MTA Strike.................................

[BeardedOne]

Still, ya gotta love a subway system so huge that a shop foreman was able to hide an entire five-car IRT train from the inventory for a significant amount of time.

[JohnnyWalkerBlackLabel]

there's old levels to the NYC subway that are hidden under concrete

things that would go right in a Museum are down there

i.e. old lights, old ticket machines, old guard rails, old mobsters, etc.

[romeodred]

JWBL...Who luv's ya baby!

[BeardedOne]

there's old levels to the NYC subway that are hidden under concrete

things that would go right in a Museum are down there

i.e. old lights, old ticket machines, old guard rails, old mobsters, etc.

I used to go spelunking down the subways in Boston (This was before they shot at people for doing that) and it was amusing what you could find down there. Some old stations were used as Civil Defense shelters and were filled wall-to-wall with emergency supplies while other tunnels, in later years, were used to hide the authority's greatest embarrassments (Boeing-Vertol LRVs that had died horrible deaths from poor design).

Of course, when one wants to talk about municipal waste in regards to transit, one only has to look to the massive subway project in Cincinatti. Near completion just before the depression, the project was halted and never restarted. Tunnels and stations never had track installed, no trains were purchased. Cute second chapter, though. In the eighties and nineties, as mass transit was reawakening, Cinci applied to the DOT for grants to build a modern subway system and the DOT said the city had to come up with 50% of the project funds. The city pointed to the old tunnels and stations and said "Been there, did that, give us our free money!". They almost got away with it, too, had they not built an interstate on the surface right-of-way, blocking a central part of the viable project.

[romeodred]

Don't worry people...who have my personal assurance there will be no strike. And with my assurance and a MetroCard you can get a ride on the train...

Think about it for a second. One day they say they have a deficit. Weeks later...over a billion dollars is found! A freakin' billion! How does a public agency make a billion dollar profit? They make it through the hard work and sacrifice of the employees. You know what they tell us everyday at work....Do more with less. Then bingo...a billion dollar surplus. And then they don't want to give a cost of living wage increase??? If that's stealing... It's the workers that are being robbed.

And you're right JWBL..the subway is a city within our city. People don't realize the sheer vastness of the system. There are levels upon levels upon levels that haven't been used for over a century. There are not just people living in the system, there are families. And some of these people are coo-coo for coco-puffs.

[Reddman]

A couple of thoughts on the Transit situation.

First of all, if you have been riding the trains for decades, you have to realize that they have made heroic improvements in service, and the employees have played a major role in those improvements.

As for the money, it's pathetic that Bloomberg can scheme to rip off the MTA for $300 million dollars worth of Manhattan real estate to give away as FREE MONEY to his friends for a stadium, then have the fucking nerve to turn around and try to rip off another $100 million from the MTA's Brooklyn real estate to give to another bunch of greedy billionaire friends for the Ratner organization and no one blinks an eye. Yeah, they have an extra $400 billion for corporate welfare for the two or so richest bastards in the city.
But when the MTA workers want a raise similar to what cops and teachers have gotten, everyone pretends the poor MTA has no money, and the transit workers are greedy.

Steal big -- your ok. Steal little --your screwed ...not BTW that I am saying the workers would be stealing to get a raise, just stating a fact of life.

BTW last time contract time rolled around the MTA cried broke. The city comptroller and the AG found a second ( hell it coulda been a third) set of books. What the f#$k became of that boondoggle???? Nada after a few weeks, so my sense of confidence and fair play definitely sides more with the rank and file.

[Kramer]

The problem is that the union is corrupt. They are bought, plain and simple. Thats why there wont be a strike. I worked there for 14 years and was furious every contract year. There was smokescreens and no results. Believe me the MTA is horrible to work for, and the TWU 100 is bought!

[JohnnyWalkerBlackLabel]

6 hours left

you strikin bastards

and I know you wanna say something Romeo, that Haitian leader you got thinking he's gonna make a statement only hurts YOUR pocket!!!!!!!!!!!

LMAO

Bigups the dollar vans who will profit SUBSTANTIALLY from a strike

(for those of you that dont know what a dollar van is, picture a Ford Econoline with about 4 or 5 rows with each rider paying $1 to travel a distance)

I should go down to the Gran Hyatt Hotel and throw some eggs at you striking bastards, I'll bring Pataki & Bloomberg with me

[Quinn]

We're definitely getting close to some serious 11th hour brinksmanship.
Could get interesting.

-Quinn

[JohnnyWalkerBlackLabel]

NY1 just said that people that participated in the 80's strike WILL LOSE THEIR JOBS if they participate in this strike..........................

HAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!