The Bathroom Car

I hate the old trains. They're so outdated, the seats are all messed up and not as comfy as the newer trains, I never understood the seat where the back isn't as high as the other 2 in its row and worst of all, they all smell like the bathroom.

You can always tell something is wrong on the train when an entire section is empty, especially if it's during rush hour. No one wants to sit there and it's usually because it smells, there's no AC or there's a noise that everyone can't ignore.

Today. The train smells like bathroom.

If it weren't for the coffee and lotion the woman next to me has...the smell would be much worse. It's masking the smell enough for me to stay.

Then again, this is the same woman who is filing her nails and every so often she hits an angle that makes me cringe bc it sounds similar to nails on a chalkboard.

Every so often the smell of her coffee goes away and the smell of the bathroom comes back making me want to vomit. I could move, but chances are the other cars smell like this too. It's typical of the older trains. I don't understand why they are always so smelly.

The bathroom car is gross.

The Quiet Car - do you say something?

I have to say, ever since they decided to do the whole Quiet Car on the LIRR, it has been one of my favorite things the LIRR has done, and believe me, there aren't many at all.

When you commute every day...it's exhausting...you are at the mercy of the trains and there are stinky, rude, loud, obnoxious and annoying people that ride with you every day. But...you have to do it bc it beats sitting in traffic every day...paying more in gas, tolls, and parking than a monthly ticket.

So, when the quiet car started...I thought it was fantastic, however, I thought it might take away from some of the interesting stories I came across and posted/blogged about. The funny thing, is, it didn't...because you still get those people who don't know about the quiet car or just don't care.

A little bit ago, I took the usual 519 train home and as always, I sit in the quiet car. I love to read and if I have to, I will put my iPod on to block out constant noises or obnoxious people...but sometimes it's nice to just read w/out music.

You can definitely tell the people who sit in the designated quiet car because they respect the program and enjoy the silence.

So, there's a guy I have referred to in the past as 'stinkpot' and he is usually on the same trains as I am in the AM and PM...and he is an avid reader.

Sitting on the 519 one day, he was there on the other side of the train from me and there were two people in front of him talking to each other. One of the most awkward things to do, is say something to someone or multiple people about them talking on the phone or having a conversation with someone else. I don't like to do it, but at the same time, there's a reason for the quiet car.

It was a man and a woman who seemed to be friends, just chatting away. Stinkpot kept looking up from his book and the woman kept seeing him look and tried to lower her voice, but her friend just kept his voice at the same level.

Stinkpot then politely tapped the man on the shoulder and informed him that this was the quiet car and if he could, to please lower his voice. It was definitely the most polite way you could ask someone to be aware of where he or she was sitting. He didn't ask him to move or stop talking.

Well, this guy was a complete ass (pardon that french) and continued to talk...then...lowered his voice a little. But...then turned around to Stinkpot and said "is that better, is my voice low enough" in a really snotty and sarcastic way - completely unnecessary. Stinkpot said "look, I don't want to start anything, I just want to read my book and you are talking loudly in a designated quiet car."  The woman he was with was extremely embarrassed and asked him to stop. There was definitely a lot of tension as you could see it in the other commuters. 

That's how it gets when you have people trying to respect the program put in place. It may be silly to a lot of people, but, to those who ride the train every day...it's something that we respect and hope to enjoy as we sit on a train that takes us to work.

This morning would be another one of those times where you want to say something, but think...is it really worth it?

Two women who I also see on the train a lot were sitting in the 5-seater with me...they are both readers as well. A couple sitting behind one of the women were having a loud conversation, so the woman keeps sighing and turning around in hopes that they would get the idea that their conversation is A) too loud for a morning commute, and B) too loud for the quiet car.

The other woman looks up and they start talking to each other about the couple may not realize they are in the quiet car or debating if they should say something. The woman sitting next to me basically says not to say anything because she's like me - doesn't want to start anything.

The thing is, no one really wants confrontation on the train. There are plenty of times I would LOVE to say something...but...in the end...I can't go anywhere and I'm stuck on the train with these people who in the end won't move. So, why start something? I just end up waiting for them to realize where they are or realize that they are bothering the people around them...or...I wait for someone else to say something.