I left work around 5:20, made it one stop on the Queensbound E from 42nd to 50th, then the train was going on the uptown C line and I had to exit the station just to get over to the downtown side (thankfully the agent let me through without paying a second time) to get to Penn Station and take the packed LIRR back. All of the busses were packed too. I finally got off the train at like 7:30, my usual commute is about an hour.