elaine, what show did you see last night? Just wondering if we were at the same theater -- I saw A Touch of the Poet last night. The best part of the evening was the curtain call, when Gabriel Byrne made a speech telling the audience how much it meant to him and the rest of the cast that we had made the effort to come out to the theater. I wonder if he'll make the same speech every night for the duration of the strike.

I have very little experience with unions but what little I have makes me think they are mostly bad.
As a former airline employee (non-union) I never could understand the concept of seniority as security.
In my job, excellent PERFORMANCE = Job security.
I would see the surly flight attendants and talk to them while working and they would just be smug that no matter how bitchy they were, they would not get laid off.
In my job, in the same company, we would be walked upon arrival at the office. Seniority meant nothing. In fact, many senior people were part of the first massive cuts in 2002. NOT because of pay... I earned more than many of the older employees. They were laid off because of performance issues.
AMR had this strange thing about not getting rid of lousy people. Starting in 2002 that all started to change.
Unions keep many crappy people in jobs good people would be happy to have...

The U.S. is a meritocracy where most people believe you should get raises based on performance, not union status.

My husband and I are both lawyers, and we would be extremely lucky to come upon a job with a three year contract and guaranteed percentage raises.

These workers are not skilled, yet feel that they are "entitled" to these things. Not so much.

I am posting this very carefully since I want to go back to a travel-related question; first, my sympathies go out to all New Yorkers who are being impacted by this, since I live in D.C., I know all too well what any situation--strike, security can do to wreck havoc with your normal life. We are scheduled to go to New York next week to see the Big Apple Circus and a show; we are driving (Amtrak is too $$ and I'm sure by now booked)so we can arrive in the city within the restrictions (we will be 3, not 4), but am wondering how bad the traffic is, how difficult cabs are to come by; we have the dreaded zone system, but are not charged by the person, rather by the group, but you inevitably feel ripped off (and I've lived in the zone for 20 years). Wondering if people have observations or if other NYC-bound travellers are changing their plans if the strike is not settled.

Thanks,

Mary in D.C.

I would encourage you to come,not just because I am a loyal New Yorker, but also because the city is emptier and easier to get around in this week, than in any other usual week before Christmas. Just wear comfortable shoes.
Rain is predicted for Xmas day, with slightly higher temps.
Cabs are not more difficult than they normally would be at this time of year, they may be less difficult.
How many are in your traveling group?

Agree with TxTravelPro and mah180. Unfortunately, unions for the most part have become a code word for mediocrity. there's no incentive to work hard because you can't be laid off. I saw this day in and day out when I worked for DC37. We worked at the headquarters and our support staff were union who felt that proof reading a letter they typed was beyond their job descriptions. It has gone way too far. I'm no longer part of a union but unfortunately, as an Administrative Law Judge for NYC, my raises still are based on what DC37 gets. On one hand I'm lucky that I get guaranteed raises (as long as no one is steaming open contract vote envelopes in the middle of the night) but I would much rather my raises be based on merit and productivity. I'm sure I would be earning a whole lot more. I'm also per diem so if I don't work, I don't get paid. This strike is costing me big time because I have to find alternate ways to work and can't put in a full day since I'm dependent on railroad schedules, which run very infrequently where I live. But at least I can get to work, even if only for about 5 hours per day.

I hope the strike isn't putting people off from visiting NYC. It's still a magnificent city and if you're here during the strike, you will encounter many good natured and resiliant New Yorkers who always go out of their way for others in a crisis.

If this helps, in my neighborhood, far east midtown, there were many, many free cabs cruising around all day. I also saw many cabs on the upper east side this afternoon. If a cabbie asks for an exorbitant fare, make a show of writing down the cab number; you can and should report this price gouging behavior if it happens.

thanks Elaine, we will be 3 and always take the subway so that is what is giving us pause, as well as not wanting huge delays driving into the city; hope this is all for naught and the strike is settled, but want to be prepared, just in case.

thanks,

Mary

Yes, price gouging should be reported to 311 (phone number), the city info line, just note the medallion number, it is posted inside the taxi as well as on the roof.


Strike updates are posted on
http://www.nyc.gov/portal/index.jsp?front_door=true

and there is the taxi zone map in effect during this strike

Also note the driver's hack license number if you feel you are a victim of gouging. This is actually more important than the medallion number since it is the driver who is gouging and the medallion owner in many cases is not the driver.The driver's hack license must be displayed next to the medallion license, both are facing the back seat, on the left side of the partition. Be aware that taxis are not required to use meters during the strike, they can charge $10 per zone.

right, not to get into a big thing about the zones (as I said, it was either the Post or the Times today that correctly observed that you always feel ripped-off), but it is being reported they are charging per person whereas in D.C. they charge by the group or party; we'll have a six-year old with us so walking will only get us so far, just trying to factor in all the variables here, including potentially expensive cab rides.

thanks everybody,

Mary

I would appeal to the cabbie's sensibility..just be nice and say "surely you are not going to charge us for a 6 year old..." Personally, in my 30 years of living here, I have almost always had good experiences with NY cab drivers...just be respectful and friendly and you may be surprised. My friends today have reported no bad experiences..many cab drivers have just used the meter as always.

ekscrunchy--good to know; as I said, I hope this discussion is for naught and everyone can get back to their normal routines.

