Question for LIRR commuters...

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Posted by kpny622

Yes this is particularly what I have been thinking about because I've been so spoiled for the last 8 years! Now I get home at 6:30, relax, make dinner, watch tv, do household chores, and can stay up later since I don't have to wake up until 7:30. Now I'll be getting home at 8 if I am lucky, wolfing down take-out, and going directly to sleep so I can wake up before 6.

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I know it is tough. I am getting up at least an hour and half earlier - like 5:35 and get home rarely before 7:10! always ate dinner late - like 9 - so it wasn't bad there - but I was use to having my free time to go food shopping or errands or even just play on teh computer and catch up on person emails. Now most errands are done on weekends. Plus big adjustment - everything closes so much earlier living in the 'berbs - the dry cleaner is never open when I get home from work. DH and I both work in the city and work similar hours so there is nothing we can do about it. But owning a home is nice and having space is nice - so it is all give and take....

I ride NJ Transit which is the LIRR twin basically. Like someone before said, it's awful when it's crowded, no seat, missed your train and now it's off peak and you have to wait an hour...Penn station is a nightmare....but the pros are that sometimes it's not bad because the hour or so ride that i have - in the morning i catch a few xtra and in the evening i read, catch a few more zzz's lol and basically de-compress from the day. But overall, i would not say it is pleasant.

Its definitely miserable. I commuted to the city for 7 years. I recently got a job on LI. Left my GREAT job in the city all because I couldn't stand the commute and I knew we'd be buying a house out here.

Maybe your commute won't be as bad though. Where are you moving to?

ETA: There is one thing I miss about commuting...all the books I read. I never get to read anymore!

I used to live in Queens and take the MTA in.
Now I live in LI and take the LIRR (and MTA, lazy me)
I wouldn’t say I love the commute but I will say the LIRR is a WHOLE lot better than the subways.

What I like:
- I like that I know where to stand to get the door for my timed trains and I always get a seat home.
- I like my morning ride in, I get to read and it’s very calm. I’m the Mineola stop and it’s usually a Ronkonkoma or Huntington train. And I get a seat.
- I like on the way home I put on my headsets and read or just stare out the window and let the day slide off me. I NEVER call my parents or anyone I know. It’s my time NOT to worry about life for a little bit.
- I like NOT waiting in my car in the rain or snow or other bad weather.

What I don’t mind:
Delays – I have a philosophy about this stuff.
- If I’m delayed GOING to work, geez.. Boo-Hoo. I always take an early enough train that even if it’s CANCELLED and so is the NEXT one I’m still aright. So who cares?
- If I’m delayed going home, it’s usually something nasty, fire, smoke, rain, sleet, snow. Frankly I’m happier to wait in a dry warm place than out in that.
- I just ACCEPT that if there has been an incident with Amtrak, signals or god help you if it flash floods, snows or is a holiday, Penn is GOING TO BE DELAYED. No use worry about it or complaining.

What I don’t like.
- The evening trains with folks talking loud over a few beers (later trains)
- Weekend travelers on the 5ish pm trains with their luggage.
- Hot/Cold NEVER just right. In the summer that thing is FREEZING and I need to wear a jacket and not just a light one. In the Winter it’s usually too cold (no heat) or just too hot.
- I HATE, HATE, HATE passionately HATE transferring at Jamaica