In over 20 years as a Metro-North commuter, alert “06880” reader Bob McGee thought he’d seen every conceivable commuting debacle.
Today, though, topped everything. Bob writes:
This morning I’m 5 minutes early for the 5:47 train from Westport to Grand Central. As I walk to the station I hear an announcement that the train will come in on the opposite tracks. The illuminated signs placed at intervals over the platforms reiterate this message.
No problem. I get my coffee, and walk to the opposite — the New Haven-bound — side.
The train is late. It’s always late. This isn’t Switzerland.
Eventually, in the distance I see a train headlight rounding the bend, headed toward us. But it can’t be our train. It’s on the other side. The side we were told not to wait for the train.
Wait! It’s slowing down! It’s going to pull into the station! Surely they’ll see dozens of people running on the other platform! Surely they’ll see that nobody is on the New York bound side to get on the train! Surely they’ll see!
They don’t.
In what must be the fastest station stop ever recorded in Metro-North history — rivaling an Indy 500 pit stop (did the doors actually open?!) — the train pulls away. Not one of the many passengers for the 5:47 out of Westport made it onto the train. Not. One.
But the illuminated signs that hang at intervals announce that there is “Good Service.” Must be. Says so right there.
In a follow-up email, Bob writes: “When told what happened, the conductors on the next train were incredulous.”
Bob finally made it to work.
Then he sent one final email:
I just tried calling Metro North to relate what happened this morning. After waiting for a few minutes on hold, a customer representative picked up. As I told her what happened — and I’m not angry about it — she cut me off and said, “please hold.”
Click.
She hung up on me.
Wow.
Hey, Bob. Count your blessings.
She said “please.”