Mary

Mary, from what I understood (and I could be wrong) they are charging by groups that are together. So if there are 3 or 4 of you who getting in together and go to ythe same destination, you should only be charged $10 for your group. I haven't taken a taxi during the strike so I'm not 100% sure about this. Here's a link to TLC's web site, although this says $10 per person, but I thought some people said it was per group. Anybody out there have the answer?

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/news/ind05_34.shtml

I reread Elaine's post on this subject and it looks like you can say since you're a group, can you use the meter. . .forewarned is forearmed since believe me, if it was just me and my husband, we would be more than willing to walk.

thanks again,

Mary

Cab fares are per person, not per group. My husband and a coworker were charged $20 to take the two of them from their office to a meeting. The only instances where I have been hearing of a "group" not being charged per person is if one of the group is a baby. Some mothers I know have been charged for their child, others have not.

I just learned on the evening news that NYC bus drivers earn $60,000 per year.

HOLY COW ! That's almost double that of school teachers where I live. NYC's population would double if the MTA fired everyone and took applications for MTA jobs for new people who what to earn a living driving a bus for $60,000.

A NYer here-
My brief odyssey during the strike so far:
Day 1: I walked 71 blocks to work- (at that distance, the cold doesn't bother you as long as your ears, hands and feet are protected.)
I walked south from the Upper West SIde, and tried to hitch a ride at 96th-hoping to find a free seat in a 3 person vehicle.
No luck. Noted the surprising number of New Jersey SUVs with only the driver and maybe one passenger who though they should be spared and allowed to pass.
Lots of available taxis, if you have the money. Saw bankers on roller skates, secretaries on folding bikes, etc.
Afternoon of Day 1: had to go to the funeral service of a coworker who passed away this week at tender age of 29. It was held on Queens, so we had to take LIRR to Jamaica and change trains. This meant being crushed in that crowd of thousands that was being herded through Penn Station at rush hour in massive, chaotic queues divided by fences and ropes. There were police, MYA police, National guard, and volunteers directing traffic, but the mass of humanity completely overwhelmed everything.
It was cheek to cheek, inching along, and we were in it for an hour and a half before we got to the actual track where the train pulled in. We were able to keep our cool because we were going to this funeral. During all this, we met a young woman from Prague, who was actually having her very first day in New York! We were actually able to get her laughing by assuring her that this was just a typical NY situation!
Once on the train, it was a real cattle car experience, noses pressed against the glass window, and then we had to run another guantlet at Jamaice Station. We just got to the second train in the nick of time, and got to the Funeral Home about two minutes before the service started. It was beautiful, sad and intense, and also unsettling because there was a "viewing".

Then, because there was only one train back into Manhattan, we had to leave quickly and make ad dash 2 blocks back to the station, to catch it. Anxiety attacks and left over tears from funeral.
Washed up on shore back at Penn Station, I grabbed a 15 dollar cab down to Soho where my brother lives, and slept on his couch. Next morning, walked 15 blocks to Dentist appointment, was drilled and xrayed, then got Path train from World Trade Center across the river to New Jersey, then back across the River to Manhattan and up to Penn Station.
Went to work, then walked the 71 Blocks north back home tonight, refusing to give dollar to local drug addict street beggar on the way (ok, I'm a grouchy grinch!), and diving straight into hot bath.
Am now cursing myself for not having a bottle of Scotch handy, but crawling straight into bed instead, after giving self a foot massage.
Looking forward to tomorrow and maybe next days, more of same.
Will we survive? You bet.
Feel lucky to have job in the Big Apple, even though I make alot less than the button pusher MTA worker who opens and closes the automatic doors on my train and makes 62,000 dollars a year. I don't feel any sympathy for these guys. They are outside the law, and I hope they are all held 100% accountable for their actions, which look, sound, and smell like an attack on our economy and the welfare and safety of our neediest citizens.

Agree with every adjective Mayor Bloomberg can come up to describe this heinous, anti-New York action lead by Toussaint and cronies. My next door neighbor, Maggie, is 86, uses a walker and depends on the public buses to get her basic needs met, as do many elderly people all over town... well now I'm ranting and would do better to save my energy for tomorrow morning. ....

I read in today's Post that they make $63,000 annually. That's more than most of their daily riders.

And they get to retire with full pension & benefits at age 55?!? Where does this ridiculous union live, Fantasyland??

Yeah, most of us living in the real world don't get to retire at 55 and get full benefits.

Some of the bus drivers were quoted in the Times as saying that they have a lot of kids on the verge of college and that's why they are entitled to strike.

I didn't realize as a low skilled employee you were entitled to strike if you can't retire at 55. That is entirely unrealistic!