Strike story #1:

730am: i bundled up, laced up my sneaks, and prepared myself for the New York Strike. Altho the PATH was running smoothly, i peeped NJstraphangers suspiciously eyeing the conductors and train operators as if they was going to sympathy-strike at any moment...there was tension in the air. As i got off the PATH train at 33rd St, i felt thankful that i have it so much easier than folks who can't even get into the city from BK/BX/Queens. I was prepared to trek it up to 54th st (20 blocks ain't sh:t) but then when that cold ass air hit me, i punked out. I hailed a cab. I remember hearing that they were picking up multiple passengers for 10 bucks each. Fine. a warm ride up 6th ave was worth a 10 spot.

Things were going along fine till all of a sudden, at 40th st, i heard a loud crunching sound and the front of the taxicab sank down.

"Your wheel just broke off," I said calmly, while digging into my purse..almost as if this was a daily occurence for me.

"What do i do?" the clueless cabbie pleaded.

"Call a tow truck."

"What's the number?" he said as he attemped to drive forward

"I don't know man. Hey don't move! Your wheel is broke. Call information. Here's a 5 since i didn't get to my destination. Good luck." I tossed him 5 ones and got outta the cab. I left him there bewildered in the middle of sixth avenue.

Normally i'd have stayed to help but sh:t i had 15 more blocks to walk and i was late for work; my compassionate heart was hardened by the cold NY air...

And i damn sure wasn't gonna pay for another cab.

As i turned to walk up 5th Ave, the scene looked like a movie set. Some guy stood in the middle of street videotaping while commuter/zombies trudged onward and uptown-ward. very few cars were allowed to drive down 5th so it was overrun with folks on bikes and rollerblades. Hardly anyone talked. If they did, they complained about the strike or bragged about being stranded underground in the middle of the night. It was like 9/11-lite. One event to bind us all again.

I walked to work today, from Park Slope to Penn Station, basically, over the Manhattan Bridge. Took 2 hours. I could've gotten a ride across a bridge, a lot of people in Brooklyn were picking up people and that's what I did the past couple of days. I'm pretty damn tired, but I might try walking home too, just for the hell of it. I might also see if there are any trains running first though, when I leave work at 6.