The MTA: Morons, Tyrants, Assholes
Dear MTA,
I know that we have had our problems in the past, like all the times I urinated all over your property while waiting for a train that was never going to come. And the 100’s of dollars you and your friends in the NYPD have fined me for various minor infractions, like drinking a beer while I waited for said train that was never going to come.
You probably remember me being critical of your budget and the complete laziness that leads to tons of lost advertising revenue. I was also a vocal opponent of selling that land to the Jets so they could build a new stadium (something to consider: are the Jets and the MTA the new Axis of Evil?).
You may remember me being less than thrilled when you guys announced the whole "we’ll search your bags for no reason" shit a couple of months back (July 22nd if memory serves me correctly). And how I’ve pointed out the whole "if you see something say something" campaign is the dumbest shit you’ve done since…since…raising fares because of a budget shortfall and then realizing you had like $900 million you didn’t even know about. Who the fuck are your accountants anyway, Paula Abdul and David Lee Roth? That’s a rhetorical question.
But you guys have really outdone yourselves with this one. Since you have this great surplus of nearly $1 billion, wouldn’t it make sense to invest in some of the security features that our system is sorely lacking, like closed-circuit TV cameras? Or maybe, how about reopening some of the token booths that have been closed, maybe a couple of extra sets of eyes would help you guys monitor who is doing what in your system. Fuck, you could even finally start the recycling initiative I proposed over six months ago.
Nope, your first order of business with the surplus is to lower fares for the holiday season. That seems like a cute little PR move on your part, but riddle me this: who comes into the city and buys pay-per-ride metrocards during the holiday season? Yup, you guessed it: tourists. And who spends an increasing percentage of their income every year getting to work using mass transit? Residents who pay taxes.
If I understand correctly, and I’m not saying I do because my source on this is the NY Post, the following is true: "The holiday fare discount would cost $50 million, and roll fares back to $1 on weekends from Thanksgiving through December, and for the entire week between Christmas and New Year’s. (NY Post 10/27/05)"
Wow, so you guys are basically spending all this cake so that people who come here on vacation and to shop during the holiday season will be able to reap the benefits of a surplus that was only made possible because residents have been overcharged all year. In the words of the animated Guinness guys "brilliant."
In Loathing Hatred,
james
