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mrdreamjeansIt’s the first day of Winter and the weather is cooperating. It’s 24 degrees Fahrenheit and not quite 10am. I’m watching non-stop television coverage of New York City’s Metro Transit Union workers’ strike. It is the first such strike in 25 years and the illegal action has left millions of commuters stranded, searching for other transportation options.
A few basic facts ... 7 million folks take public transportation every day in the city; there are 458 stations across five burroughs which are now closed and secured. Routes into the city are clogged; lines for shuttles are several hundred yards long; the wait for a taxi at Penn Station is in excess of an hour and taxis are operating on a “zone” basis.
There are dozens of “suits” commuting on bicycles, natty despite the cold. All commercial traffic is blocked south of 96th Street until after 11am, as are all autos ... unless there are at least four people to a car. Many commuters are not used to going to work above ground and are having trouble finding their work place as they’ve previously accessed the city only through underground transportation.
The blame game has begun, with each side putting its political spin on the strike, each maneuvering for advantage. Public sentiment is mixed. Members of the firefighters and police unions stayed on the job without a contract for years, so as to not disrupt public safety. Many folks are blaming Governor Pataki for not getting involved in discussions sooner; some are criticizing union management for taking their workers out on strike and abandoning the citizens of New York. The citizens who have been let down by the system have been surprisingly calm and cooperative, realizing everyone is in a difficult situation. As one man said, "The transit workers have a right to strike, but they should have had a better plan."
The strike will affect our show. New Jersey Trains are on schedule as the strike doesn’t affect them; however, many of the actors in “Evita” are staying in the City this week in their own homes. Less than half of us are in the hotel in Newark. As the New York contingent has taken a “buy-out” for housing during our run here, the company has no responsibility for transportation between New York and Newark. Those actors are on their own and expected to be on time for the show. It will be a hell of a commute as most of them live quite a distance from Penn Station where they will have to go to catch a train to Newark.
I also expect show attendance numbers to be affected ... at least for tonight. I may get involved personally if the strike continues through tomorrow evening when the contingent of Live Journalers is to attend “Evita”. Don’t mess with my friends coming to the show ... You hear me MTU?!!! *grin* Meanwhile ... the work stoppage is causing a mess and if the motion is approved in court at 11am, transit workers (in violation of the Taylor Act) will be fined two days pay for every day they are out on strike. Welcome to Winter in New York.
A few basic facts ... 7 million folks take public transportation every day in the city; there are 458 stations across five burroughs which are now closed and secured. Routes into the city are clogged; lines for shuttles are several hundred yards long; the wait for a taxi at Penn Station is in excess of an hour and taxis are operating on a “zone” basis.
There are dozens of “suits” commuting on bicycles, natty despite the cold. All commercial traffic is blocked south of 96th Street until after 11am, as are all autos ... unless there are at least four people to a car. Many commuters are not used to going to work above ground and are having trouble finding their work place as they’ve previously accessed the city only through underground transportation.
The blame game has begun, with each side putting its political spin on the strike, each maneuvering for advantage. Public sentiment is mixed. Members of the firefighters and police unions stayed on the job without a contract for years, so as to not disrupt public safety. Many folks are blaming Governor Pataki for not getting involved in discussions sooner; some are criticizing union management for taking their workers out on strike and abandoning the citizens of New York. The citizens who have been let down by the system have been surprisingly calm and cooperative, realizing everyone is in a difficult situation. As one man said, "The transit workers have a right to strike, but they should have had a better plan."
The strike will affect our show. New Jersey Trains are on schedule as the strike doesn’t affect them; however, many of the actors in “Evita” are staying in the City this week in their own homes. Less than half of us are in the hotel in Newark. As the New York contingent has taken a “buy-out” for housing during our run here, the company has no responsibility for transportation between New York and Newark. Those actors are on their own and expected to be on time for the show. It will be a hell of a commute as most of them live quite a distance from Penn Station where they will have to go to catch a train to Newark.
I also expect show attendance numbers to be affected ... at least for tonight. I may get involved personally if the strike continues through tomorrow evening when the contingent of Live Journalers is to attend “Evita”. Don’t mess with my friends coming to the show ... You hear me MTU?!!! *grin* Meanwhile ... the work stoppage is causing a mess and if the motion is approved in court at 11am, transit workers (in violation of the Taylor Act) will be fined two days pay for every day they are out on strike. Welcome to Winter in New York.
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