M.D. Wright
1.19.10
***EDITOR'S NOTE: As some of you know, the New York City MTA (that's Transit, not Trainwreck, of course) decided to yank the free metro program for students. Many students rely upon free bus and subway fare in order to get to school.
I don't understand this. The MTA has proven to be a racket over the past 15 years. Pretty much since the original inception of the MetroCard (not long after Giuliani became Mayor), they've gone off the deep end with the 2nd set of books that we in New York all know they have.
What is the point of doing this? All this does is give license to on-the-fence students who sometimes consider skipping school, but mostly don't -- to go ahead and skip. Most parents (especially those with more than one child) cannot afford to pay (at least) $4.50 in round-trip fare for their child(ren) to go to school and other activities daily. That's over $100 a month, at the very least. PER CHILD. Not to mention their own costs of getting around in this city.
Again, I can't complain TOO harshly, because other cities with subway and train service pay based upon the distance traveled. The more savvy straphangers among us can get from Kennedy Airport to catch a dollar van at the Mt. Vernon/Bronx border on $2.25. I can even get from Tottenville on Staten Island (the southernmost point in New York City) to 241st St. in the Bronx (again, the Mt. Vernon/Yonkers border with the Bronx) on that same amount, but what about those who have multiple transfers and have to go to work and/or school and extra-curricular activities afterward? It's already exorbitantly costly to live in New York as it is. What is the point of doing this, again I ask? What of this?
The MTA workers -- I swear they don't want to work -- they're always threatening strikes or cutting service, reducing train and bus services, re-routing express and local lines more than I can ever remember and making it a veritable NIGHTMARE to use the subway after midnight -- when in the 90s, back when you still had the option to use tokens -- you could still get around relatively quickly late nights. I've sat on line for an hour waiting for a train to come each of the past 4 weekends. And being out on Staten Island for the next few weeks, and having been out here since the summer, that is NOT fun. That's why I don't come out to parties and what not (for those who invite me and wonder why I never show, understand that please -- it's not personal! The commute back is DREADFUL, especially if the express buses to Staten Island aren't running).
Anyway, as someone who is underemployed and relies totally upon public transportation for the time being, I'm being affected just as much as these students will be. Just so the MTA can save a few bucks (they make a million a day, I'm pretty certain -- and that's on the conservative side).
Look at what the rates are:
1. Single Ride: $2.25
2. Express Bus (Unlimited): $45/week
3. Unlimited Rides (Except Express Buses): $89/month.
The other rates are usually for our visitors, but since there is no subway for Staten Island and the ferry is as unreliable as most people have become nowadays, traveling is a female dog. And that's putting it lightly. You pay out of the wazoo and get such s----y (I'm trying so hard to stop cursing, bare with me).
DISCUSS>>>
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