New Haven Line Metro North, NYC infested. Upscale Commuters Deal

this from a board member of Metro North "Metro-North has NEVER turned a profit... New cars are on order for 3 years now."

As the rapper Jay Z says, "born in the projects roaches and rats smokers out back, selling their mamma's sofa" well the smokers might have subsided, as the crack epidemic, simmered, but the roaches and rats are still alive and well, in the projects? maybe, but definitely in NYC's mass transit. There are huge rats in the JMZ subway at Canal street to Marcy, but that's expected right? How about on a train to some of the most expensive suburbs in the U.S, thats just Ironic. The Metro North New Haven Line train to and Stamford, has got some of the oldest and run down trains out there. It also has Roaches. I spotted one running around, as it crawled up the legs of a couple cuddling together, I kept my mouth shut like a bad citizen, but a nice girl in front of me told the couple. The guy explaimed "man can't even get on the train no more." I then looked up to see "Roaches" scrawled in marker on the wall. Metro North is pulling in RECORD profits, they can at least buy some decent trains. Lucky for them they have a really nice monopoly going.

The roaches are just one of many problem this socioeconomic, commuter cross section of Metro North riders has to face, as already mentioned, Metro North knows they have a monopoly, riders have no other choice as the rails are the sole means of transportation. It's summer, it's hot, and the last thing people want who have been working all day is to spend an hour in a steaming train car, well that's just what they often get as one out of 10 times there is no air conditioning on the trains whatsoever, the result? Hundreds of sweaty, stinky, hot and angry New Yorkers packed together in 80 degree plus temperature. This can make for a ticking time bomb and I have seen more then a few scuffles and minor fights break out, I have read of even worse. On top of all of this the seats are dirty, the windows filthy, the air filtration chock full of dust particles and a thin film of grime covers much of the surfaces on the New Haven line. At least the train conductors are nice, good people.

The fact that Metro North is a privately held company, coupled with the fact that they have an iron fist monopoly, explains the reason the conditions are so cheap and downright horrible on some lines. They want to make as much money as possible and are doing just that. New trains and service cost Money, something they don't need to spend to keep the record profits flowing.

Alex