Can you get fined for getting on an earlier train?

What happens if you get in the wrong train?

Okay, so you're asking about wrong trains, right? It happened to me last year, totally freakin' awful. I was rushing, you know, late for that stupid interview at that accounting firm downtown. Ended up on the express instead of the local. My ticket was useless, totally useless! No, wait, it showed the correct destination, but not the route. The conductor, this grumpy dude, just shrugged. So, what'd I do?

• Panicked, initially. Huge.
• Used my phone. Found a nearby station on Google Maps-- it was a lifesaver! Thank God for cell service.
• Got off at the next stop. Which, thankfully, was close to a connecting line.
• Bought a new ticket. Cost me extra, of course. Seriously annoying.

The whole thing was a nightmare. Missed my interview, duh. But hey, at least I didn't end up in some totally random place. I had my phone for directions. That's the most important thing really. I could've, I don't know, been stuck for hours somewhere? Really messed up. Lesson learned? Double check that train number next time!! Seriously! It was a super stressful day. Ugh, I still feel stressed thinking about it. I ended up applying to another job and got it though, so, that was good. The other interview, I was totally unprepared anyway, I think.

What do I do if I got on the wrong train?

Okay, so, wrong train, happened to me last summer. August, maybe? Hot as heck that day. Penn Station, total chaos as usual.

I was headed to Long Beach, LIRR, you know? Thought I hopped on the right one.

• Ticket: My e-ticket, useless now!
• Destination: Long Beach, not... where this train was going!

Next thing I knew, we were way past Jamaica. Ugh. Felt like a total idiot. I mean, who does that?

This conductor, this guy was so not having it. Glared at me like I’d personally insulted him. He said my ticket was invalid. Well DUH.

He eventually told me to get off at Mineola. I remember thinking Mineola, of all places.

Mineola sucked. Zero cell service, sticky seats. Total disaster.

I ended up having to buy a new ticket back to Jamaica (more money outta my wallet). And then AGAIN buy one to Long Beach. Double ugh.

Learned my lesson:

• Confirm, confirm, confirm even if you're “sure”.
• Listen to the announcements! I usually zone out.
• Don't be afraid to ask a human being!
• Download the LIRR app. Seriously.

It cost me like 40 bucks extra and two hours of my life. Never again. Grrr.

What happens if I accidentally get on the wrong train?

Oops! Wrong train? Happens to the best of us, like, all the time. Especially me, last Tuesday, heading to Poughkeepsie when I needed to be, uh, not there.

Think of it like this: you're a salmon swimming upstream but, surprise, it's the wrong stream. Awkward. First things first: don't panic. You ain't robbing a bank.

• Confess! Find a conductor. Fess up. Beg for mercy (kidding… mostly). They've seen it all, trust me, probably this morning.
• Pay up, buttercup. Expect to cough up some dough. It's cheaper than jumping off the train.
• Enjoy the scenery! Okay, maybe not. But hey, unexpected adventures, right? Like my trip to Poughkeepsie!
• Learn from this colossal flub. I mean, how hard is it to read a schedule? Pretty hard for me, apparently.

Losing your ticket after it's checked? Double whammy. Prepare to explain. This is where charm comes in handy. If charm fails, see "Pay up, buttercup" above.

I also lose my phone at home. Ugh.

What happens if you get on the wrong train by mistake?

Okay, so, like, if you hop on the wrong train? Well, duh, you're going the wrong way!

It's such a time-waster. You totally lose time, and for sure you're going to miss your connection.

And, uggg, you'll probably have to pay extra fare. It's the worst, right?

What would I do? I'd get off at the next stop, no matter what, and figure it out from there.

Here's my advice:

• Don't panic. Seriously.
• Talk to the conductor. They're usually pretty helpful. It happens!
• Check the train schedules. Obvious, yeah, but do it.
• Plan your detour or your route; don't repeat missteps.

OMG, one time, I hopped on a train headed to like, Stamford instead of New Haven... what a mess because I was meeting Becky for brunch, and I almost missed it!