The City of New York has created contingency plans to help "strap hangers" adjust to life in the city without subways and busses. That contingency plan includes gouging the commuters, who have no choice but to pay to get to work - just to make enough money to pay to get home. It is a ridiculous cycle. However, luckily my ride is not as horrid. It is a pain, but I can imagine having it worse.
Luckily my secretary, Mary - the one who hosted my mother and I on Thanksgiving, agreed to allow me to stay at her home out in Queens. She has to commute just like me, but she has a car. So last night we took the LIRR (Long Island Railroad - $4 each way compared to $2 each way on the subway) for a 25 minute ride out to her neighborhood. Keep in mind that the train station is 15 minutes from her home, compared to a 2 minute walk from the subway. This still sounds like a good idea, but then you realize that there are 50,000 people all trying to take the same trains that you are. Those of you who know about NYers, you know that NYers do not like to wait - they like to PUSH! So imagine being in the center when all the people move - you are going wherever they go.
However, like I said at the outset, I could have it worse. Had Mary not agreed to host me for the foreseeable future, I would have had to walk 40 blocks to the 59 Street Bridge (at 6:00am), then walk across the bridge to Manhattan and then another 24 blocks to work. It would not have been fun.
2 comments:
That is super nice of Mary.
So what is the contingency plan for the "strap hangers"?
If the strike is going on through the holidays, you going to be able to get back to Cleveland?
I will find a way to make it back to cleveland. There is no way I am going to miss seeing all of you!
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