Re: “You can’t sit or eat art work, Lary Penner.” Welcome again to another episode of Larry Penner’s Bizarre Universe. Mr. Penner again does not disappoint.
On Page 2 of the 1/24/2024 New York Daily News is a story about GCM. The MTA is currently accepting applications for a bar/restaurant, as well as to attempt to fill the retail space.
While the article was published in the 1/24/2024 Daily News, two days after Mr. Penner’s, there is a website that discusses proposals for retail at GCM. Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Madison. Given the intricacy of the coding, I would tend to believe the website went up before Mr. Penner’s opinion piece. Admittedly I don’t know for sure.
What is the story with Mr. Penner’s bathroom obsession? Does Mr. Penner not understand that there are fewer commuters per toilet at GCM per hour than in most subway stations, those that even have toilets? For the sake of brevity, I will mention the Parkchester Subway station and invite readers to Google the average daily ridership divided the number of hours the toilet is open and I will say there is one toilet only there. Does Mr. Penner not understand that in general each LIRR car has a toilet?
Does he not understand the fact that especially for those of us getting up in years (I’m 62 in April) the wisest thing to do is EMPTY OUT immediately preceding the trip, as I do every day on my hour long commute to and from Brooklyn?
If the two trains I take to work operate normally there is generally no need to use the bathroom. Since I know food and coffee get my digestive system going I do not take either on the train in the morning and wait until I get to work to have my coffee. I try not to drink anything fewer than thirty minutes before I leave work in the pm.
If the worst thing that ever happened to me in my life was I had to stand a bit before taking my train to work or home I’d be a very happy person. Likewise for holding my newspaper a bit on those rare occasions I buy a newspaper.
Has Larry Penner not taken a subway or commuter railroad recently? Does he not understand the majority of commuters have their noses buried in cell phones, tablets, and laptops?
The traditional newsstand is virtually obsolete. The traditional newspaper is so expensive I always think twice and ask myself if I really need to buy it. Both my children are long gone from the house, my obligations to my ex wife ceased years ago, and while I am not affluent I’m at least paying my bills and have a few discretionary dollars.
As far as ticket vending machines are concerned, while I cannot speak for commuter railroads I do know every time I get on the subway for every person I see using a Metrocard four or five are using OMNY, the OMNY Mr. Penner has been complaining bitterly about. A quick Google search reveals many options for patrons of commuter railroads to use their Smartphones.
In a nutshell, Mr. Penner is not happy unless he is complaining. And while Mr. Penner is of course free to complain about whatever he wishes, I would advise Mr. Penner and anyone else reading this to avoid complaining too much. The universe has a way of throwing something at you that will have you begging for what you were previously complaining about. I do not wish ill or Mr. Penner or anyone else but I have sometimes found it to be quite true.
Yet again I will ask the same question. How much of GCM was funded by Larry Penner’s FTA? While I consider Larry Penner’s gripes inconsequential and my primary concern the few times I have taken LIRR is the train getting me to my destination safely and on time and I couldn’t care less about bathrooms and waiting areas and newsstands and ticket machines, assuming for the sake of argument Larry Penner’s issues are important, why would his FTA approve a project that has so many issues? Taxpayers, elected officials, commuters, future commuters, and transit advocacy groups deserve answers.
Nat Weiner
Bronx
