Subway recovery status as of 11/4/12

The status as of Sunday 11/4

After Hurricane Irene

This song seems so appropriate right now:

Hurricane Irene had a good run. Like an unwanted crackhead calling to say she's on her way, we feared the worse, but thankfully she tripped up on the doorstep and was too much of a mess to be a focused disruption.

There is flooding in low-lying areas, which includes MTA trainyards in Coney Island and North-East Harlem, each near the water. For that and other reasons the subways are still down, I hope the city isn't punting on Monday and they at least put the buses back in service.

For those who think the flooding fears were unwarranted check out this photo from Chelsea near 11th ave by Scott Witt:


Still the dreaded storm surge of water, pushed in by the hurricane, aimed at the low seawalls of the waterfront, The Battery and the financial district didnt come as high as feared. There was flooding along the water's edge on the west side highway and other sea-leveled areas like Gowanus. Areas of Brooklyn and Queens that generally flood in big storms did again. And trees across the city are being uprighted or collected after being uprooted.

Overall we've weathered the storm and can get back to our personal calamities.

Be safe and have great day!

Photo Wednesday 07/27/11: Paper Subway Crane

I noticed this as I was decending down into the subway one day a few weeks back, a paper crane. was someone trying to tell us something?



Speaking of the subways and what not, I just learned that only two years into his six year contract MTA Board head Jay Walder is leaving for a gig outta town. He will stay on until October of this year, then he's Hong Kong bound.

The articles below all reported the story when I missed it last week (when I was probably in the middle of the eighth shower that day)

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/jay-walder-m-t-a-chief-resigns-suddenly/

http://gothamist.com/2011/07/22/outgoing_mta_ceo_jay_walder_to_make.php

http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/07/21/mta-chief-jay-walder-resigning/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/henry-j-stern/mta-chief-walder-leaves_b_907389.html

You'll see in the articles above the range of opinion on the story as views differ on what this says about Walder and more importantly the effect it will have on mass transit riders in the city.

Some are trying to make him out to be the railyard equivalent of LeBron James (<--Btw this clip is very amusing if you havent seen it) for taking his talents elsewhere, but as the Gothamist article points out he was make $500k in London then left that job to come here and work for $350k and Hong Kong is offering almost a million annually.

Plus the transit works union, (and I am prounion) has a big sway over the agency thanks to the necessity of the MTA for city life and their contract is coming up at the end of the year while the MTA still struggles to pay off the debt incurred by huge borrowing over the last ten years, (thanks Pataki).

If you dont know Walder is credited with an attempt to modernize the MTA specifically city buses and subways. Things I havent liked under his watch, the cut off of bus service in the boroughs, and shortening of schedules but most of that was the result of budget cuts and a lack of public fighting to keep necessary services. As well as the constant problem with the MTA, that they are not politically accountable to anyone because they are a half private half goverment agency.

Things I have liked under Walder's watch, continued modernizing of the trains (I'm not a fan of robo trains though) and the update and addition of schedule clocks, (mentioned in a previous post) which every major city's subways (London, Tokyo, etc) have. I also like the realtime bus tracking and priorety bus lanes in the city. This and more was the promise and expectations that surrounded Walder's arrival as MTA head.

But yeah, Walder's a native New Yorker, and we know a few things with certainty; when the road's about to get bumpy and what a good deal looks like. I can't fault him for his choice but I'm not very optimistic that Cuomo will find anyone nearly as able to run this city's MTA and complete the turnaround Walder attempted to start.



Looks like NYer's will have to fold up our hopes and dreams into another, this bird has flown.

Brooklyn experience #362 : Subway Connection

It's Friday, um headed home. The B train to Brooklyn final got enough joy out of it's stop and go approach to the station, when the doors open at Atlantic avenue I can't wait to escape. I'd be running up the stairs even if I weren't frustrated with my commute and ready to shed the stank of a work week. Little known fact is that Atlantic Avenue station soon to be christened in honor of corporate welfare is not only one of the ten largest metropolitan transportation hubs on the planet, it's also running on a schedule that causes all the trains running there to arrive at the same time.

Two steps at a time and in seconds I'm thirty feet higher, still underground, awaiting the south bound IRT. Nobody calls it that anymore, maybe a few but nobody new.

An indecisive jet of cool tunnel atmosphere surges over us and when the doors open, crowded platform meets crowded subway train. It's twister really. I've played that kids game and never contoured myself nearly as much as the way you need to do in a NYC subway car just to get to that strangely undesired oasis of open space always equidistant from the open doors.

