St. Patrick's Ban???

Is there any truth that in previous years the LIRR tried to ban the consumption of alcohol on trains on St. Paddy's Day??

Is this the case today/this year?

Yes it is. Police will liberate the alcohol at the stations and on the trains.

This is the result of several St. Patty's Day debacles. One year in the early 80's, Penn Station was so out of control with drunk revelers that a teenager attempting to climb over a train on Track 17 fried himself on the catenary.

Then there was the "St. Patty's Day Masacare" when one long retired superintendent kept sending trains into Line 3 behind a stalled train. The heavy load tripped the power, which could not be restored for hours because of the overload of seven trains on the circuit.

The drunks climbed out into the tunnel and reeled about for hours until they could be captured...

Things have been far better with the liquor ban.

Clem

Now wouldja be imaginin' thot, boyo!

Dave

The funny part is, create that same scenario today, and I can guarantee to all that we will still have commuters bailing out through the windows without alcohol. Ever see the faces of the folks who are in the bar car? They all have smile on their faces and couldn't even care less if they ended up in Montauk! Overall though, the day went quite smooth with little problems.

I feel that we should have LESS alcohol restrictions on St. Paddys Day (and New Years) not more! The Sober get to have 363 days to themselves so why can't the drunk have two measily days.

I would like to see all public drinking and urination laws suspended for a start.

If the LIRR wanted to be user friendly they could have saved some of the to-be scrapped M-1s and converted them into St. Paddy's Cars with bare interriors devoid of all sharp objects that could also be easily hosed out. Police would direct all eligible revelers into these special cars.

I like that idea!

No sharp objects and easily hosed out!

"Vomit Cars!"

Can be reclassed "V-1"

The upgraded version with built-in beer taps (like the Budweiser truck) can be classed the "BV-1"

Dave Keller

P.S. Would the car manufacturer be "Budd?" DK

Hook a tank car to each train, fill it with beer, and run a long hose down the middle of the aisle for all to enjoy!!!

Dave,
use a Buddweiser logo for a builders plate.

and for the paint scheme

"Built By the BUDDweiser Company"

Guys: Sorry-it has been a while- As someone who has regularly attended the St.Pats Parade since the late 70s, the WORST year for problems was 1981. Every year since '79 I usually go to 86th Street and work my way back to Midtown over a few hours. in 1981 the drunks were out of control. Some things that stand out in my mind were: a drunken teenage boy put his hand thru a window at the NY Public Library cutting his hand to shreds; In my travels,in the time that I was passing the Metropolitan Museum on 5th Avenue,I witnessed at least 5 fights-the one that stuck out in my mind was two girls just tearing themselves to shreds-this was the last time that you were allowed to sit on the steps at the Met Museum. You did not want to even bump into somebody because of the possibility of problems. Later that night on my way back to Penn Station, outside a Blarney Stone on 33rd Street just east of 7th Av, in front were piled at least 3 drunks in front - obviously thrown out due to intoxication. I remember the problems were so widespread,the City threatened to make the St.Pats Parade a weekend-only event. I also remember that families stopped coming due to the hooliganism. in response starting in 1982 the NYPD and other Police agencies started the crackdown on beer and liquor. You can never stop it all together but you can strictly control it. The long length of the parade was a factor also-8 hours or more back then. I believe it is about 5 hours now. Memories from MACTRAXX

...what i find interesting is that the two local " rags ' a.k.a. the Daily News and N.Y. Post hang the title of " drunkards " on the Irish , when in fact the per capita consumption of alcohol is much higher in England , but that is NEVER reported in the English controlled American media .