all you see is CRIME IN THE CITY...

If you are a New Yorker like me, you know the MTA/Albany is ready to give us "straphangers" the 09 bump. They reportedly don't have the money needed to operate the subways system at it's current handicapped state. So instead we will now have to deal with the elimination of whole train and bus lines along with service cuts of others. To top this all off the fare is reported to increase from $2 to $2.50. The daily, weekly and monthly unlimited cards will also increase in fare.

So now that that's out the way, what do you feel about this? Are you ok with there being no B25 anymore? Are you cool with the W train being a thing of the past? Now don't get me wrong there have been improvements since the days of my childhood in the 80's. I was on a 4 train last week and the lights went out for about 10 seconds. I remember when that was a daily occurrence on the 2 train which could result in someone loosing a tooth from fist to jaw action and being robbed instantly. So yes the trains are safer these days. However I still have to wait 10 minutes plus for a 3 train at Atlantic Ave during rush hour. The trains on the weekend are a a bit of a joke and have been for quite some time. However fares have gone up and up and now we are here again living in increase land.

But who am I kidding, at the end of the day the fares will increase and I'll pay. Why...because I need to get to and from work and as much as I love my home of Brooklyn I enjoy the WHOLE city (minus S.I. sorry). The weather is getting warmer and my bike will be a major mode of transportation for the kid once again. That said I am not looking forward to this and it's not really because of my personal dissatisfaction. What about the folks who are struggling to put together the two bucks go to one way? I made a joke yesterday that the train fares have been pretty much on par with the price of a slice of pizza through the years. When I was younger a slice cost $1.25 and so did a token (remember tokens?). Then they both went up to $1.50 and now 2 bucks ($2.50 in the city). That's five dollars for two slices and 5 bucks to go to and from somewhere. That's 35 bucks a week (weekends not included). You kinda have to get one of those unlimited cards otherwise it's a problem. People don't have jobs and have to pay more to travel. *smh* Get a bike people, walk more and fill out those apps. It's gonna get worse before it gets better.

I personally don't care to point fingers anymore. After spending a fortune traveling via the railroad system in Japan I see our fare as being, lets say comparable. I've seen worse my friends. In Tokyo their "unlimited" cards are a bit of a joke and there is no 1 day or weekly unlimited. The fares are also based on the distance of your trip, meaning the farther you travel the more you pay. Your in town for two weeks, TOUGH! I hope you save up because it's gonna cost. At least we have some sort of relief here...I guess.

For a look into how these service cuts may affect you check the link below.

Click here to see if you need to kill or not.