Late Night R train fiasco leaves scores of Bayridgistanis Fuming with Midnight Rage

Over the course of the last two nights, due to construction, R trains service has been scuttled between 36th street and 95th street. Instead, shuttle buses were provided for those unfortunate enough to need the R train between the hours of 11pm and 6 am.

The scene on Friday night was one of curses, anger and typical MTA pandemonium. Surprised late-night straphangers were told N train service was being re-routed over the D line and that to reach any stop between 36th and 95th on the R they would need to transfer to the shuttle bus. On the platform, two unfortunate MTA employees directed the surly crowds. In 15 minutes, we recorded at least 8 instances of the MTA employees catching some form of flack or verbal abuse.

Outside, the line for the shuttle train looked more like a puffy-eyed blue-collar mosh pit. Exhausted late night workers stood waiting for the bus between 5 and 25 minutes. When the occasional bus arrived, during the 40 minutes of observation, not a single one had enough room for everybody. Some of the slower or older of the straphangers, as such, ended up waiting two or three rounds of buses. Sometimes this meant a 25 minute wait in the freezing cold. One MTA employee stood and ushered the disgruntled riders onto whatever buses finally came around the corner. Cabbies were on the scene like free pez was being given out. With so few buses available, and a palpable, unmanaged tension in the air, many opted to pay the extra cash to be on their way.

We counted over 25 cabbies picking up rides in a period of about 30 minutes. John, a Queens based cabbie who worked the shift, estimated the average fare that night to be between 7 and 12 dollars. Some cars picking up passengers, however, were clearly not TLC licensced. Numerous minivans and sedans pulled up with offers to drive folks down the avenue (for a fare). At one point, approximately 1:20a.m., one passenger jumped from the car when he saw the driver wasn’t TLC licensced. The driver got out and a 5 minute verbal shouting match ensued. After a few minutes, the driver picked up a new fair, cursed his old fair out the window, and drove down Fourth Avenue into Bay Ridge dusk.

A group of 4 or 5 MTA employees leaned on nearby cars, commenting to each other about the nearby commotion. They also took turns re-adjusting their belts and spitting–neither of which provided more shuttle buses or helped them arrive faster.