Is it just me or has the writing on the New York Times
become really lame? Or perhaps the media is suffering from an overall deficit
of critical thinking skills. This piece about articulated subway cars was awful.
1. I wonder if the author is a freelance writer?
2. Was the author paid for this?
3. Was the author paid more than $50.00 for this?
Right now you’re reading my blog. You and I both know it’s a
blog. We’ve agreed to a certain contract. 1. It’s free. 2. It’s my opinions
are expressed one-way. (The reader doesn’t have a chance to respond. Although I
kind of wish it were a little more interactive. I’d love to know what you
think.) 3. I may or may not write well depending on my mood. 4. You could care less.
But when I’m reading the New York Times I want the writer to
be smarter than me, to impart some wisdom, to show me things in a new way. I
want to feel inferior. Really. That way I think I’ve received my monies’ worth.
I don’t need to pay for drivel.
Because I know you’ve got a full day ahead of you and don’t
want to be on my blog for more than 6 minutes -- a few quick thoughts. “Why is Toronto
being compared to New York
City?”
Toronto:
42 miles of track
a little over 1,000,000 riders per
day
approx.
7,000,000 riders per week
a much newer system and possibly
because they’re operating a toy-sized fleet upgrading didn’t cost that much.
New York has:
642
miles of track
468
stations
over 11.1 million riders per week
a system
that is over 100 years old
so poorly
managed financially it’s not likely to roll out new stock anytime soon
And beyond that, and what I would love to see, is how would
articulated cars affect rider behavior? I would never work in an “open
environment.” Call me old fashioned but I like doors and offices. Call me old
fashioned by I like subway cars. Have you ever been able to avoid riding in the
car that contained the smelly homeless person? I’m not talking about someone
who seems a little unwashed. I’m talking about someone who smells like rotting
flesh. I like that I can move to another car. And what about when the guy who’s
going to yell about Jesus at the top of his lungs, waits until the doors close
and then starts ranting? (I have wanted to ask if he has taken voice lessons,
where he was told to address the back of the house. If so, the articulated cars
will be very much to his liking. He will reach a much wider audience.)
Not for
nothing but I like subway cars because I can use them to separate myself from
the people I don’t want to be near for the 40 minutes of my commute.
And what
about the street performers? It’s cute when the Mexican trio boards and they
play one song, collect their dues, and move along. Same for the urban youth with
boom boxes who dance and contort themselves and, many times, display acrobatic
feats worthy of cirque du soleil. Again, 3 minutes is cute. If they plan to
work the entire car for my entire
commute, that’s going to suck. “What time is it folks? Show time!” “We
appreciate any donations. American Express, cash, EBT.” These catcalls are
etched into my brain.
And what about late at night? And other security issues?
Pickpockets will have a field day on crowded cars. The police will only be a
benefit in less sparsely populated cars. And you have to be blind if you can’t
tell an undercover cop on the subway from your average commuter.
Obviously much more thought could go into the merits (if any
exist) of the MTA “upgrading” to
articulated subway cars.
But what I really want to know: who’s relative at the MTA
got the contract to install and maintain the wifi system?
Here's an interesting piece from 2009.
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