I don't think you really get how truly crowded the 10:51 a.m. St. Patrick's Day train to Grand Central was from this photo, but it gives you a hint. My car was standing room only and people were singing, chanting, banging on the roof of the car. At one point I thought they were going to stop the train and call the police.
At least twice the conductor came over the intercom to ask people to put out their cigarettes. (Might I remind you, you can't even smoke in bars in New York!) One guy had one of those camel packs long-distance runners wear to stay hydrated and he had filled it full of what looked like vodka and was going around giving people shots. He was falling down drunk and it wasn't even noon. Another girl had shot glasses stuck to her suspenders and was giving people shots. EVERYONE had cups or bottles filled with liquor. There were cases of beer.
I swear, it was like someone took the French Quarter at Mardi Gras and crammed it into a train. I had my iPod turned up to full volume and I couldn't hear the music. My boyfriend called and he said, "Is that the train?!" He couldn't believe I wasn't at a bar. He said he'd text message me instead and hung up.
The woman who sat next to me, sighed when she got on. "I took the latest train I could. I have to go to work. I was hoping to avoid most of this." [The parade was at 11 a.m. This train didn't get into Grand Central until about 12:10.]
It was a hilarious ride - way crazier than my New Year's Eve trip two years ago. But, it was also annoying after a while since I wasn't doing any drinking. I had a massive headache by the time we pulled into Grand Central.
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