Don't get me wrong - I'm a mass-transit man through and through. But all I could think of when I was sitting in the 'cattle chute' for 90 minutes, and especially when I was sitting on a hot, unmoving packed train was: I wish I was sitting in my car. I could be listening to music, with the windows down, breathing relatively fresh air, without a mass of sweaty people inches from me. If I had to sit in traffic for two hours, so be it - like I said before, I would of at the very least been comfortable.
The LIRR had fair warning that there would be record crowds for the Belmont Stakes. I'm not sure what it was like in past years using the train to leave - I've taken the train there several times, but have always gotten a ride back. I don't know what more they could have done except run more trains (and use all platforms - what are they saving them for???) - any LIRR dispatchers out there that know the story about how they dispatched trains that night? Must have been interesting.
Last edited by rbenko on Sun Jun 13, 2004 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.