Syosset Platform Gap

Syosset's station location is a bit of a conundrum.  In one regard it is a really good location because it is right in the middle of town, easily accessible from many parts of the town.  But on the other hand, the station sits on a pretty sharp curve, which causes an extra large gap between the platform and the train.

Google Maps image of the Syosset station platform on the curve.

The problem arises when a train with a straight side tries to pass a curved platform.  In order for the straight sided train to safely pass the curved platform without lopping a big chunk of it off when the car ends jet out, they have to shave the platform back far enough so that the car ends can safely clear the platform at all points.

So the curved Syosset station platform has a particularly enlarged gap at some points because of this curve problem.  And I believe Syosset even has the largest gap in the system, for it is one of the very few stations not built on a straight segment of track.

Most of the door openings at at Syosset have platform gaps that are larger than 10 inches.  Some of them are even as big as 15 inches at the sharpest points of the curve.  To make things worse, the track is superelevated through Syosset to allow for faster operating speed and less wear on the tracks and trains, and for every inch of superelevation an extra inch is added to the gap.

I ventured out to Syosset this week and took a bunch of photos of the curve so you can see what it's like for yourself:

Back a couple years ago, there was a storm of gap incidents, where there was a couple month span where there were loads of gap incidents (and subsequent lawsuits, of course).   At Syosset was particularly targeted by the press due to it being the site of the most gap-related incidents.  In fact there was even one day in January 1996 where three separate people fell into the gap in a span of 90 minutes.

Now a gap of 10-15 inches is easily manageable for any able-bodied adult (at least I hope).  But with more and more people these days stupidly attempting to board trains with their heads buried in their phones or tablets or whatever, the gap incidents have been on the rise.  Why are there so many more gap related incidents nowadays?  I mean, the station's only been there for something like 159 years.  It's because (1) people don't pay attention.  If they got their eyes off their smartphones for 12 seconds to make sure the foot your extending out is actually going onto the train, and (2) greed.  If I go to Syosset, "fall" into the gap and get a bruise or two on my leg, I can then go and sue the LIRR for lots and lots and lots of money.  And the worst part is, the judges presiding over these cases give it to them.  Why should the LIRR have to pay for a person's stupidity and lack of common sense?  Learn to walk properly.

Since then the LIRR has embarked on a massive signage campaign to alert people to the mildly enlarged gap, as I went into here.  As I said before, the LIRR stuck Watch the Gap warnings on just about every flat surface.

And Syosset is the jackpot of Watch the Gap signage.  During my visit to Syosset this week I took a count of just how many "Watch the Gap" signs there are.  Take a guess right now as to how many Watch the Gap signs are in place at Syosset, then click "Continue Reading" and see if you're right...

258
Watch the Gap signs at Syosset Station.

258!  Two hundred and fifty eight Watch the Gap signs plastered all over Syosset Station.  At this point, if you fall through the gap at Syosset the LIRR should sue you for sheer stupidity!

Syosset has quite the collection of Watch the Gap signage too.  All 24 door openings have the standard "Watch the Gap" banner adhered to the floor, but many of the door openings also have a red "Caution! Large Gap Area!" warning on either side of that too to further enforce the concept.  Add that to the myriad of the usual Watch the Gap sign suspects plus a special sign unique to syosset that has gold letters on a black bacground in view of every train door saying "Step over the Gap."

The LIRR has also stationed a special "platform conductor" to help assist with the boarding and alighting process at Syosset.  He's stationed in a special red booth (however the color red unfortunately matches just about everything else on the station, so the booth is kinda hard to pick out) on the westbound platform in the morning and on the eastbound platform in the evening.  His main role is to help people who may require special assistance boarding (using the many gap plates scattered around the station) as well as to just provide an extra set of eyes just in case anything else does happen.

And to pour even more money into the station the LIRR has installed many, many cameras aimed at the door openings all along the station platform for the conductors to see if anyone has fallen into the gap.   The conductor's view the cameras from eight television screens positioned at different points along the platform.

There is also many, many of those "Hi I'm [insert celebrity name] reminding you to Watch the Gap!  Step over the gap when entering and leaving the train..." playing frequently throughout the day just in case you missed the signs.

Millions of more dollars have also been poured into studies on how to remedy the gap problem at Syosset.  Some have proposed installing Gap Fillers like at some subway stations but installing and maintaining those for 24 door openings in the outdoor elements and all would be far too expensive (and the gap isn't even all that big).  Other ideas have also proposed completely moving the station to someplace else on a straight segment of track, but that idea was dead on arrival.

But in the end the solution is really quite simple:

Step over the darn gap.  

But this is the kindergarten society we live in today, where we have to warn you about every single little thing, and if we don't, somehow it's our fault.

So do yourself and all of your fellow commuters a favor, and watch the gap!