This time instead of doing a Matrix-esque leaning rotation to avoid some enormous backpack, I'm avoiding a serving platter. My insta-punchline mind responses,"I knew brooklyn was gentrifing but this..." cue wiggling groucho eyebrows... It is an actual serving tray though, and while it may be made of cheap plastic, and its ornate clear lid made the same,the array of sandwiches "under glass" look very real, simply made and tasty. A young lady northern european in long lost lineage and likely now brooklyn based is holding the tray with one hand. she and a similar friend (sans tray) are having a completely incidental conversation, and all the while swaying, as we all do to the beat and drum of the express train to Utica Ave.

I continue musing, as I do, at the scene. The voice that bellows now is from another time. Loud. Amplified. Crisp. It's the way you expect a radio personality to speak in person, all clear and from the deep diaphragm. It's because of that sonic quality that I look. I never look, there are two many such voices periodically bursting through otherwise quiet of a subway car, even before opening the doors linking one car to the next, an making claims of poverty, basketball uniforms, senior trips, and blatant disregard for organized labor, for me to pay attention to. But the voice has gotten the attention of all of us. I see everyone looking wondering about this sound and the simple worn message it lifts.

Now is when I wish you could have been there.

How perfect. Can you imagine? This voice-keeper, explaining directly his desire for assistance, his willful surrender of pride, in order that he may get enough to make it through a day, a life, with barely anything. Or so he claimed. And unlike the men younger, probably more fit than me, whose sneakers cost more than my glasses and still beg for cash, this man seemed to be living his impoverished words. How perfect than when the young tray totting newcomer offered him a sandwich. As he was carrying a sack with one hand, a torn fast food cup cradling crumpled dollar bills in the other, it made sense and felt even better when the newcomer offered the entire tray and all it's probably conference room intended and ignored, deliciousness.

The image of the elder man stuffing the entire tray (I guess he couldn't just through the sandwiches in individually) into his bag was both poignant and comically. Somewhere my mind conjured a happy reverse Santa, irregardless of this man's umber glow and compact body. And we all smiled as a result, outward, inward, in chatter, in the distinctly New York way in which sudden color commentators inform their fellow eyewitnesses of what is happening and has happened, right before assuming how this story came to be and what happen when it's all out of eyeshot. this was necessary, though unplanned.

When I was a child, my grandmother got me into jigsaw puzzles, and there was always this uncomfortable suspension, waiting, watching, near limbo, gazing out the hundred and thousand pieces, waiting. Until finally a peak. When two pieces that seemingly had no business, suddenly clearly connect and complete. and only then did it seem plausible that the picture could ever improve. Friday in Brooklyn, on the IRT #4 to Utica Avenue, at the end of the work week we were so needing for the pieces to fit.

Photo Wednesday 06/09/10 : Subway Waterfall edition

I can't be the first BrooklynBlogger (hey can a bklynblogger get an invite to the ball?) to mention the unwanted cascading waterfall that is the southbound Prospect Park Station of the Q, B & Shuttle.







Worst thing about it besides the fact that it pours from the above platform drainage system meant to pipe it away is that it showers almost completely in front of the stairwell leading to the exit. Now that the city is cutting down on the buses and leaving stops to become insta-relics can we at least fix the plumbing?

(btw: the photos don't do the deluge justice)

Photo Wednesday 03/31/10 : MTA on Schedule?

In recent weeks (and overall for the past few years) the MTA has been boasting their intent to give us the riders of New York's subway the same privilege that London and Tokyo subway riders have had for a decade...

Up to date real-time schedules of train arrivals.
(*On the rest of the system, the L train was blessed with digital schedules years ago.)

Well the LED screens have been bolted in place at a number of locales throughout the system, and as I ambled toward the turnstile even in pre-caffeine mode I couldn't miss the green and orange glow of progress staring down on me.



As the pics show the schedules are up, and at least today in the Franklin IRT station (yeh IRT) they were very accurate.

I find it hard to think a coincidence is the reason the schedules are up or that some last bit of needed technology was finally delivered making this all possible as a person could speculate. Instead I do wonder if after years of waiting and months of these screens already being installed but not active, the schedules coming online was simply the result of the MTA trying to deflect from the flack they are getting over having no attendants or working cameras in many stations throughout the system (half the cameras in the NYC subway don't work according to MTA) especially in the wake of the stabbing murders that happened on a Downtown 2 Train at the Christopher Street station last week and the Moscow subway bombing this week.

