MTA singer belts out tunes at sparsely populated Penn Station

Rick Younger crooned, “Don’t try to fight it, there ain’t nothing that you can do.”

He wasn’t talking about commuting by the LIRR from Penn Station Friday, where the signs around him read, “Service Suspended.” Instead, he was signing Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You.”

Younger said he’s been singing in the train hall for about a year through “Under New York.” In a break between songs, he asked Newsday what was going on. The station was sparsely populated today. He then was told about the fire and the looming strike.

“It should be interesting to see the amount of foot traffic coming through,” Younger said. “Long Island Rail Road provides a helpful amount of traffic.”

At around 11:45 a.m. he had the occasional person dropping a dollar bill into his collection bag.

“I hope it works out,” Younger said.

He noted he wasn't concerned just about himself. He was thinking about his fellow New Yorkers.

“Nobody wants to drive into the city,” Younger said.

If the strike happens and persists, including during potential Knicks playoff games at nearby Madison Square Garden, he said he may need to move to another station. But for now, he went onto his next song and kept smiling to the beat.