No bar carts? OK, but LIRR riders thirst for something more
A porter wheels a bar cart at the Babylon train station on March 25, 1971. Credit: Newsday / Naomi Lasdon
The Long Island Rail Road has rolled out bar carts on its platforms for the last time.
The railroad’s last call marks the end of an era that until the early 1980s included bar cars, those beloved and mostly male cabins, where riders could have a drink, chat with fellow commuters and even get to know the bartender.
Even after the bar cars were decoupled from the trains, carts on platforms at Penn Station and some other New York City terminals remained, a remnant of a different time.
But the LIRR shouldn’t be in the business of serving alcohol. Ending the LIRR’s role as a mixologist was long overdue. There are plenty of alternative spots for customers to buy drinks before heading home.
Now, the LIRR should serve up what commuters really want: fewer delays and cancellations, and much better communication.
If commuters start getting home on time, maybe there would be no need for a drink before departure.
