Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Last Call For Alcohol On Weekend Late Night LIRR Trains!
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 23, 2012
Modified Apr 23, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
John Del Signore/Gothamist
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 23, 2012
Modified Apr 23, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
One of the few things that makes a trip out to Long Island remotely tolerable is the sweet succor of alcohol, which you can legally consume on board the LIRR to get rid of the pain of going to Hempstead. But all that's about to change, as the MTA announced an experiment next month: Are Long Islanders strong enough to endure an LIRR train ride without consuming any alcohol between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. on weekends? We're about to find out, starting May 14th.
"We think that [alcohol] continues to fuel some of the rambunctious behavior we've been getting, all the way up to criminal behavior," LIRR president Helena Williams said at a Manhattan meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's railroad committee. "We're just trying to get a different tone on the trains that lessens these incidents." Newsday reports the booze ban experiment comes on the heels of two recent assaults on train crew members, including one conductor who was punched in the face and had to get three stitches.
The MTA will put up signs and make announcements on trains and platforms to notify riders of the ban, which sure is going to put a damper on the luggage rack luge races. But MTA police say 95% of all assaults on employees involve alcohol, so perhaps this enforced sobriety is a necessary evil. After all, not every train has an off-duty cop on it to shush rowdy hockey fans by pointing a gun at them.
Tagged
booze ban
drinking
lirr
MTA
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.
The median price of a cocktail in the city is now $16, and $9 for a draft beer.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 19, 2026
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .