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LIRR riders behaving badly: readers' stories

August 23, 2006

As part of its coverage of the LIRR Commuter's Council project on bad behavior on the trains, Newsday is asking readers to send suggestions on how to correct the behavior problems. Here are some ideas:

I've been commuting since 1985. I used to always read on the train.

Since the advent of cell phones, I cannot read at all. I always manage to sit near someone who is talking too loudly. You get these hoity-toity women who think they are hot stuff and want everyone to know how great they're doing in life, or the crude construction worker trying to get someone to go out that night for beers.

Train rides are now hell, and I always arm myself with a Walkman to drown them out.

Katy

My issue is the 4:24 train to Ronkonkoma. There is a group of six to 10 people who ride in the back of the last car. They seem to feel they own that spot.

They are very, very, very loud every day, and there is one woman in that group who laughs so loudly she sounds like a laughing hyena. The conductor seems to know them all, and he says nothing. I now sit as far as possible and try my best to ignore them.

Sharon

I have a just-when- I-thought-I'd-seen-it-all story.

A man was clipping his fingernails on the train and leaving the clippings on the seat. The act itself is disgusting, but the noise is irritating as well.

By the way, the bad behavior being reported recently in Newsday played no small role in my decision to change careers - not jobs, CAREERS - just to get off the trains. I couldn't take it anymore.

Mike

E-mail mae.cheng@newsday.com to contribute ideas, and visit newsday.com/li for more ideas and tales of bad behavior.