Gingerly, I climbed back on the bike this morning after a six-day break from the day-to-day grind. A fierce wind blew our recycleable garbage around the lawn. The stiff gears of the bike made an awkward clicking noise as I headed out the driveway. Or maybe it was my knees.
That gale got up in my grill as I ambled down Pythian, the same kind of Grinchian arctic blast that greets people as they emerge from the 6 train exit on 26th and Park. Have you ever tried to exit there, under the New York Life building? I often picture someone arriving to the city for the first time–a Polish immigrant looking for work, a Midwestern thesp gunning for Broadway–and getting hit by such a resistant wind as they attempt to open the door that it pushes them all the way back from whence they came.
Of course, I can’t quite picture a scenario in which one’s first step onto the New York City ground is 26th and Park. Maybe a Poughkeepsie emigre after a long ride on Metro-North and a short ride on the 6?
Speaking of a stiff blast to the face, the Doomsday Scenario for Metro-North riders calls for a 24-29% boost in ticket prices for the spring. What’s particularly irksome is that the 24-29% boost is to cover the 23% revenue increase the MTA needs to meet. Why the discrepancy? Because ridership tails off when fares go up, people opting for their cars, and the remaining train riders are forced to cover the extra cost.
On a brighter note, History Channel has the latest episode of Extreme Trains tonight at 10, as the host hops a freight train from Omaha to Sacramento and explores the building of the first transcontinental railroad.