I often wonder why the LIRR is so casual about alcohol use on the trains. for starters, isnt drinking in public ( on the street ) a violation of the law? isnt the train a public space? at least on the street, you can walk away , on the train you are trapped. for a company that is scared to death of liability and lawsuits, they themselves sell alcohol to people getting on their own trains. mom doesnt pick hubby up at the station anymore, they get in their cars and drive off. what if one of those people kills or injures somebody ? never mind all the constant problems drunks cause on the trains, and that the other passengers that have to suffer with their nonsense. from what i understand, the RR doesnt even make all that much money from the alcohol sales. i understand people will still get on the trains drunk, bring their own booze, and enforcement would be an issue, but you could say that for most lower level laws that are enforced anyway. a ban would be a good start, and the right thing to do. i work for the LIRR, and quite frankly, i am embarrassed to be an employee when i see the drunks on the trains, and know its allowed. its not a limited problem, its pretty rampant, and nobody should have to put up with it as a condition of riding the train. i'm curious about the official position, the history, and if a ban has ever been considered. what goes on in the offices and minds of the managers who decide on this subject?
Railroad Forums
Moderator: Liquidcamphor
If your an employee, why not ask the company instead of asking on a public forum? Second, even if the LIRR banned alcohol, its sold in Penn. Station and anyone of legal age can purchase it, drink it, and get into a car and drive home. So is your complaint about the railroad selling it or its consumption on the train?
both. and its a public train, therefore a public issue. that fact that i'm an employee is only a personal thing, doesnt change the issue.
Bar cars,Bar carts,and alcohol are part of pm rush hour tradition of LIRR and MNR out of New York
for ages,most Adults are well aware of DWI/DUI announcements,etc...
and are responsable enough to be careful on how much they drink,but killing off a few tallboys of Beer,
or a couple of mini's of the hard stuff,may need to rethink driving home from the station.
The local Police Depts are now in the DWI/Seatbelt Blitz mode for the Holidays,and have
setup DWI Checkpoints near the Stations from time to time,for sure.
Most suburban stations have a taxi service,and now Lyft and Uber have set up shop
(or trying to) on the Island,so there're options to get home if blitzed beyond .08 limit.
Banning Bars from the station wont work,any 7-11 or bar between the job and the station
will serve "to go" booze.
You may not like it,but it comes with the territory.
for ages,most Adults are well aware of DWI/DUI announcements,etc...
and are responsable enough to be careful on how much they drink,but killing off a few tallboys of Beer,
or a couple of mini's of the hard stuff,may need to rethink driving home from the station.
The local Police Depts are now in the DWI/Seatbelt Blitz mode for the Holidays,and have
setup DWI Checkpoints near the Stations from time to time,for sure.
Most suburban stations have a taxi service,and now Lyft and Uber have set up shop
(or trying to) on the Island,so there're options to get home if blitzed beyond .08 limit.
Banning Bars from the station wont work,any 7-11 or bar between the job and the station
will serve "to go" booze.
You may not like it,but it comes with the territory.
The Land of Enchantment is not Flyover country!
Alcohol is legal an part of the culture. This is America and a drunk can get on a train.
DO you think youd be paid all this money if you didnt have to deal with drunks and nasty people?
DO you think youd be paid all this money if you didnt have to deal with drunks and nasty people?
SwingDog wrote:Alcohol is legal an part of the culture. This is America and a drunk can get on a train.Then the LIRR and MTA gets sued when the person falls into the gap or onto the tracks
DO you think youd be paid all this money if you didnt have to deal with drunks and nasty people?
America is such a great country
i dont get paid to deal with drunks and nasty people , its not part of my job. the riding public doesnt get paid good money to either, they have to pay for the privilege of riding with drunks and nasty people.
I was a LIRR Conductor for almost 34 years. In all that time I never had a problem with a drunk commuter during the evening rush hour. The only problems with drunks were on New years eve, st patricks day, and of course the young adults traveling to and from the city on friday and saturday nights.
The regular commuters with their monthlys were never really a problem, as far as alcohol goes. Most of the regulars had a drink or 2 to wind down on the way home.
Back in the day, when we actually had Bar cars, it was a profitable venture for the RR, so of course they got rid of Bar Cars.
When I left, there were still a few trains that had Bar Carts on them, I dont know if thats still the case. I do know the cannonball has Bar service.
The regular commuters with their monthlys were never really a problem, as far as alcohol goes. Most of the regulars had a drink or 2 to wind down on the way home.
Back in the day, when we actually had Bar cars, it was a profitable venture for the RR, so of course they got rid of Bar Cars.
When I left, there were still a few trains that had Bar Carts on them, I dont know if thats still the case. I do know the cannonball has Bar service.
Marty, It runs on steam!
I'd rather deal with the drunks than the snooty suits. Puck, you seem very angry all the time. Many LIRR policies make no sense. Just enjoy the fact that you have a good secure job & don't let the place make you crazy.
Doc Emmet Brown wrote:The only problems with drunks were on New years eve, st patricks day, and of course the young adults traveling to and from the city on friday and saturday nights.
The regular commuters with their monthlys were never really a problem, as far as alcohol goes. Most of the regulars had a drink or 2 to wind down on the way home.
That sums it up perfectly.
Doc, the card game you broke up towards the end of your career with the commuters, were they three sheets to the wind?
Doc Emmet Brown wrote:When I left, there were still a few trains that had Bar Carts on them, I dont know if thats still the case. I do know the cannonball has Bar service.All the bar cars and bar carts are gone from the trains except twice a week on the Cannonball. MNR has none at all. Both railroads, though, have bar cart service available in the terminals at Penn Station and at Grand Central.
Nah the card players were not drunk.. just one Jerk.. when we got to KO, we changed ends went back to NY I went up to the station masters office and called off sick. Just like that I was done. I figured I put in enough time, did not have to put up with the crap anymore. I came within an inch of putting that bleep in the hospital. I figured why get arrested and risk my pension. Time to go...and I did..when I went to the pension office the next day, they said, almost 34 years?? what took ya so long?
Marty, It runs on steam!
I think the LIRR and Metro North both make money off the stationary bar sales. You won't see them ban alcohol on the trains outright anytime soon. I already miss the ambiance of the bar cars off the CT shoreline on Metro North. I wonder if they will return down the road?
Signed off
Many people have forgotten, there was a fight between MTA chief William Ronan and NYS Comptroller Arthur Levitt back in the late 1960s over LIRR M1 bar cars. The original order specified that 31 of the Long Island M1 MU cars be outfitted as bar cars but Levitt flagged it. Levitt said the legislation obligated the state to supply “passenger cars” not bar cars. This drew an angry response from Ronan, who insisted Levitt’s action was short-sighted. Ronan argued the state needed to maximize their investment by providing the little extras that made commuting attractive. The no-nonsense Mr. Levitt stuck to his guns, arguing that taxpayers should not have to pay an extra 10% ($40,000) per car so commuters could be served beer and booze en route and the bar cars were cancelled.
Ronan made sure the 1972 agreement for the New Haven Line cars was worded differently so bar cars could be included.
Ronan made sure the 1972 agreement for the New Haven Line cars was worded differently so bar cars could be included.