One thing that must be said before we begin is that this can possibly be the best or the worst experience for you. You will either run onto your Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) train right before the door closes or have to be rubbed up on by some old guy on the seat next to you. Either way, this is your life now and you have to be prepared whether you like it or not.

1 Buying your ticket.

Before you buy your ticket, make the decision of which type of ticket you will be buying; a monthly, weekly, or daily ticket. You obviously save more on the monthly ticket but that may not fit everyone’s price range. According to the Long Island Railroad’s website, a monthly train ticket from zone 10, which is farther out east, to zone 1, which is Manhattan, is $377. A weekly train ticket on the other hand is around $120. Like I said, it’s all about what fits your budget.

We're going to use a monthly here for reference since many people do shell out the almost $400. Make sure you get your monthly before the beginning of the next month. The option to buy the next month’s ticket is given to you on the LIRR kiosk a week before the month ends. Then when the first of the month rolls around you will most definitely see the long line of people scrambling to get their monthly. And you’ll walk on the train with no worries while you see the other potential passengers stressing out because they will most likely have to catch the next train.

2. Being Timely

You have to remember you aren’t the only one using the railroad to commute. There are literally hundreds of thousands of people using this form of transportation so get to the station at an appropriate time. According to the LIRR website: “The Long Island Rail Road is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, carrying an average of 301,000 customers each weekday on 735 daily trains.” So if it takes you 10 minutes to get to the train in the morning, leave 15-17 minutes before your train is expected to arrive. The last thing you want to do is leave at the last minute and wind up hitting every traffic light and missing your train by mere seconds.

Also, this timetable is flexible, which means that if you know it will be trouble for commuters that day, leave earlier. For example, when it snows the snow plows that clear station parking lots decide to always dump the piles of snow in parking spots. So you better make sure you get there extra early because space is limited on these days.

3. Where to Sit

Now that you’ve bought your ticket, you’ve attained a great parking spot and you made it onto the train, now you have to find a seat. Seat selection varies on what time and where you get on, so for now we’re going to use a station out east, Sayville, at a peak time hour, 7 A.M. During this hour it isn’t the time for beggars to be choosers so you may have to sit next to someone. For first timers this may be shocking, to actually have to sit next to another human being but don’t worry you’ll get over it. Sometimes though, there is the holy grail of train seats, the single rider seat. It’s a rare phenomenon to come by but if you’re lucky enough to see one, take it.

If there is an open “two-seater” then take it, but be ready for someone to either ask you to sit or just plop right on down. Especially if you get on at a point further east going west you’re bound to have someone sit next to you. The main point of this is to just deal with it.

4. Train Etiquette

From Sayville to Jamaica Station is approximately an hour ride, hoping there isn’t an infamous LIRR delay, so you have to pass the time. There are many “dos” and “don’ts” in this respect.

Let’s go over the “don’ts” first shall we? Don’t listen to your headphones at a high volume: no one wants to listen to your music, not even if you think your taste in music is vastly superior. Don’t talk on the phone, period: probably the only thing more obnoxious than loud music is listening to someone gossip on the phone, it doesn’t matter how quiet you are, everyone can hear you. Lastly, don’t put your bag on the seat next to you during peak times: people will ask you to sit down no matter what and you’ll still look like an ass.

Now it’s time for the “dos.” Read a nice book: nothing passes the time better than reading a nice novel and it makes you look well educated too. Another option is sleep: I say this cautiously because I have sat down next to a couple people who snore but most of the time New York commuters are peaceful sleepers. Lastly, use technology to your advantage: if you are lucky enough to not get motion sickness, smart phones can help pass the time and if you can listen to your music at an appropriate volume then that’s a plus too.

All in all, the railroad is a really beneficial tool to get you to your job or to your class. Sometimes you’ll get there on time, sometimes you won’t, it is all out of your control anyhow. Besides, it is a hell of a lot better than driving on the Long Island Expressway where there is always traffic, always. So if you manage to avoid getting to the station late and using the appropriate measures to have a good time on the way there, you wont have a problem.