New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-16
A DETAIL OF TRAVEL.

One OF the most gratifying announcements
made concerning the new waiting room in the
Grand Central Station in this city is that pas
sengers will no longer be kept within that room
until a few minutes before train time but will
be permitted TO pass directly through to the con
course at the head Of the train platforms
Whether they Will still have to wait for the
opening OF gates and have their tickets in
spected before passing down the platforms to
the trains is not made known. 1t is TO be hoped
they Will not. 1t is not easy 10 see much good
in such a system, and it is impossible to avoid
seeing much inconvenience and annoyance.
Doubtless such ticket scrutiny at the bead of
each platform would be preferable or less OBJ
room But in either place it must be deemed of
doubtful propriety, and is known often to be "A
cause of hardship and injustice
The object of IT is to make sure that the pas
senger has secured ticket in advance and that
he is getting upon the right train. In practice
1t does neither. 1t is by no means certain that
a railroad company has right to compel the
passenger to buy a ticket in advance 1t is
no doubt desirable that he should do So But
at way stations he is not always required to do
so. At some he is unable TO do So since none
are sold there. And in all cases the company
recognizes the legitimacy Of his paying his fare
on the train by providing the conductor with
train tickets to meet the need. Again, having
procured ticket and thus having secured en-
trance TO the train, he may keep that ticket for
future use and pay his fare in cash So the
first object Of the inspection system is INSULT
cent TO justify it, Nor is the second more
adequate. After showing his ticket the pas
senger finds himself uShered upon a platform
at the sides Of which two or more trains are
standing among which he must select the one
he wants. The fact that he stood in line for
ten minutes set down his valise unbuttoned
his coat, got out his ticket, showed it. had II
punched and then went through the whole
process over again in reverse order does not
in the least help him to determine whether he
should take the forward cars at the right or
the rear cars at the left He must determine
that by reading the signboards, or by asking the
train hands, and he could do that just as we'll
If his ticket had never been punched.
But perhaps the strongest indictment of the
system lies in the fact of its non-enforcement
Every frequent and observant traveller on the
roads running out of the Grand Central Station
knows that only n small proportion Of pas
sengers actually show their tickets or are re-
quired to do so. Many bluff IT through" with
a confident air, or at most with mention of
the place to which they are bound Regular
commuters almost never show their tickets
And after passing through the door. whether
one has shown his ticket or not there is moth
ing TO compel him to take the train for which
his ticket is intended. True the platform is
roped off into lanes, each leading from GER
tain door to certain train or group Of trains
But 1t is an easy matter to get under or over
the rope into the next lane or to unlock the
rope and walk through There is no one to
object TO your doing so. On the contrary the
uniformed employees Of the place stand ready
TO let down the rope for You and thus 10 facili-
tate trespass and violation of ruc. The result
is that those who meekly wait for the opening
of the right door that they NAV show their
tickets have the pleasure of seeing through the