New York, New York
21 December 2005 11:50 pm by Taylor Marsh
New York, New York
… "I remember sitting in police headquarters
watching thousands and thousands of people come across the Brooklyn Bridge,"
former Mayor Ed Koch told amNewYork. "That was when sneakers went into
fashion for businesspeople."Indeed, podiatrists reported treating countless foot
injuries during the strike caused by long walks in inappropriate footwear.The city has a current plan for dealing with a transit
strike that was drawn up in 2002, when the risk also loomed. It includes mandatory
carpooling, allowing taxis to stop and pick up additional passengers while
already carrying a fare, and prohibiting truck deliveries to Manhattan during
rush hour.During the 1980 strike, Mayor Koch suggested commuters
stop to have a martini after work in order to let rush hour congestion clear.
…
I can’t imagine New York, right before Christmas, enduring a strike
like this one. I lived through the 1980 strike, up on the upper west side,
before it was trendy, and trying to get to the midtown theatres for work. I
rode my bike, though I did that a lot back then; right up until the time I got hit by a cab and went flying. But I still made the matinee. The show must go on, you know. The strike in 1980 lasted 11 days, news reports bringing back the details. I do remember one thing, it was a nightmare. Having a martini instead of battling the masses sounds about right to me.
