The R Train will not be running today

They're out. They struck, they walked, I walked. For the first time in 25 years the public transportation system of the city of New York has been shuttered by its workers. It's a tale of misinformation, greed, and plain stupidity on the part of both the MTA(metropolitan Transit Authority) and TWU(Transit Workers' Union). They're all asses. 

 Let me put this in perspective for those readers out in the hinterlands(meaning, beyond the NYC metro area). Have you ever had your car battery die and had to scramble for a way to get to work? Now, imagine if the car batteries died on the entire population of Massachusetts and the neighboring state of New Hampshire or Rhode Island(choose one). That's kind of what this is like. Over 7 million riders are left looking for a new way to get to work. 

Granted, we've known about this possibility for some time, but it's still a shock to realize that the workers are that stupid and selfish. 

 But there is hope. After all, New York is great at banding together in a crisis. Last time the subways went out - the blackout of 2003 - we still all got home and to work by helping each other. And the operators of taxi's, vans and livery cabs have been helping out this time. Granted, they're getting paid, but they're still helping out. 

 My odyssey began with the prospect of a 2 1/2 mile walk to the nearest commuter rail (only the MTA subways and buses are stopped due to the strike, commuter rail from Long Island, upstate and Connecticut are still running. Fortunately, I walked by a van that needed more passengers to meet the restrictions set by Mayor Bloomberg. I was able to get into midtown Manhattan for $5. Not bad considering a)the train would have cost $4, and b)I later learned that people were lined up for blocks to get onto the trains. 

 From Midtown(the middle of the island) I was able to get a PATH train downtown(the bottom tip of the island) and walk to work. PATH trains are yet another subway system which runs in New York, serving sections of midtown, downtown and Jersey. The whole thing took 2.5 hours for what is normally a 45 minute ride. 

 

So, this strike may cause severe economic damage to the city. And is a few steps beyond an inconvenience. But, we New Yorkers will survive it. We get through everything else, what's a little transit strike?

EDIT from the future: it was easy to be angry with everyone in the moment, but the anger towards the workers was misplaced. I would no longer call them selfish or stupid. With the advantage of time and life experience, it's easier to understand the situation they had to figure out.