Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) officials announced Monday they are banning open containers of alcohol on St. Patrick's Day.

Commuters are normally permitted to drink alcoholic beverages on platforms and while riding trains. In a statement, the LIRR said it's banning alcohol from trains and station platforms on March 17, to "maintain orderly travel for customers attending the St. Patrick's Day Parade." Because St. Patrick's Day falls on a Saturday this year, LIRR officials expect thousands more commuters for the parade than normal.

Critics believe the LIRR shouldn't pick and choose when to impose an alcohol ban. They say if the LIRR deems it alright to drink on trains, it should be allowed all the time.

Commuter Otis Wheeler, who found irony in the ban, philosophized, "ain't that just the luck of the Irish."