View Full Version : How New Yorkers are Dealing With The Transit Strike?
folder fanatic
12-18-05, 02:15 PM
I was wondering how the choice of living car free will affect the ways and means of coping during the upcoming transit strike in New York City. Can the car free residents comment on this? I had to cope with another strike in my own city back in 2003. I wish all of you the best of luck.
Dahon.Steve
12-18-05, 02:59 PM
There is no transit strike except for the bus company in Long Island. There are plenty of options for those of us who are car free in getting to work. There are an abundant of cabs both private and public but either one is costly.
My company was ready to hire buses that would pick up employees in the outter boroughs but I can imagine the trouble of getting across the East River bridges during rush hour!
From what I can tell, the striking transit workers are a bunch of spoiled brats. They are fighting for 55 year old retirement with full pensions, among other unheard of perks. The transit companies are trying to get the retirement age to 62.
Hey, the rest of us need those transit workers to get us to work so that we can work to age 67 and just get social security. No pensions for most of the rest of America.
I will ride my bike, just as I do ever other day.
jyossarian
12-19-05, 02:34 PM
One thing New Yorkers do a lot of, even if they own a car, is walk. Walk to the subway/bus stop, walk from the subway to work, walk to lunch, walk to go shopping, the bank, the dry cleaner, etc. It's easy to walk 2 miles just running errands and do 3 miles total for the day w/o feeling you were just out for a stroll. It's just easier that way. With a transit strike, some will walk even longer while some will share cabs, livery cars, dollar vans, bike, car pool, rollerblade, etc. If transit does strike, I'll still be on my bike so it won't affect me much if at all.
Jerseysbest
12-19-05, 03:09 PM
From what I can tell, the striking transit workers are a bunch of spoiled brats. They are fighting for 55 year old retirement with full pensions, among other unheard of perks. The transit companies are trying to get the retirement age to 62.
Hey, the rest of us need those transit workers to get us to work so that we can work to age 67 and just get social security. No pensions for most of the rest of America.
Yeah, don't get me started on them. I like how the biggest complaint I've heard so far is how unclean the ladies bathrooms are. A construction worker who called in on a radio show today went off about the strike and what a bunch of BS it is, needless to say I agreed with every point he made.
Hey New Yorkers (or those in the area), what is the cry of the general public about the strike? Are most people sympathetic with the strikers, or are they angry at the strikers?
Dahon.Steve
12-19-05, 08:48 PM
Hey New Yorkers (or those in the area), what is the cry of the general public about the strike? Are most people sympathetic with the strikers, or are they angry at the strikers?
I'm sympathetic with the strikers because they are looking to get maybe half of their requests which is why their demands look silly. The MTA provides phoney numbers all the time so they're playing games and everyone knows it. In additon, this past winter, the agency had a surplus and gave it back to the transit riders by only charging 50% of the fare! I boarded the bus last weekend for $1.00 dollar or about 85 cents since the fare is discounted. They should have used this surplus money to pay down the debt because the agency will be back in the red by next year!
Under most circumstances, the feeling should be against the strikers but it tends to be mixed.
531phile
12-19-05, 09:43 PM
It's about 11:45 EST. Doesn't look good for you New Yorkers. (well the ones without two wheels that is)
From what I can tell, the striking transit workers are a bunch of spoiled brats. They are fighting for 55 year old retirement with full pensions, among other unheard of perks. The transit companies are trying to get the retirement age to 62.
Hey, the rest of us need those transit workers to get us to work so that we can work to age 67 and just get social security. No pensions for most of the rest of America.
Not that working for a living is a blast for anyone, but I don't think being a bus driver or transit worker in NYC is the most pleasant job around, and the salaries they make aren't exactly great for the metro NYC area. IMO they deserve whatever they can negotiate for themselves, and if the NYC transit union can stand up for itself, it helps union workers everywhere.
Dahon.Steve
12-20-05, 07:36 AM
WOW!!
Today was the first day of the strike and it was a madehouse in the tubes! I come into the city on a line (Path) that wasn't effected by the strike but it was jammed with so many people. I could not believe it happened.
The streets were empty of cars, trucks and buses and it actually looked like a Saturday morning. Quite pleasant. I seen more cyclists than usual with a number of commuters on new bikes! You could tell these were not the usual commuters as most of the time you only see messengers riding old bikes. There were several commuters who were not prepared for the elements at all riding with no helmet, ski mask or gloves with the temperature hovering around freezing.
I nearly witnessed a fight as one rookie bike commuter ran into a pedestrian on the street. Overall, a very interesting morning. It should be even more interesting this evening!
After today when people have to walk to work in the cold or dish out cash for zoned taxis, people are going to get more pissed as more days go by.
531phile
12-20-05, 12:41 PM
Damn G, I'll be heading towards the east coast area and maybe long island.
Any want to venture a guess as to how long this strike will last?
531phile
12-20-05, 12:43 PM
Anyone in NYC, take some pics and upload them. this is history in the making. Bike Commuters unite!
pharnabazos
12-20-05, 01:34 PM
Anyone in NYC, take some pics and upload them. this is history in the making. Bike Commuters unite!
I don't have a camera or pics, but if you go the DOT's website you can look at the numerous livestream cams placed around the city. I once had a plan that I was going to foil thieves here by locking my bike to a streetlamp and keep the streaming-cam in a corner of my desktop. Then I realized thieves make off with a bike quicker than I could get down there.
DOT cameras (http://nyctmc.org/)
Dahon.Steve
12-20-05, 08:06 PM
Folks. It’s amazing how a transit strike literally tears apart the whole city. It seems like people never heard of human powered transportation. I had no trouble because my trains were not effected by the strike but if that was not the case, I would bike it no questions asked.
Today, we had an office meeting where the director told everyone the direction where the company shuttle would pick up passenger. The concern of everyone was incredible. I’ve never seen so many people dependant on motorized transport in my life.
The news is full of young people exhausted because they had to walk 15 blocks. It’s really a sad case where people cannot walk more than a mile unless it’s inside a mall.
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