From reader Meq:
Can anyone solve the door mystery of the 5:38 New Haven train leaving Grand Central?
Normally the train doors are open well in advance of the train leaving. Regulars can find their favorite cars and settle in, leaving only a few latecomers to throw themselves on and straggle through the train at the last minute.
Not this week. The week that kids are off school and the first warm days appear, MTA decides to keep the doors firmly shut until 5:20…5:25…leaving regular commuter anxious and daytrippers confused, huddled in groups outside the doors, waiting to surge in all at once.
And not enough train cars to boot, leaving many standing and rightfully angry. What used to be a somewhat pleasant and quiet ride home has turned into a stressful noisy situation. And when I look around and see the regulars shaking their heads in disgust, I
know I’m not alone.
As it gets warmer and then downright hot, I don’t want to worry about waiting on the platform sweating until allowed on the train as a kind of sick relief (if indeed the a.c. is working that day).
Why would someone need to board their train more than 20 minutes before it leaves?
If you’re getting to Grand Central that early, why not just take the 5:16 train to New Haven?