All branches of the LIRR are suspended except for Port Washington. God bless those trying to get from Penn to Suffolk. They are in for a long ride.

Yup a ride it was...took a train to Pt Wash...figured from there I could grab a cab and complete the journey almost painlessly..Uneventful and quick with no trains in front or behind although I am pretty certain we were at max capacity..Apparently my genius idea was repeated a thousand fold...Fun started when I approached the calamity known as a taxi stand. Assuming all cabbies on LI speak a language other than english..Hadji was pretty confident in his ability to declare a fare of 150.00 for a 20 minute ride..I happily obliged...Many folks were simply waiting on relatives to make the journey..I grabbed two teens who had been in the city all day with no way home and told them to jump in...

Hadji made the 20 minute ride feel like forever. His constant blabbering into his earpiece telling his friends to make their way to train station was only silenced by his radio blaring something in his native tounge.

I let the kids off on Jericho Tpke and wished them well. Hadji than drove me to the train station that was a ghost town. I promptly paid him his fare less the american discount of 65%..He was obviously not happy and wished a pox on my family (in another language that sounded almost birdlike)..in anger I took his rear view mirror as a keepsake.

I luv the new world.

The 1913 cabling to the Jamaica switches burned and they can't find the guy who did the original installation. That's why the repairs are going to take many days. More than 80% of the Long Island Railroad's empolyees retire on 75% disability (tax-free) and there is just no money to upgrade much of anything.

Fares are skyrocketing again next year to feed the state and the unions while the Little Engine that Could simply can't anymore.

The original patronage job pre OTB..Had a guy I knew in the early 70's by the name of Howie..He was a bit of an odd guy. Hung around with a bunch of us we were 13 he was probably 20 or 21..made him our go to guy for beer runs and anything else we needed a ride for...his dad was a judge..Howie was a world class F up..somehow got out of the draft..daddy I am sure took care of it. He was too heavy for light work and too light for heavy work..Ended up as a conductor on the LIRR..Ran into him about 3 years ago..Single and retired..Gets about 9000 a month plus insurance for his dangerous job of punching tickets and playing railroad.

WOW What Funny, And Amusing as well as Disturning Thread.

LUKEY, How you manage a 65% discount.. Basically You just GAVE Him what amounted to such a discount.. If So.. THATS JUST CLASSIC, and the RIGHT thing to do.. These dang So and So's thinking they are going to ROB the same people who makes it possible for HAGI to come INTO (OUR) Country.. LoL!!

And even more comedic was you rlibne about 9K a month for your Aquaintances DANGEROUS JOB OF PUNCHING TICKETS...lOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO Classic...

and finally WHAT was the Exact Reason the LIRR was/ Is shut down - IS IT what 1/4 Pole says Repaisrs that cany be completed?? Is this a temporary thing, or long term??

I remember when I took it when I was staying in our condo, and went to the Belmont.. That wa sgreat that day..(Night) Ran into a GORGEOUS Girl, who took the liberty and wa snice enough to chat with me all the way to Penn Station, thought I was going to be able to spend time with the Hottest girl I had ever Met IN N Y C! Gave her my card, all my numbers email addresses etc...

Need;less to say. I never got a call from her.. and SIlly me I didnt get her number.. Guess it woulda been fake anyways.. LOL!!

But nonetheless, I liked the LIRR.. Its the only way to get to Belmont from the Condo we have in Manhatan.

Aqueduct on teh otherhand, was an EASY Hike (Although long, and not as comfortable as LIRR) I just took the Subway to Far Rockaway..

I love it there in NYC how they specifically make the transit system go there

HERE at Woodbine (OK I live Directly ACROSS the STreet) BUt had I not, There is ONE BUS There, and its full of HAGI's and man does it SMELL, also From the Downtown Core (USing Publuc Transit) I takes about 2 1/4 HOURS)

Wish me all luck in Contest.. I KNOW That THSI Is THE YEAR!!!

I also know that The Tutu's, Do Do Birds, Morse Code Readers, and whk knows Wghat ELZSE is in FULL FORCE, getting ready to Get the Right Horse...

Many thanks in advance

Thank goodness I don't live on Long Island and depend on the LIRR to get into NYC. The same day that 97 year old switch booth caught on fire, New York state agency the MTA proposed up to 14% fare increases for Metro North and LIRR.

The state imposed fare hikes last year and a special MTA payroll tax on a number of counties. Hopefully the voters remember and take the time to vote on the first Tuesday in November.