Goin’ off the rails on a wealthy train. (Youtube)
If you aren’t a millionaire and you think it will be easy to secure a first-class seat on the Long Island Rail Road, think again, foolish plebeian.
Wealthy riders looking for a Hamptons weekend are snagging up all the choice seats, according to the New York Post. Funny thing is, they aren’t even using 30 percent of them. Come time to ask for a refund, these passengers can easily pay the $10 per ticket processing fee that comes with it.
Regular riders are finding it hard to acquire a seat on the Cannonball, the LIRR’s first non-stop express from Penn Station to Westhampton. Instead of finding themselves on a smooth ride to the shore, they are instead sitting on lengthy waiting lists.
“[The Cannonball is] such a popular service,” Joe Calderone, a LIRR spokesman, told the Post. “People are willing to pay premium. They get bar service at their seat, a reserved seat.”
But because 30 percent of the time there isn’t actually anyone in that reserved seat, the MTA is losing revenue from potential riders and bar service customers.
To be fair, the MTA’s website does say “We suggest you purchase ten trip tickets to save time and share with friends!”
Members of New York’s upper echelon are probably saving time. To hell with the sharing part.