Photo Wednesday 02/17/10 : Elevated Edition

(This Photo Wednesday originally appeared last two weeks ago and was bumped because of this)



This image comes from the 4th Avenue subway station offices at night,(served by the F and (for now) G lines. The 4th Avenue subway station is one of those points in the MTA system that gives a sense of how interconnected a railway the subway is. Above street level is a wide set of four tracks and two platforms, then two stairs below you have the underground R,W (and sometimes N & D lines).

The next Manhattan bound station, Smith–9th Streets has the best view in the subway system and is the highest altitude station but this picture shows a rare view too. Those upper windows with decades of graffiti are yet to be buffed but somehow illuminated and the are part of former offices of the old IND transit company. I've been using that station since the 70's and I've never seen those windows lit up. I'm wondering if it has to do with the renovations of these stations that is going on for the next few years.

Two sites I love and have never given enough credit to: www.forgotten-ny.com and www.nycsubway.org provide more details about this station situated at the bottom of Park Slope, such as the fact that  it's a viaduct, level in it's construction, although it looks like a bridge, because the west end is elevated and the east goes straight into the hill of Park Slope which rises around it.

The subway makes for an appropriate "Photo Wednesday" since I've been seeing a whole lot of subway lately.

Photo Wednesday 12/16/09: Breaking News edition: Atlantic Station opens tomorrow next week

It's been announced that the 8 years in the making hollow space that is the entrance to the Atlantic Avenue LIRR/Subway station is opening tomorrow next week. Here's some pics of what awaits ye:



Seriously it took 8 years to make a hollow building and two staircases?!? It's as underwhelming as the mall it's connected to. Does anyone really expect the Ratner Stadium planned across the street is going to be any better than this?

Here's some more to see as we ponder how many years, tax payer dollars and poor planning will go into the proposed Atlantic Yards stadium, which by the way the billionaire developer (Ratner) has made a half billion on but hasn't paid to the service cutting poverty claiming M.T.A.

Oh !$#? Bring on the Q*Bert.

PhotoWednesday 12/16/09 : "Pay Your Fair!" Edition

The M.T.A. is having math problems, you know the kind where things don't add up. If they have their way, thousands of school kids will be in the same position.

The New York Times reports an M.T.A. $400 Million budget shortfall this year. This after they supposedly avoided "doomsday" earlier this year thanks to action from the State.

To deal with this latest revenue crisis, the M.T.A. has decided to take subsidized Metrocards from NYC school children. This supposedly will save $140 million annually.

And here's where the math gets really ridiculous, you'd think taking away school students way of getting to class would be the type of last resort that comes after all other options have been tried and failed. But nope there's at least $90 million the M.T.A. is owed that for some reason they're not even trying to collect on.

The proposed Atlantic Yards proposal is meant to be built on M.T.A. land. That land has essentially been given to developer Bruce Ratner's company for $10 million instead of the $100 he was supposed to pay for it. (the $10 million is one of several payments he will be allowed to make well into the next decade).

(above right: Land claimed by Forest City Ratner for the Atlantic Yards Project )

And the $100 million is less than the appraised value of the land which is around $200 Million.

(above: several buildings have already been demolished for the Atlantic Yards Project, like the lot above where the old Ward Bakery was demolished. Yet the M.T.A. hasn't been paid for it's land)

 My question, to all who support the Atlantic Yards plan as a benefit for New Yorkers, if you want a stadium on M.T.A. land (which personally I am against) fine, how about actually paying for it?

(above: The MTA Vanderbilt Rail Yards, proposed site of Atlantic Yards, has been reduced with permission of the M.T.A. so less trains are able to use the yard, the reduction benefits Ratner's proposed Atlantic Yards and Nets Basketball Stadium, but the M.T.A. hasn't collected full payment)

 For that matter as City Council Member Letitia James points out, why was an offer of $150 million given to the M.T.A. for development of the same land rejected? (see below)

Why hasn't the M.T.A. collected on the over $250 million fee for the renaming of the Atlantic Avenue Station?

If the M.T.A. needs money, has deals unpaid for, and the reason eminent domain was used (to give private land to Ratner for this project) because it will "benefit" New Yorkers, why isn't he being told to pay in full for M.T.A. land?


(above: An unanswered call to Governor Patterson for a "Time Out" on Atlantic Yards from last May)

Before the M.T.A. starts throwing kids under the buses and trains how about collecting Ratner's fare?

