Transit Strike 2005 - My First Day
I woke up today at 7am. Woke up my Powerbook and checked the headline on the NYTimes Site.
"A Frenzied Rush Hour That Came around Midnight" and other Headlines that the strike was on and I knew what I was in for.
I went back to bed for 50 minutes and woke up just before 8am to shower and dress and prepare for work.
As I took my vitamins and drank orange juice I watched Eyewitness news to see the reporters all around the area with commuters
that were stuck. The people on the feeder roads to 96th street and the people in NJ approaching the tunnel were just ridiculous,
trying to get below 96th Street with less than 4 passengers was mission impossible. Thankfully I was riding in with Russ and Terri and we just had to find one more person... Easier thought than enacted as no one was in front of the building, in the deli, near the train station or taxi company. We drove up 4th ave to 9th street and then headed closer to the tunnel. On the way over we spotted a guy who looked as if he was walking determinedly towards the city and we asked him if he was heading to downtown Manhattan. He was, as he had just found out the trains were closed that morning and was going to walk to work. With our 4 person vehicle fulfilled we breezed into the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and headed into the city with very little morning traffic. Of course on the other side of the tunnel it was madness as no one was allowed onto the downtown streets unless they were a livery cab or emergency vehicle. &! nbsp;We were let out 2 blocks from the WTC and Russ was able to drive up to Chambers street to cross town. Once inside the PATH station I then had to wait as two shuttle trains arrived packed with people on Track 1. I almost rode on that train but then my nice empty train arrived and I went back up and over to platform 2 and rode into NJ in relative comfort.
So goes my first day into work
Now I just have to get home.
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Trip home was not that bad. Path Train to garage where Russ's vehicle was parked and then a reverse car pool with 2 people from his office. Dropped them off at the lot near the bridge and then continued through the streets of Bklyn to the environs of the slope.
More freezing temperatures tomorrow, among other things...
11/1 - The TWU are crazy, who get's a 10% raise?
I actually see that the Transit Worker's Union actually think they may have to strike to get their demands since their contract is up in two weeks. I don't know about you but a 10% raise every year for 3 years is outrageous. They also want to be able to retire after 20 years at age 50 and then be able to move to lower tax states to retire (while keeping their full benefits).
Yeah Right.
Nobody else gets it like this. I don't care that the MTA has the wild mess surplus. As it is 45% of that surplus will be gone next year to pay for the CURRENT retirees of the MTA let alone a whole new bunch that would get to retire after 20 years. They don't want to have to come out of their bullet-proof boxes to give directions and pick up trash.
Right now I want to know what they do that actually deserves a 10 percent raise every year for 3 years. I think maybe they are just shooting high so it can get whittled down but right now they have no sympathy from me. They only are there to give maps to tourists, give directions to people who cannot read the map, and provide a bulletproof witness if you are getting stabbed right in front of the token booth (if you are at the end of the platform hopefully someone will identify you body before it is pushed off the platform in front of the next train).
LIST: What does a Transit Worker do.
Stuff I actually think (I know)
that (the most visually obvious) Transit Workers actually do.I have only seen the Token Booth clerks reading books, eating meals, talking on cellphones, falling asleep, and telling me to go to the machine to buy my next metrocard. I don't think people should get 10 percent raises for sitting in a bulletproof box all day.
All the engineer has to do is stay on the rails, don't go forward if someone is on the tracks, don't move if someone is stuck in the door and not go so fast across the bridge they can fall off.
The conductor just has to open the doors, close the doors and yell at the people if someone is not letting the doors close. With the coming of more tech savvy trains they don't have to give us those incomprehensible announcements (no talking, more driving).
The other MTA employees serve no use and should be fired immediately (just kidding), except for bus drivers and track workers, the people who make sure the previously mentioned other people get paid, and the people who make sure the stairs aren't covered with ice in the winter and homeless people in the summer.
