'It was bumper to bumper'

At a Mobil gas station on Old Country Road in Plainview, Long Islanders shared a mix of frustration and sympathy as they navigated the first full weekday of the Long Island Rail Road strike.

Diane Winkelman, of Northport, said she left early for a 7:30 a.m. appointment at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, but still ran into heavy traffic.

"It took an hour and a half to get there from Northport," she said. "It was bumper to bumper. Even the HOV lane was equivalent — there was no saving time in that."

Winkelman said she thought she had given herself enough time, but it wasn’t enough.

"I have to leave a lot earlier, and now I’m late for work as well," she said. "I hope it’s over soon."

Jeffrey Rothman, of Old Bethpage, said he experienced disruptions even before the strike officially began. After attending a Broadway show on Friday evening, his train was diverted to Jamaica Station.

"It was a little chaotic, but nothing like it is now," he said. "We were able to get home, but there wasn’t a direct train to Hicksville."

A retired teacher, Schechter said he feels for commuters affected by the strike.

"I feel sorry not only for the teachers but for all the workers that have to go into the city," he said. "Education and work are hard enough, and this just adds another obstacle in the morning. I hope they settle."

Don Flan, of Melville, who often visits family in Brooklyn, said he plans to adjust his travel schedule rather than stop making the trip altogether.

"I’m retired, so I’ll probably just go every other day or something like that," he said. "It’s leisure for me to go to Brooklyn."

Flan said he typically splits his trips between driving and taking the train.

"I like the train," he said. "I’m a union guy, so I support what they’re doing."