IT CAN HAPPEN

It was the mid-1970s and I was on my way home from work. Getting off the subway one summer night in Flushing at the Hunters Point Station, I ran upstairs to catch the Long Island Railroad. When I reached the platform I saw the station was overcrowded and an announcement that all trains were running late.

Being a seasoned veteran at this point having commuted for a while, I decided I would go around the corner to the local tavern and have a scotch. I figured by the time I had one, it would be time to go to the station once again.

All good plans of mice or men often go astray, as they say. Or, I think the Russians say: You make plans and God laughs. These are true in my case. I had more than one scotch, I had three! Then it suddenly hit me (not the scotch) that maybe I should get back to the train station.

Racing out of the bar I head towards the station and race down to the platform where there is a train moving and the arrival board saying: Ronkonkoma, my stop!

As it was getting late and had missed my earlier train, I did not want to be any later so I timed my jump perfectly and landed at the feet of the trainman standing in the entranceway of the train. Whew! I caught the train! Looking up at the trainman I said: “Pretty good jump, no?” Proud of myself a big grin on my stupid face, the trainman said: “Yup, but why didn’t you just wait for the train to stop?

I thought it was leaving, the last train for the night!