---------------------------------------------------------------

*The full release from Councilmember James is here

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA JAMES

67 Hanson Place
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 260-9191
Press Release

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** December 15, 2009

Contact: Amyre Loomis at (718) 260-9191

SAVE STUDENT METROCARD PROGRAM, CRUCIAL SERVICE, AND MTA JOBS –
CANCEL THE ATLANTIC YARDS SWEETHEART DEAL FOR FOREST CITY RATNER!

(December 15, 2009) The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s latest doomsday budget cuts include a proposed cut of the student Metrocard program, which provides full and half fare Metrocards to over 550,000 students who commute to school each day. Also, numerous service cuts are proposed on routes where bus and train services are over-crowded, and waiting times are long. Lastly, severe layoffs and salary cuts within the MTA are proposed.

The MTA says these cuts will help alleviate a massive budget deficit and maintains that these proposed service cuts are for underused routes already serviced by other trains and/or buses. But, riders say they will be inconvenienced, especially because of the recent fare increase and reduction in service this year already. Some students have expressed expectations of having to choose between paying the Metrocard fare, or buying a meal for themselves. It is unacceptable that riders, specifically youth, who depend on the student Metrocard program for educational needs be subjected to unsafe walks, and/or possibly not being able to travel for classes at all.

An obvious questions for residents of Downtown Brooklyn then comes up - why is Forest City Ratner, the multi-million dollar developer of the Atlantic Yards project not paying upfront for what he has purchased from the MTA? If Bruce Ratner paid upfront what he owes to the MTA for use of the MTA’s Vanderbilt Yards, then the doomsday budget cuts could be significantly reduced.

“Cancel the sweetheart deal for Forest City Ratner,” said Council Member James. “Forest City Ratner should pay the $100 million owed now for the purchase of the Vanderbilt Yards. I also question why Forest City Ratner is not being made to pay the millions of dollars owed for the naming-rights deal upfront? And, had the MTA accepted a higher bidder, they would have received their funds upfront and their current budgetary gap could have been cut almost in half.”

The MTA’s deal with Forest City Ratner simply does not make sense. Many are questioning why the MTA, who is facing a potential budgetary gap of $615 million next year, and today faces a $343 million massive budgetary gap, is able to accept a $20 million payment towards a $100 million dollar property deal. This purchase and construction of the Atlantic Yards Development by Forest City Ratner was also given the option of spreading the balance of $80 million owed in payments over a 21 year period.

Community advocates suggest that another means of closing the budget gap would be for the MTA to do a new appraisal of the railyards valued at $271.5 million, and open up bids to other developers who would pay more of the cost upfront. Severe cutbacks in service, layoffs and especially cuts to the student Metrocard program appear unconscionable in light of the MTA’s business agreement with Forest City Ratner.

Critics and opponents of Atlantic Yards have continued to argue that rival developer Extell, who submitted a bid that offered $150 million in cash, was a far better plan. For unclear reasons, the MTA board negotiated solely with Forest City Ratner. Extell head Gary Barnett in a December 2007 interview with the Observer said he was shocked that he bid $150 million, and Forest City Chairman Bruce Ratner bid $50 million, yet Ratner was offered the deal.

“Something simply doesn’t sit right with the community about the preferential treatment that Forest City Chairman Bruce Ratner has received from the MTA. Now it appears as though MTA customers and specifically our youth - the future of the City - may pay dearly to support the project of a multi million dollar developer that the community doesn’t want to begin with,” said Council Member James.
###

MTA: Slippery when everything

Jeez so the most heavily used (and only 24 hour) subway system in the world (ours) can't handle snow (ok) water (floods, sure) trash (track fires, sure, acceptable) and now add to that list colorfully brittle fallen leaves. yep leaves.

Today's New York Times reports that leaves are apparently staging an insurgent attack(my words) on rail steel causing trains to be slowed on select outdoor (below grade) subway lines like the Brooklyn Q, N, and Franklin Shuttle. This isn't as much of a problem for outdoor elevated lines like the Queens 7, Queens N and Queens J, (is somebody sticking it to Brooklyn?) because on those elevated the rain washes the resolute leaves away.

The article details the MTA's efforts to warn of delays and the average rider's understandably incredulous reactions. There's even a scientific breakdown of hot leaves become fatty acids which become waxy buildup on the rails, which some how requires a vacuums train to clean, although the cavity creeps fight crest squad might be a better way to go....



Interestingly what is not mentioned is why or how after 100+ years of service (and in my person 30+ years as a New Yorker) there seems to be no prior sign-age posted by the MTA about delays caused by fallen leaves. I'm pretty sure we've had autumn a few times before in the last 100+ years you'd think the problem woulda shown up before now.

