The MTA will once again ban the consumption of alcohol on commuter trains during this weekend’s dreaded SantaCon.
Commuters on Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road will be barred from booze from 4 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, till noon on Sunday, Dec. 11, in a likely futile endeavor to clamp down on the mayhem annually inflicted on the city by inebriated Kris Kringles.
“Maintaining safe and orderly travel is always a priority,” said MTA Police Chief John Mueller in a statement. “We want everyone to enjoy their holiday festivities and get to their destination smoothly and on time.”
The ban will be in effect both on trains and on station platforms. MTA Police will beef up their presence at Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station over the weekend, and will confiscate any alcoholic beverages they find. Violators could be issued summonses or even removed from trains.
To the chagrin of most New Yorkers, the annual SantaCon celebration has survived the pandemic. Thousands of out-of-towners dressed as Santa Claus will descend on the city this weekend for the diabolical bar crawl, the route of which has yet to be announced.
Each year, the Santas engage in excessive binge drinking, vomit and urinate on the streets, pick fights, vandalize property, and generally drain those around them of seasonal cheer. So loathed has the tradition become that many bars explicitly forbid anyone in a Santa costume from entry during the ordeal.
