Norwalk (CT) Rep. Lavielle Wants Wi-Fi On Metro-North Trains

Norwalk Daily Voice ^ | 01/23/2013 | Vanessa Inzitari

[Olog-hai]

Metro-North commuters may be able to browse the Internet from their laptops, tablets and other devices using wi-fi as they travel to and from their destinations if state Rep. Gail Lavielle gets her way.

Lavielle, R-143^rd District—which includes parts of Westport, Wilton and Norwalk—proposed a bill that would require Metro-North to provide wi-fi access to passengers. The proposed legislation would also allow a private contractor to provide the service.

“Our hardworking commuters travel for hours every day on Metro-North, and they want to spend their time productively,” Lavielle said in a statement. “Commuters have seen a steep spike in their fares, and they have a right to expect service improvements.” …

[Olog-hai]

Hmm. Thought the fare increase was to play catch-up with existing costs? as well as cover all those other extra expenses that the FRA (and ADA) has burdened the railroads with via onerous and increasing regulations? And is it not liberals that always talk about people having all these extra “rights”?

[Mastador1]

This is from a Republican? We already heavily subsidize all rail and bus travel and will now pay a private contractor to provide another freebie at the expense of the majority? I suggest that if these folks want to work or surf the net during their travel time they need to upgrade their wireless contracts. This entitlement crap has to end!

[Olog-hai]

Yeah; this coming from a Republican is what caught my eye over it. If it were a Democrat, then it’d be expected, but now we have GOP politicians unabashedly talking just like Democrats.

They seem to be following the European Union on this. I used to wonder why Dublin Bus back in Ireland just slashed the number of its routes drastically, recently; now I know, because they’re scrambling to have wi-fi on all their buses too. (Their buses used to be kinda spartan in appearance and interior, which was part of their charm; now things are out of hand.) Guess they don’t want the populace disconnected from the “telescreen” . . . BB’s gotta keep watch.

[SamAdams76]

I commute on Metro North every day and the hotspot feature of my smartphone works just fine, giving me internet access to both my laptop and iPad.

Only time I lose it is in the tunnel leading to Grand Central, but by then, you need to pack up and be ready to de-board anyhow.