MTA Campaign Tells Commuter Rail Riders ‘Groom At Home,’ ‘Keep Your Feet Off The Seat’

[Q113 LTD]

 

Manners matter in the suburbs, too.

The is expanding its "Courtesy Counts" campaign to both Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road. More than 2,000 posters have been placed on Metro-North and LIRR trains reminding commuters of the “do’s” and “don’ts” of riding the rails. The agency said customers can “help make the trip quicker and more pleasant by demonstrating a personal, consistent commitment to courtesy.” “With the rails courtesy needs to also be adhered to, it helps things run more smoothly, run safer,” Spokesperson Meredith Daniels told 1010 WINS. Some of the messages include  “Keep the Volume to Yourself” and “Groom at Home.” “We definitely emphasize keep your feet off the seat, that’s a big one, if you’ve ever been on a Long Island Rail Road train or a Metro-North train you’ve seen some people do this before; there are overhead racks on the commuter rails, people don’t use those enough; people also leaving litter on the train, you’ve seen that water bottle or can of soda roll down the aisle,” Daniels said. The rolled out similar ads fending off “manspreading” and “pole hogging” on subways in January. The campaign expanded to buses in March.

 

Source: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/04/22/metro-north-lirr-courtesy-counts-campaign-mta/

[Via Garibaldi 8]

It would be great if they could fine people for some of these things.  My biggest pet peeve is people putting their damn dirty shoes on the seats.  Your feet belong on the floor, not on a seat.  Crossing your legs is fine, but people love breaking the boundaries.

[lirr42]

It would be great if they could fine people for some of these things.  My biggest pet peeve is people putting their damn dirty shoes on the seats.  Your feet belong on the floor, not on a seat.  Crossing your legs is fine, but people love breaking the boundaries.

 

While a fair number of the things mentioned in the campaign are general courtesy things, there are a number of things specified as being against the rules in the NYS Public Authorities law, and according to section 1266(4) of the Public Authorities Law, they can already fine you (or throw you in jail) for those things, ("Violation of these rules shall constitute an offense and shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding $50 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days or both").

[Truckie]

...... they can already fine you (or throw you in jail) for those things......

 

Yeah, "they" can fine you.  You just have to find a "they" to do it.  Even if you fine a "they", actually having them write a ticket for these things is a stretch.

 

I know a conductor who got in trouble to asking a passenger to remove her feet off the seat, I'll be damned if I'm gonna call the cops over it.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Yeah, "they" can fine you.  You just have to find a "they" to do it.  Even if you fine a "they", actually having them write a ticket for these things is a stretch.

 

I know a conductor who got in trouble to asking a passenger to remove her feet off the seat, I'll be damned if I'm gonna call the cops over it.

In trouble for what???

[Truckie]

In trouble for what???

 

In trouble for asking a woman for removing her feet from the seat.  The woman complained how she was "embarrassed" in front of other passengers, etc.  When a passenger complains, we're the bad guy, regardless of what actually transpired.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

In trouble for asking a woman for removing her feet from the seat.  The woman complained how she was "embarrassed" in front of other passengers, etc.  When a passenger complains, we're the bad guy, regardless of what actually transpired.

Seems rather confusing to put out a campaign about not putting your feet on the seats, but then they chastise the conductors.

[lirr42]

It's important to draw the distinction between breaking the rules and not being courteous.

 

Things like putting one's feet on the seats, not taking your backpack off your back, grooming yourself, not keeping your belongings out of the aisles, not letting an elderly or disabled person sit in a non-priority seating seat, or letting people off the train first are not against the rules, but they are discourteous.

 

However, things like occupying more than one seat, listening to sound-producing devices at a level that's audible to others, not surrendering priority seating seats to disabled passengers when asked, and not taking your litter with you are against the rules (and the law).

 

Conductors aren't backed by any force to require passengers to be courteous to one another, but they are backed by the force of law to require passengers to follow the rules, so they should be expected to at a minimum enforce the rules.  If conductors aren't going to enforce the rules, what's the point of having them on the train?

[bobtehpanda]

Seems rather confusing to put out a campaign about not putting your feet on the seats, but then they chastise the conductors.

 

Don't you know the customer is always right? 

[Truckie]

 

Conductors .................  are backed by the force of law to require passengers to follow the rules, so they should be expected to at a minimum enforce the rules.  If conductors aren't going to enforce the rules, what's the point of having them on the train?

 

This is the funniest thing I read all day.  Yeah, we're backed by the law but we are not the law.

 

If we called for the cops every time someone takes up more than one seat, doesn't take their garbage with them, places their music too loud, etc... the passengers would never get to where they are going, the cops would be laughing in our face and we would be called to the train masters office by the end of the day.  It's bad enough holding up the train for 10 minutes on a good day for something legitimate.  Sure, I'll ask someone to turn their music down but if they refuse, it's out of my hands.

