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Two years ago hubby bought theatre tickets for the family. I thought it would be a fun experience to take the train into the city; we opted to take the Ronk line for speed as opposed to the Stony Brook station.
The ride in was an eye opener. The further west we traveled, my oldest noticed that more of the trackside advertisements were in Spanish. People getting on the train were surlier, uncooth, and potty-mouthed. I witnessed people dropping garbage, men staring down other men -- almost like they were challenging one another to fight. This was on the ride in during daylight hours.
The ride home wasn't any better.
After that experience, I have driven into NYC when I have theatre tickets. I have found excellent coupons for Icon Parking online which have proven to be far cheaper than the LIRR, more convenient than schlepping to Penn, and allows us more time to hang out at night without worrying about the LIRR schedule.
About 4 years ago I came back late from a concert on a weekend at about 1am and got off at Ronkonkoma. It didn't seem so bad. I came back a few times late at night. Has it really gotten that bad in about 3-4 years?
I think it really depends on when you travel. I used to take the Ronk line midday during the week from Jamaica to the end and vice versa and didn't have any trouble. This was back in late 2006, early 2007, though. I can't imagine it has gotten THAT bad in a few years.
However, I can see how weekend travel on all lines, or before and after events at MSG, would be touch-and-go. And late trains would give me pause on all lines.
When I lived in Babylon and used to commute on that line, I did run into people who moved from Ronk to Babylon and they said a big problem at Ronk is car break-ins. One woman told me that she had a HUGE pain in the butt with the police after her car was broken into. Something about Islip vs. Brookhaven townships and how she got a big runaround between two different police stations.
I wouldn't commute into Manhattan on the Ronk line, though. Too long a commute made worse by a lot of delays.
There are maybe 3 or 4 other towns that compare with Wyandanch and Hempstead.
Let's see here:
- Uniondale
- Westbury
- Roosevelt
- New Cassel
- Valley Stream
- North Amityville
- Criminal Islip ... opps I mean Central Islip
- North Bay Shore
- North Bellport
- the Mastics
- Huntington Station aka The Station
- the Moriches
- Hampton Bays (especially in the summer months)
LI has it's fair share of high crime communities in desperate need of a crackdown. And it's also very clear that crime on LI has increased significantly over the last decade.
This thread is a symbolism of how one ride can mess up peoples head. I do not think that it has changed that much in the past 3-4 years. The trains used to always stop at CI and Brentwood in 2006 too, and the crowd was not that nice (relative term here) back then too.
I think Port Jeff line is a tad better in terms of the gentry getting into the cars, but as I said before this is nothing new and maybe one of these days God forbid you have a good experience on the Ronk line, will you tell us how the middle of the island has improved in such a short span of time ? I don't think so !!
- Uniondale
- Westbury
- Roosevelt
- New Cassel - Valley Stream
- North Amityville
- Criminal Islip ... opps I mean Central Islip
- North Bay Shore
- North Bellport
- the Mastics
- Huntington Station aka The Station
- the Moriches
- Hampton Bays (especially in the summer months)
LI has it's fair share of high crime communities in desperate need of a crackdown. And it's also very clear that crime on LI has increased significantly over the last decade.
Valley Stream is a solidly middle class multicultural neighborhood. NOTHING like any of those other places. I would also not categorize Westbury in its entirety on that list either. There are still some nice neighborhoods in Westbury. Do you actually live in Nassau County or even go there?
so the thread starter is just now realizing that there might be some "not so nice people" in places like CI, Wyandanch, and Brentwood? makes you wonder....lol.
Have you even been to these towns? Not even comparable to Hempstead & Wyandanch!!
Hempstead & Wyandanch are towns that you cannot walk thru day or nite.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WIHS2006
Let's see here:
- Uniondale
- Westbury
- Roosevelt
- New Cassel
- Valley Stream
- North Amityville
- Criminal Islip ... opps I mean Central Islip
- North Bay Shore
- North Bellport
- the Mastics
- Huntington Station aka The Station - the Moriches
- Hampton Bays (especially in the summer months)
LI has it's fair share of high crime communities in desperate need of a crackdown. And it's also very clear that crime on LI has increased significantly over the last decade.
Have you even been to these towns? Not even comparable to Hempstead & Wyandanch!!
Hempstead & Wyandanch are towns that you cannot walk thru day or nite.
Yeah I was wondering about the "awfulness" of those areas too (Moriches, Hampton Bays), but don't know a lot about everywhere in Suffolk so I couldn't challenge them although I had a feeling they weren't so awful either ...
I just got back from the City with my kid. Figured we'd save a little bit of time and take the rail out of Ronkonkoma instead of Port Jeff.
Havent rode the line on the weekend in years. Wont be doing that again.
What a disaster, heroin addicts, pan handlers, day laborers the ghetto fabulous and trailer trash descended on that line on every stop from Ronko to Wyandanch to Hicksville.
The Conductor had to call the cops on one skel who tried to pay with a kids ticket then got physical with him when he suggested he pay the full fare.
If the Main Line is any indication of where the center of this island is at these days then the Middle has indeed fallen for good.
Next time Ill just drive to Queens and hop on th E for less BS or suffer along on the PJ line.
Scary stuff.
Crooks
The Ronko line passes through Brentwood, which actually has a consulate for El Salvador:
El Salvador General Consulate in LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK
1090 Suffolk Ave.
Brentwood, NY 11717
I am sure that adds to the "Queens like" passenger types on the LIRR Ronko line you are describing.
As for the rest of the DBs on the train, Ronko goes through several depressed areas.
When did the village of Westbury become "high crime"? Since you listed New Cassel separately, I have to assume you are talking about the village and not the zip-code. Even New Cassel is not high crime. Its FBI crime rating is 2 out of 10, where 1 is the lowest level possible and 3 is the national average. This list needs serious corrections.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WIHS2006
Let's see here:
- Uniondale
- Westbury
- Roosevelt
- New Cassel
- Valley Stream
- North Amityville
- Criminal Islip ... opps I mean Central Islip
- North Bay Shore
- North Bellport
- the Mastics
- Huntington Station aka The Station
- the Moriches
- Hampton Bays (especially in the summer months)
LI has it's fair share of high crime communities in desperate need of a crackdown. And it's also very clear that crime on LI has increased significantly over the last decade.
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