Again, unless the most visible of the TWU workers want to do a whole lot more work than they are currently doing now I think they should get paid with whatever they can collect standing with cups in the station. They can give any raise to the bus drivers, and people who actually have to do something difficult all day. Give me a reason to appreciate you guys and then maybe I will.
Mayor Mike is DA BOMB!!!
I do not know if people give the Mayor of NYC credit for one of the most important things to ever hit the city.
Everybody should have this..
I'm talking about the 311 number.
You can call and state you have a problem with ANYTHING in the city.
Problem 1.
You notice across the street from your house is a crookedly parked car with a broken window. Yes, someone has abandoned a vehicle on your street. Pretty soon we will have homeless people sleeping in the back seat and a car fires when you're not looking.
But no, we call 311 and within the next hour and a half the car has disappeared. No noise even from the the tow truck.
This city is just so on point some times.
Problem 2.
The construction crew seems to think that the best time to perform overpass construction is after 10pm at night. The noise has begun every night at 10pm for 3 days straight and for the past two nights the noise has continued far into the night, making it very hard to go to sleep and stay asleep.
But we can call
311, give them the location of the noise and the fact that it has gone on for days in a row and in LESS THAN ONE HOUR, the generator or whatever big behind machine has been tormenting your sleep for days, shuts off and the regular sounds of the night can be heard. Stuff like passing cars and pedestrians. This is the kind of stuff that dreams are made of.
If anybody does not vote for Mayor Mike they deserve what they get. Anyone who votes for FF must be as high as those people dancing in the commercials to the spanish music (WTF???) I don't get the commercials but I don't do drugs all week so I guess I may not be the target audience.
People who are complaining about their High Property taxes cannot blame the mayor for their high property assessments which drive the taxes. Under the Mayor the real estate in the city has seen a boom. This means the average piece of property is more valuable now than it was even before 9/11. This means if your place is worth more money you will be paying more taxes.
Doesn't this make sense? I do not understand how people can blame the fact that they can now get more money if they sell their house and are required to pay more taxes on the property, that higher property assessments means change the mayor. What is Ferrer supposed to do, lower the house values? Lower the taxes, drive the city into debt and have to fire Teachers, Firemen and Policemen? You are have to pay for those safer streets somehow.
I know it is not as safe as it could be but if you don't like it you can move to New Jersey or Long Island. You know, those places that are in the news more than the city now.
Again If we don't have Mayor Mike we will all have to go back to smoke filled clubs, randomly messed up streets, and lower property values.
I think I like it just the way it is and then some.
Let's keep it real
My site is moved,
Yes I up and left (no wonder nobody has been writing anything)
And I forgot the password.
I finally settled on typing all of my different email addresses
and got blogger to send me the login info.
That was why I didn't update.
But anyway.
I am up and running over
HERE
So don't sleep!
Watch while I creep.
Have a peep...
Another fun time was had this saturday at sbny. Nothing like some friends, funky visuals (onscreen) , good music (for the most part) and some good drinks (and stuff). I just happened to get there at just the right time, when the music was jumping off, vip access and all, just when the music picked up. will probably do it again sometime. the Hostesses were fun and upbeat and a good time (too good in a few cases) was had by all.
the day after is a day of reflection and chilling out.Of course.
If only everybody enjoyed their weekend like I do. those poor unfortunate souls.
Let's do it again
I lost one of my rambles but I'm sure it will pop up somewhere. Someone elses nightmare. Do you believe the stuff you can see and hear and read today. I wonder if anyone will get around to this little piece of light heavy reading. I guess maybe sometime I'll tell all of my friends. And they'll tell two friends. And so on. Until someone comes back asks me "What the Heck are you doing? Rambling on like that should be against the law."
But don't worry I won't tell . Too much ... about too many people.
I'm not sure If I am doing this right but hey, You only live once so here I am jumping off into space and wondering if my feet will touch before I run out of air. Too far and fast for one person but hey I have an evil twin helping me so its all good. He deals with the little people while I smile and wave like Marilyn to the crowds. Too soon it is over and I am back with the mundane at work. Guess you can't be a demagogue all of the time.