Is it scientific? Are the new wheels of our mostly new subway fleet's extra stainless steelery causing them to get lubed up quicker? (let your minds glide on that) Or as some strap-hangers suggested is it the MTA looking for new and more creative excuses rather than newer and more creative savings methods?

Subway Shmutz and PP Bandshell Bonus

Thursday Random

The Times reports on the Straphanger's report of the cleanest and shumtziest subway lines: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/subway-cleanliness-from-7-to-r/?hp

And tonight at the Prospect Park Bandshell, Femi Kuti & the Positive Force/Melvin Gibbs Elevated Entity. If you don't know about the musical majesty of Femi Kuti (son of Afro Beat legend Fela Kuti) now's your chance to jump, funk and sway to the rhythms. Gate @ 6pm donations suggested ($3) http://briconline.org/celebrate/

Photo Wedns: 6/3/09 Holes in the wall, Sing-alongs & more

Holy Jeebus! It seems I had what the internet (or those who surf it) wanted to see and the result was a flex of spontaneous and awesome page viewing attention. How? Last week's photo wednesday was this image (gratuitously reposted to the left)

Of course I think it's a cool photo, I took it. It's also great street art with a sense of humor and all that, which is why I posted it. But I think everything I post is great, give or take a few exclamation points. So imagine my shock when I saw that this one photo, in one day accumulated more views than almost everything I've ever posted and every photo I've ever shot. Over 9,000 views on Sunday May 31st alone. In the grand scheme of internet views, not a lot I know, but I'm still working from the theory that there's only five of you who actually read this, and two of you have the same last name as me.

Interestingly none of that resulted in increased views of this blog... I tracked the source of the eyeball explosion, reddit.com So thanks reddit users.

This Wednesday's main photo comes with a news story:


The photo above is taken from Jay Street (in Downtown B'klyn), looking at the wall of the Northbound F Train track.

See those four jagged but rectangular shapes? They're holes in the wall. And behind a pot of gold? A window to throw it out of? Meh. The construction behind that wall of the Jay Station, to which the A,C & J (usually) run, is to build a tunnel connecting to the R & M lines at Lawrence Street. It's an old news story I somehow missed and here's the old link provide by the Brooklyn Eagle
For those willing to add another transfer at DeKalb Av or Atlantic Av, will provide an extension cord like connection between the A, Q, & D trains. Which in theory is somewhat awesome, but you know how theories go.

Construction is ongoing so by now those holes are probably closed up. But it's a reminder of how much more there is to the subway system infrastructure than we see. For example up to the 90's Jay Street was were all the money in the system was brought and counted as the MTA's headquarters used to exist in the building above Jay Street. Described by Hollywood in the film "Money Train":

...which I will probably still prefer over the remake of "The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3"

MTA headquarters has since been moved over to a new building at Livingston, which as I recall has the old G line tracks under it.

Since I'm behind in my writing I'm gonna drop some photos that have been waiting for me:

This photo is from Fort Greene (of course) during a sunday movie night when "Coming to America" was shown at Habana Outpost. (And not a Gitmo joke in the house!)

For those who don't know, "Coming to America" is a significant piece of American pop cultural in general and especially if you are of brown color or culture and you were young in the 80's. It's ridiculous which is the point. The amount of movie lines that are quoted by random assemblages of people is impressive by itself (and you probably know more than you realize).

The screening at Habana was packed with folks who seemed to have permanent tans and used to dance the "Wop", so it makes sense that the crowd began singing the song from the scene above.


But how could you not want to sing abut a Queen who's "free from infection"?

And Finally Here's a photo that I didn't write, it's about Willowtown:

In short. It's a residential development in Brooklyn Heights that makes the folks there all excited. Here's the details as wiki puts it. I was shocked to find yet another neighborhood sub-section, this time in Bklyn Heights, and I intend to rant about (unlike this example) how neighborhood sub-sections become separate neighborhoods in the minds of real estate folks and new comers. Soon come.

When will we stab back at the Empire: meanwhile MTA fares go up.

The MTA fares are going up, again.

Regardless of where you stand, here is the most relevant factoid about the MTA and fare increases. Not one elected official is directly responsible for fares going up or staying put. The MTA is run by a 17 member board selected by politicians but ultimately self governing. The MTA was designed that way so that no politican would be held responsible for the inevitably unpopular fare increases.

So when we the people who pay for these services feel there is injustice in the service we get , the way money is managed and the price we pay, we have no direct person to hold accountable.

