The Train In Vain: Sharing Commuting Stories

Today, we have another great guest story from "The Duke of Albany." The Duke has shared some interesting yarns, including "The Golden Slipper" and "One Man Anti-Terrorism Task Force."

I won't give too much away, but there is no need to ever go thirsty on the Long Island Rail Road. You may be late, you may be irritated, but you won't ever want for a beverage.

I like to think of The Train in Vain as a public service announcement for all commuters of the Long Island Railroad, and with that in mind I have an anecdote that qualifies as such. Have you ever found yourself parched while commuting? There's no need to fear that situation ever again.

One evening on the way home, my friend Phrynia (see her guest post: "SEPTA vs. LIRR") and I were on the super local train to Ronkonkoma. It was a quiet evening and the train was fairly empty. That is, until the Jamaica stampede boarded. Before long, a loud group of passengers shoved into every available seat, and we were on our way.

One of those passengers was a woman we nicknamed "BWL," for reasons that will soon become clear. She sat next to Phrynia and me, and was disheveled after a long day of work.

The conductor came around to perform the usual post-Jamaica ticket checks. BWL must have been confused and thought she was on an airplane, as she asked the conductor for a drink.

BWL was dehydrated from her frantic day, but unfortunately the conductor was not offering full drink and snack service on this trip. Confused, but wanting to help, the conductor opened a cabinet door and pulled out a case of boxed water. BWL chugged her boxed water down and showed tremendous gratitude to the LIRR conductor.

You've certainly heard of a juice box, bento box, and a pizza box. But water in a box? We found out that this water stash is meant to be used when trains are stranded for lengthy delays. Given the frequency of stalled trains, "track conditions," and "unauthorized persons on the tracks," I'm surprised that boxed water isn't distributed on a regular basis.

Oh, and if it wasn't already clear, BWL stands for Box Water Lady.

I think I need a drink. Thanks again to the Duke of Albany for sharing another Long Island Rail Road tale. One thing for sure, the stories never end. Do you have a good commuting story? Please share, #TTIV readers want to hear it!

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

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