday's strike were not of commuters walking across the Brooklyn Bridge (though those are always gorgeous) but of commuters trying to enter LIRR stations. Hundreds of people queuing up outside the Jamaica, Queens station, thousands of people just trying to get into Penn Station. One person told WNBC that the Penn Station experience was "like being the mosh pit of a Metallica concert," and the crowds got so bad, some LIRR workers waived fares. There were reported waits of an hour and a half just to get tickets, which later prompted officials to suggest commuters get their tickets the night before - or commute in the off hours! The MTA even issued new strike contigency information for the LIRR, asking workers to "stagger" their work day and therefore stagger their commutes in.
Otherwise, the commutes have seemed to be manageable, if frustrating - although one woman was hit by a livery cab driver after she complained about being overcharged (call 311). Let us know about your commute - and enter our Most Inconvenient Commute Contest. We'rel keeping it open until the strike ends! The first prize is an unlimited monthly Metrocard, and we've decided to give out runner-ups prizes - $10 (but worth $12 of rides) pay-per-ride Metrocards, which are good as back-up cards!
