<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Analise:
If these elevators are working like you and others have said, well this sounds certainly a lot better than the NJ Trains to the EWR train stop. Do you feel safe in the elevators? I would love to hear from a woman travelling alone so I can see what her experience is like. I'm still hesitant to go to Jamaica alone with luggage and a laptop.</font>
I can't speak for the reliability of the elevators at Jamaica, but I can say I saw people using them when I was there. I'm not a woman traveling alone but I would have no qualms about taking the elevator during the day. (Jamaica is a busy station and I believe the elevators are glass-walled so you can see some of what's going on.) The neighborhood may be seedy but is also very busy and the area around the LIRR station entrance is safe during daylight hours. Also, if you arrive on the LIRR and transfer to AirTrain you don't even need to look at the street. If you have valuable things with you, take the same precautions you would in Manhattan - be on your guard and carry yourself with the confidence, poise, and velocity of a typical NY commuter who does this sort of thing every day.
[This message has been edited by Factotum (edited Jan 01, 2004).]