My teacher friend actually makes less than everyone in the MTA except the cleaners, who, in my obviously unqualified opinion, don't do a very good job for it either. When I came out of the subway at 51st & Lex this morning, the entire platform smelled like some unimaginable combination of rotten meat and poo.
There's so much construction it's impossible to get anywhere on the weekends, there are often ridiculous waits for trains during rush hour, during which time the platform fills up and it's all about throwing elbows to get yourself on the train, where one of the following is guaranteed to occur:
- your pocket is picked
- you are squished into Smelly Homeless Guy, who insists he is being pushed from behind as he grabs your butt
- you are squished into Loud Preacher Guy, who insists on shouting (in your ear) about how you are a sinner if, in short, you're a liberal
- you miss your stop because of schmucks who won't get out of the way
- ...
The main sticking point in the arguments is the MTA's proposed new pension plan, in which MTA employees will have to put in a few extra years before retirement. Not to discredit anyone at the MTA who actually does a lot of productive work, a few more years of hanging out on the platform, doing seemingly nothing useful, yet still making a paycheck doesn't seem so bad.
Maybe if NYC transit was perfect - clean, safe, on time, few service disruptions - I would change my opinion. It just seems to me that now that the MTA has announced a surplus, the workers want to get their hands on it, when it really should go towards improving transit. Maybe they could actually start on the 2nd avenue line they've been promising for years. Maybe the daily commute wouldn't smell like doody. Maybe leaving the house on time to get somewhere would be a good indicator of when you will actually arrive. The possibilities are endless.
