Get up and get - get - get down, the MTA is a joke in my town

[jlh]

The transit strike started at 5am today. Given that:

1. The governor was in New Hampshire raising money for an eventual presidential bid while people were negotiating last week
   
2. The head of the MTA didn't see fit to get sit his fat ass at the table until what, Thursday night?
   
3. The MTA didn't even start negotiations until a few weeks before contracts were set to expire
   
4. The MTA has already gotten in trouble for keeping two sets of books, and has a surplus that they are unwilling to share with the union except through a payment against the pension fund deficit which they created and therefore already owe but are willing to share with riders through an illegal fare break for Christmas
   
5. The TWU is the most radical union that represents city workers, so they have a lot of pressure from the cops, firemen, etc to push as hard as they can
   
6. Striking against the city is actually illegal, so now the MTA and the governor get to act all tough and fine the union while they're striking

I'm not surprised that we are where we are. The head of the TWU, Toussant, feels dissed and understandably so. The MTA doesn't even know how much money they have so I'm not sure how seriously anyone can take anything they say. It's a big fat insane mess and if it's over by Christmas I will be happily surprised.

Meanwhile, in the last post, forgot to give you the actual link to ziggy1278's brilliant thoughts on King Kong.

Clearly I need a NYC icon. Any suggestions?

Comments

[sarahtales.livejournal.com]

I have gone mad in my early morning with nothing to do waking state, and decided this is all my fault. I arrive and the trains still, leaving desert in my path.
I'm like Moses, in a way.

[jlh.livejournal.com]

Man, I want one of your cast offs of that icon. It is such a good concept.

Are you going into work? Or trying to? Me I may have given up on getting these papers written before the holiday and will write them over intersession when I'm feeling better, and therefore am cleaning my apartment.

I'm also annoyed because I was going to nicely ask you and Jaida to look in on Veda because I'm not bringing her to Maine after all and now I'll have to ask my neighbor so I have to go get her a gift for the other times she's watched her, too.

[sarahtales.livejournal.com]

I would totally have looked after Veda (by which I mean hilariously trapped Jaida in a bathroom with her, only not really). If strike ends, you have my word!
Also, just go look at my comments. There are ZILLIONS of icons of this, take one for your own! I've taken like ten, and have this as my default because I like her happy smile.
As an intern, my work informed me I was not expected to make a superhuman effort to get to work, so I went back to bed, and it was good. :)

[dejaspirit.livejournal.com]

You are brave. Veda is cute as heck but seriously edgy. It was quite a chore to keep her and my four year old apart when I visited the blueberry. :P

And good for you for more sleep.

[calloocallay.livejournal.com]

Dear Mistful,

Your icon rules my heart.

Sincerely,
Calloocallay

[sarahtales.livejournal.com]

*beams* Look, it comes in versions .

[calloocallay.livejournal.com]

I yearn.

[ladyjaida.livejournal.com]

Why. Why couldn't they wait until like, after I have to get back up to fucking 116th Street and Broadway for an astronomy final? Or why couldn't they have actually gone on strike three years ago when I was in highschool and I could afford to go "Hey, cool, missing school!" These are all selfish questions; mostly I am just sitting here thinking "Wow, I am screwed along with everyone else!" and also wondering when the fuck things are going to get back to what they ought to be, which is, you know, RUNNING AUGHHHH.

[cassandraclare.livejournal.com]

Are you stuck in Bklyn?

[ladyjaida.livejournal.com]

Yes indeed. I still have to get to my final tomorrow and presumably study for it, as neither Columbia or Barnard has made any significant contingency plans for commuters, so I'm sort of pissing mad. Ahrm. >(

[cassandraclare.livejournal.com]

Yeah, me too. Currently waiting for a car service that's going around filling up its cars with people. Lord knows how long it'll take and then how long it'll take to actually get into the city...

[ladyjaida.livejournal.com]

I seriously think it's all some elaborate plot so the MTA doesn't have to make good on their cheerful holiday fare cuts. Santa Clause can't come to town if there's no train to take him in and he has to wait for like, three other passangers to hitch a ride on his sleigh and whatnot.

[jlh.livejournal.com]

And Brooklyn seems to be the worst off of everyone. Staten Island is like, golden and at least Queens has the LIRR. I'm just annoyed because instead of bribing you or Maya to look in on Veda I'll have to bribe my neighbor. Which is fine, just sort of tiresome.

This place, however inconvenient, is here for you in case of any emergency by the way.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

LOL--That's some excellent King Kong response there. To be in a Broadway show indeed!

Yeah, totally not surprised about walking to work this morning. Oh well. My face will thaw out eventually.

I wish I had an NYC icon too. Not too many magpies here, unfortunately. I usually use the above icon, though of course that's Oxford, not New York. I did get to work to find a lovely magpie pin I won on ebay today, so that made the walk worth it.

[jlh.livejournal.com]

There is a street in DC with my real name on it, but I can't so much be using it as an icon. I would do Chrysler because it's my favorite building but it feels so typical; I want something more obscure because I'm a snob like that.

Ooh, magpie pin! We love ebay.

I'm listening to WNYC and the reporters are talking about how many people they are finding who were taken by surprise and it's like, where have you been for the past week? It's not just, I don't watch or listen to the news, but like, don't you talk to people in your office? It's been on the crawls during prime time! Jeez!

[wordplay.livejournal.com]

And every time I pass that street, I think of you. Passed it on the way to the show the other night and had a Clio cuddle moment.

Now you've made me want a DC icon. This is as close as I come right now.

[skg.livejournal.com]

The MTA doesn't even know how much money they have

This scares me. Glad to see it is being so well-run on so many levels.
Gah.

[emsariel.livejournal.com]

I don't have a good NYC icon, but I'm pleased to be dusting this one off. Apparently I don't rage enough since coming to NYC.

[jlh.livejournal.com]

That's pretty ironic, all things considered.

Alison told me that you were working at a Starbucks and I was like, "What, he's a barista now? What?"

We also landed on exchange to follow xmas but I can give you your gift at Holly's if you like as I have it. I just need to get boxes and wrap things in Maine.

[dramawench.livejournal.com]

Feel free to gack this one :D

Or this one: