It's Not Just Parking, It's STRATEGY

Today I'm going to share with you what it's like to park at the Hicksville train station.  Those of you who regularly read this blog know that I am a big fan of the 7:29 AM train.  If I'm going to make that train, I have to have a strategy. I have to know where I can park and not waste time where I can't.

Before we get started though, I need to explain the incoherence that is parking at Hicksville Station. Typically, I'd provide a crude drawing, but today we're more sophisticated.  The image below is an MTA map showing Hicksville commuter parking. It is not to scale. If it was, I wouldn't be able to fit Lots #4 and #5 on this blog page.

See the platform? It has LIRR on it, in red. If you look at the tracks east of the station, you will see that the tracks split. The split to the north is toward Huntington, and the split to the east is toward Ronkonkoma. I point this out to demonstrate how two major branches of the Long Island Rail Road converge on Hicksville, making it a major hub and therefore one of the busiest stations in the LIRR system.

This translates into competitive parking each day. You have to be up to the competition. Derek Jeter has to retire from his game at 40, but not me. I'm up for this day in and day out. I come ready to play 162+ every year.

Other Long Island Rail Road stations simply have one or two lots for all travelers.  But not Hicksville. The parking is disjointed, and there are lots all over the place. We'll delve into the five lots pointed out above, but as you can see there are many more than the ones I use.

By the way, you have to pay to park in the lots in red. People who don't have a proper permit but want to commute from Hicksville fork over $10 or more per day. Hicksville is THAT desirable.

I have a proper permit, so I can park in any of the non-pay lots. Pretty swanky, rarefied stuff, huh? Well, let me tell you about the parking experience first and you can decide your jealousy factor.

Hicksville lot parking, as it SHOULD be

Lot #1: The Town of Oyster Bay Parking Garage. My favorite place to park.  You drive in, you park, you cross a high-speed roadway with grand ambitions of not dying. You walk down a narrow, poorly lit pathway (I call it "Rapist's Alley") to the west side of the platform. If you don't get attacked by a lunatic along the way, it's easy as can be. Better get to this lot by 7:45 AM latest or you have no hope of getting a spot.

No spot? No problem

Lot #2: Mall Access and Lowered Chance of Death. This lot is great because you don't have to walk through high-speed traffic to get to the platform. If you need to run an errand at the mall after work, it's just north of this parking lot. The only problem with this lot is that there is never any parking there. The lot is a mirage. I believe people don't park here; they abandon their cars here.

Which way should I go?

Lot #3: Under the Divide. You can see that Lot #3 is in an area nestled between the rail split. The rails are elevated here, so you can take shelter from rain. However, be sure to wear a surgeon's mask to avoid breathing in the pigeon droppings. The underside of those trellises make great places to nest. If you don't watch, you will step in it. There's a lot. Not posting a photo, as I think you get the point.

Got a quarter?

Lot #4: A Lot Among Chainsaws and Tumbleweeds. I happen to like this parking lot, because it's right near a power tools shop. Something about power tools makes me very happy. When you get out as far as Lot #4, getting to the platform becomes a game of Frogger. Do you remember Frogger?  It was big in the 1980s, along with numerous other quarter-powered video games. In this real-life version, you have to cross four major roadways and try not to die. Ribbit.

In the image to the right, I'm the frog circled in yellow, crossing a road of racing vehicles, hoping to get to the train without dying.

Lot #5: Slightly Further Than Saturn.  Similar to Lot #4 in distance, but just a bit further.  Most who park this far away wear spacesuits.

Maybe one day they'll give me my very own parking spot, with a sign indicating, "Reserved For The Train In Vain Blogger." I won't need to drive around looking for parking ever again. Of course, nobody will know it's actually my spot, since the sign will be covered in pigeon droppings.

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Happy and safe commuting, and may you encounter uncommon sense.

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