Public transportation is surging as people no longer feel comfortable pouring their money into taxis or gas pumps. Riddle me this: Is there logic in charging more for necessary M.T.A. services when the unemployment rate is reaching record highs and incomes are doing cliff-dives?

At this point, you’re probably aware that the M.T.A. is proposing a 23% fare hike, to be voted on by the full board, TOMORROW, Wednesday March 25th. This plan would mean that we’d pay $2.50 per ride (up from $2) and a whopping $103 for a monthly card (up from $81) and if it passes, the new fares will go into effect starting May 31st.

It seems like a huge leap in cost, but if it means that people can keep their jobs working for the M.T.A. and service will improve, then perhaps we can endorse the change. But, wait, au contraire, my friend. It seems that perhaps 1,100 M.T.A. employees might lose their jobs, and service will be cut, affecting 35 bus routes and several train lines. Yes, we’ll be paying more and receiving less service in order to offset a 1.2 billion budget gap!

As resilient New Yorkers, we cannot give up yet! There are other proposals floating around, and a lot of controversy amidst the lawmakers. So, please, take action while you still can!

You can call your local senator’s office (I did) and tell them that you oppose this plan. Tomorrow in Union Square, you can check out the rally from 8am to noon, where more phone calls will be made. Apparently, the houses are still in great conflict over the issue, so it is not too late to affect the outcome. Think of it like your seat on the rush hour train: how easily would you give it up? Or how much would you fight to keep it?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/nyregion/24mta.html
http://www.transalt.org/takeaction/actioncenter/3130
www.keepnewyorkmoving.org

March 25, 2009 – The plan was approved:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/nyregion/26mta.html?_r=1&hp

*photo credit: http://www.mta.info*

This is Pierre. He is a retired French man, from Brittany, who lives on the West side of Manhattan. He spends his sunny days in Bryant Square Park playing Petanque. He is as much a recruiter as a player, happily telling anyone with any curiosity that, starting in April, the “school” will be open and he and his French pals will be there, at the Northwest corner of the park, with enough Petanque balls to share. If you are unfamiliar with the French game, Petanque, Pierre will be happy to teach you all about it at their “school” in the park.

Essentially, Petanque, (pronounced “Pah-tahnk”) is the French version of the Italian game, Bocce, and also somewhat similar to horseshoes. It originated in Provence in the early 1900s and is one of Europe’s most popular outdoor games (as well as New York City’s apparently). As petanqueamerica.com explains, “The aim is to toss, or roll a number of hollow steel balls (“boules”) as close as possible to a small wooden target ball, called “but” or “cochonnet” (meaning “piglet” in French). Players take turns and the team that ends up nearest to the target ball when all balls are played, wins. Unlike horseshoes, where the aim stake is fixed, Petanques’ target ball may be hit at any time, which can completely turn around the score at the last second. And whereas the official bocce rules call for a smooth, prepared court with markers and sideboards, Petanque can be played on most outdoor surfaces, without any setup.”

Even if the game is uninteresting to you, spending the afternoon with Pierre is sure to be some of the best entertainment around.

St. Patrick’s Day is March 17th. Just so we’re all on the same page. Because there have been quite a few people celebrating early. And I don’t just mean having a little preemptive Guinness or corned beef. On Sunday, for example, there was a full-blown parade in Park Slope! I walked right into it, completely unexpectedly, and nobody seemed at all concerned by the fact that it was not the holiday yet. It’s not a rolling holiday, people, like Chanukah or something. March 17th is said to be the day that St. Patrick died- back in 461 A.D. Even the Feast of St. Patrick (on St. Patrick’s Day) serves partly as a one day reprieve from Lent (as opposed to a three day hiatus) for all those Irish Catholics who gave up their beer till Easter.

But, truth be told, I was thrilled by the parade on Sunday: one of the marching bands’ renditions of “Danny Boy” pretty much made my day! Maybe the Irish of Brooklyn just don’t want the pressure of competing with the parade in New York City on Tuesday, which is apparently the longest and largest St. Patty’s Day parade anywhere. I just found out that the first parade in New York City was in 1762, even before the American Revolution! The very first celebration in colonial America was in 1737 in Boston (no surprise there). That means, in a sense, that St. Patrick’s Day is a longer-standing national holiday than the Fourth of July!

So when you raise your pint tomorrow, or go to pinch someone not wearing green, take a moment to consider all the history that is behind this day of celebration, not just for Ireland, but for America as well.

*photo credit: http://www.nyc-st-patrick-day-parade.org*