To the Editors:
When thinking of this phrase, don’t expect the mellifluous timbre of James Earl Jones’ voice, when he announces the all-news network. Rather, think of something from Kukla, Fran & Ollie. High pitched and decidedly not serious. Photos of a speed app on my iPhone show (0 mph) No-Go and (5 mph) Slo-Go on the Metro-North Danbury line. A typical day, every day.
There are 49 track miles to Grand Central Terminal, which means the average speed of our 1 1/2-hour daily trip is whimperingly less than 33 mph. What if the average speed were, say, 45 mph? The trip from Wilton to GCT would be about one hour and five minutes. Is 45 mph too much to ask of Metro-North? This velocity doesn’t approach light speed. It’s achievable with Newtonian as opposed to Einsteinian laws of physics. Open the throttle!
There are legalistic obstacles, I’ve been privately made to understand, that prevent the state from forcing Metro-North to improve. So, forget that. Abandon the normal course. We need to publicly force Metro-North to act reasonably, responsibly and competently. I want to see our governor, senators, congressmen, state representatives and selectmen in Wilton (and all the way up to Danbury) make a public spectacle of Metro-North management in every media outlet available. A continual torrent of public criticism from our elected officials and fact-based faults until it changes for the better.
That’s what we ask of all of our elected representatives. We want you to act. We demand that you act on our behalf. Don’t explain why you cannot. We are not listening.
We, the ridership, endure this opprobrium each and every day. Not any of you.
Nicholas R. Battista
Hickory Hill Road, Jan. 27