I'm on Strike

THis morning, I awoke to a crisis that New York City hasn't seen in twenty five years. A Transit Workers Union strike- i.e. the people that run the subways and buses. There was chaos as thousands and thousands of people were forced to cross Brooklyn Bridge on foot and walk to work, and thousands of others tried to drive into the city in their own car, most being turned away if they didn't have the required number of passengers to go beneath ninety-sixth street. I'm lucky in some ways, in that I live near the neighborhood I work in, and so walk to work everyday regardless. I am unlucky in that because I'm the ONLY employee at this time that lives near my office I was depended on to handle everyone's workload today plus my own just a few days before Chrsitmas. Today's my last full day here, I'm leaving tomorrow for North Carolina. So I spent much of the day watching Law and Order and calling every car service in Manhattan begging for a ride.

I'm amazed at how calm people are about the strike, besides those on strike. Of course, in a cruel sort of irony, they're all stuck uptown, being unable to return to their own homes at the moment. That gives me pleasure. And Pablo Gonzalez, by far the unluckiest local newscaster in the city, spent all morning uptown interviewing people, picking out people who didn't speak english and undercover cops to interview. It was hilarious.

I have to say I'm glad to be getting out of town in order to avoid the major issues that would come about with a strike. Eventually I'd want to leave my neighborhood and not have to be in an office alone all day. Eventually I'd want to see about getting the heck out of dodge. As it stands currently, I'm prepared for just about anything that is to come my way. I feel like i'm part of what will become historical. History happens all around us, all the time, but I happen to have chosen a melodramatic place to build it in. I think it'll be fascinating to see what good comes of people fighting people, instead of working with each other to make a better mass transit system for everyone.

Today probably those of us who drive cars to work and live in suburban cities are probably thanking their lucky stars and pointing out all the bad things that can happen when people become too dependent on mass transportation. But I count myself lucky to be a part of apopulation that is willing to use Mass transit to get just about anywhere, that understands it's safer, more efficient, and better for the environment. That they are teaching their children these values, helping them understand that you're not okay just because you drive a huge Suburban two miles down the road for groceries evvery night. New Yorkers, for all their faults, have street smarts, and that is one of the most important. Not everyone can understand that, especially those who truly are desperate to have their hands on a wheel and be in charge of a piece of plastic and metal that runs on asphalt, but the rest of us really don't care. If I didn't have a car for the rest of my life and lived in an urban place I'd be fine. Everywhere I've traveled has been dependent on some sort of mass transportation.

But tomorrow I'm going on strike from the strike. I refuse to be trapped in this box with so many preparations going on at my apartment in order to leave it for what amounts to a long weekend. I still have to clean and do laundry and fix food and get to the airport on time, and of course hit the gym before leaving for a week and indulging myself in holiday treats. It's crazy what we go through before the holidays as it is, and to throw a strike on top of that seems to be madness.