LIRR not crowded, air shows on Memorial Day, fix debt crisis 

MTA: There’s little crowding on LIRR

The description of continued crowding on the Long Island Rail Road doesn’t match the reality of what we’re seeing on the railroad these days [“Another LIRR rollout delay,” News, May  24]. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority closely tracks ridership in train cars, and the data shows that on average, just two of 936 trains a day operate over 90% capacity.

There was a brief period in February amid the rollout of Grand Central Madison service where that number was higher. But the LIRR acted quickly to lengthen and reroute trains to meet customer demand, and those conditions soon dissipated.

Crowding paled in comparison to conditions that were once considered common before the pandemic, when 25 to 30 trains a day regularly exceeded 90%.

 — John J. McCarthy, Manhattan

The writer is chief of MTA External Relations.

Air shows are OK on Memorial Day

As a Vietnam veteran with a Purple Heart and a Combat Infantry Badge, I admit that I inwardly flinch when someone says, “Happy Memorial Day.”

Nevertheless, I have to disagree with Mary Beth Moore [“Air show is not appropriate for Memorial Day,” Opinion, May 25]. I feel it is quite appropriate for the air show and other similar events to be used to recruit new people to the military. Despotic autocrats wage war regardless of how nice and pacifistic other leaders may be.

We all must be prepared to defend ourselves and our way of life. We can’t stick our heads in the sand and hope all will be OK.

 — Jim Intravia, Medford

Fix debt crisis or no one goes home

There is one simple solution to the debt ceiling crisis [“Debt ceiling talks on brink, ” News, May 26].

No leaders in Washington go home this summer until an agreement has been reached. They must finish their jobs before they go on vacation . . . like the rest of us responsible adults. Is that too much to ask of our highest-ranking public officials?

 — Rory Sadoff, Massapequa