 

If we aren't going to enforce the rules why be on the trains?  Hmmm.... why are we on trains where there is no passengers such as stone trains, light engines, etc?  Why are there conductors on freight trains?  Not for ask passengers to take their feet off the seats.

[BreeddekalbL]

Some of these campigns are fine such as groom at home, no feet up on the seat etc, but i don't agree with the "manspreading" campaign if a man wants to spread out the hell with it let him it's never been a problem till now. (goddamn hipsters) Its like reverse sexism against men.

[Truckie]

.......... but i don't agree with the "manspreading" campaign if a man wants to spread out the hell with it let him it's never been a problem till now.

 

You wouldn't be saying that if Rocky (who frequently rides Metro North trains) did that.  Anyone that knows Rocky would agree.

[lirr42]

This is the funniest thing I read all day.  Yeah, we're backed by the law but we are not the law.

 

If we called for the cops every time someone takes up more than one seat, doesn't take their garbage with them, places their music too loud, etc... the passengers would never get to where they are going, the cops would be laughing in our face and we would be called to the train masters office by the end of the day.  It's bad enough holding up the train for 10 minutes on a good day for something legitimate.  Sure, I'll ask someone to turn their music down but if they refuse, it's out of my hands.

 

I never said that the police should be called on every time, but some effort by the conductors to remind passengers of the rules is better than no effort, and no effort is what a majority of conductors I've seen put in.

 

 

If we aren't going to enforce the rules why be on the trains?  Hmmm.... why are we on trains where there is no passengers such as stone trains, light engines, etc?  Why are there conductors on freight trains?  Not for ask passengers to take their feet off the seats.

 

I figured this would be the response, but the FRA doesn't agree with you.  The FRA (which has rules for everything on the face of the earth) says that there only has to be one engineer and one conductor onboard the train, and they can even be the same person provided they are dual-certified (which is the case on the LIRR, at least).  There is no statutory requirement anywhere that says that trains have to have two, three, or more crew members onboard.

[CGeorge]

personally, i've always tried to remind passengers about putting their feet on the seats or playing loud music. If a passenger also complained to me and asked me to do something it is my job to say something. If I get an "F you" or they don't comply there's nothing else I could do. We were also adviced not to get into confrontations with passengers.

[Truckie]

I figured this would be the response, but the FRA doesn't agree with you. The FRA (which has rules for everything on the face of the earth) says that there only has to be one engineer and one conductor onboard the train, and they can even be the same person provided they are dual-certified (which is the case on the LIRR, at least). There is no statutory requirement anywhere that says that trains have to have two, three, or more crew members onboard.

Yes, a dual certified engineer is a possibility. For one, he would have a hell of a time running around the train opening doors at short platforms.

 

In Metro North land, there is no way an engineer can be in two places at the same time for a class 2 brake test. There is no way an engineer can be on the ground if a roll by inspection is required. If he's running an engine long nose foward he would not be able to see the signals properly, expecially in GCT.....

[BreeddekalbL]

You wouldn't be saying that if Rocky (who frequently rides Metro North trains) did that.  Anyone that knows Rocky would agree.

 

what's that supposed to mean message me if you don't want to post the story here

[Truckie]

what's that supposed to mean message me if you don't want to post the story here

Rocky is a gentleman that frequently wears woman's clothing, including mini skirts with nothing else on underneath. So when Rocky man-spreads, the family jewels are exposed for the world to see. Trust me, it's not a pleasant sight.

[46Dover]

Rocky is a gentleman that frequently wears woman's clothing, including mini skirts with nothing else on underneath. So when Rocky man-spreads, the family jewels are exposed for the world to see. Trust me, it's not a pleasant sight.

Wow lol

[Truckie]

From http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Blogs/Poptional-Reading/July-2012/How-Vast-Is-Your-Metro-North-Commuting-Vocabulary/

 

 

"'Rocky' is a transvestite, and, according to conductors, a fairly regular rider on Metro-North," he says. "He's about seven feet tall in his giant heels, African-American—the large majority of Metro-North riders are very, very white—and dresses to put a Vegas strumpet to shame with wigs, fishnets, crop tops, and faux furs. I've seen Rocky twice on the train—Rocky I and Rocky II?—though not in some time. What's as entertaining as watching Rocky stroll into your car—and he seems to prefer walking up and down the aisles, as if on a runway, as opposed to quickly finding a seat and almost blending in—is watching the faces of the everyday riders. "

 

Also:

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/StdjCBlm5Ws?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[BreeddekalbL]

remember how i was railing against the manspreading campaign? apparently now they are arresting people for it! per gothamist(hipsterist)

http://gothamist.com/2015/05/28/manspreading_crackdown.php

[Via Garibaldi 8]

From http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Blogs/Poptional-Reading/July-2012/How-Vast-Is-Your-Metro-North-Commuting-Vocabulary/

 

 

Also:

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/StdjCBlm5Ws?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

LMAO... He'll stand out as a black guy on Metro-North just for being black, since most of the riders are white, but a transvestite to boot??!? Mamma mia!