If you're pissed off about this, please share this information. Maybe one day we'll all get it together and make the MTA answerable to the Mayor or the Govenor (jeez can you imagine) somebody who could be made to run the MTA better.

(services are being cut btw, click here to see how it affects you)

Get your scream on: Public Fare Increase Hearings Jan '09

"So, is the train coming or has it already left the station?"

Hey I'm trying to keep it optimistic as we slowly turn over into this new year. Matter o' fact I plan to prosper in '09 despite all the forecasts and real tight times ahead. But it's hard brother, hard to keep the glass half full when MTA keeps pouring money down the drain and asking me and you for a refill.

The basics of the next year's proposed transit fare increase are these:

Option #1 raise the cost for single rides and cash fares to $3.00 a 50% increase while raising Metrocard fares by about 25%. (I'm sure this is intended to fail)

Option #2 raise all fares to $2.50. If option 2 sounds better it's not in my opinion, it's really a more complete slap to everyone's faces because it removes pricing discounts that are built into (what are now discounted) Metrocard purchases.

I found specifics of the plan on NY1's site.

The public hearings will be held around the city.
The Brooklyn edition of which will be held
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 at:
NY Marriott at the B'klyn Bridge
333 Adams St, Brooklyn

Bring a loud friend.


View Larger Map

It reminds me of an old joke that my family told to much laughter one holiday season long ago. It's war time, and the men are dug in on the front lines in the cold and snow without supplies for weeks. It's wet, there's not shelter and no facilities. One day the Sargent passes the word of good news about supplies. All the men get excited one thing they all can use more than anything is new gear, especially clothing.

The Sargent gathers the men in the largest foxhole and announces,"there's a little good news! you'll all be switching to new underwear!" The men let out a joyous cheer! The Sargent continues saying,"that's right! so all of you take off your drawers and switch with the guy next to you!"

That's how I feel, but I'm staying positive.

Keep that in mind in '09, somebody's gotta get lucky right?

Exhibit "A" or "A reason for this blog's being"

I didn't expect it to happen so soon.

It all started with the banging radiator promptly at 6:58am just two hours into my new found sleep. I'm sure apartment dwellers can relate but that my true-believers is a rant for another time.

Being cocksure and industrious, I reached for the wrench. Then I decided a little googlin' was in order before I ended up opening the scalding radiator water onto my unclothed early morning nether-regions. Somehow one bit of googling led to another (weird how that happens) and the next thing you know I found myself reading an interesting attempt at self-awareness by way of gentrification on the New York Observer site.

The writer posed the question, is she "Destined to be Gentrified and Gentrifying"

I read it and found the perspective to be what I've come to expect from recent transplants to brooklyn, visions from a tunnel painted with bright colors.

the link is:

http://www.observer.com/2008/brooklyn-borough-2#comment-427135

I think it's worth reading, and discussing. Which is why after I read it I wrote in my two cents.

The type of experience written about in that article is a lot of why I felt compelled to make this blog and I was surprised to see the very type of experiences I have been witnessing for the last nine years detailed so thoroughly just a day after I decided to write this blog. (hang on a sec the pipes are a bangin' again)

 

Okay um back. (for those who care I'm going with the radiator off method starting now)

So yeh, Brooklyn is, as New York is (and apparently most of the major cities in the western world at least) in transition. I'm as interested in this as much as anyone and I think essential in this transition is the expression and discussion of our viewpoints so we may all live as best possible while appreciating the city we've inherited (one way or another) and the people who are our neighbors.

I'll let you read the original Observer posting and the response but just to give some context here's an excerpt form the Observer column;

On a recent chilly night, I was bundled up and on my way to Boerum Hill to have dinner at a friend's apartment. As I walked down Washington Avenue the B45 bus pulled up next to me, and I hesitated. “Which would be faster, the train or the bus?” I thought. Before I could make a decision, the bus doors had shuttered. Luckily, the light at Atlantic and Washington was still red and I approached the bus and knocked on the door. The driver, a middle-aged African-American man, refused to open the door, gesturing to the next stop, three street crossings away, even though his bus was still idling perfectly in front of a designated stop. It was 15 degrees outside and I'll admit it, I felt like the driver was sticking it to me for being white.

So just to summarize one point of my response to this writing; for any who don't know; A New York City bus driver will not pick up, if you are not at the bus stop. No matter how close you are, what color you are, or how cold it is.

"Brooklyn! Brooklyn! always funky fresh"