The Fig File for 01.30.09 by: Mike Figliola

The Fig File for 01.30.09 by: Mike Figliola

The Fig File: Fulton Street Fiasco.

I often think of Bob Seger when I think of the MTA. The song? Still The Same. Go ahead, get the corresponding CD or even go and download it from I-Tunes - I’ll wait. Hey, grab a beer while you’re at it...Got it?...Ready? Ok...Press play. Pop the bottle cap.

The recent madness bubbling from up from the MTA concerns the 500 million dollar South Ferry Subway Station - a dirty old place where the mouth of Manhattan opens up to Staten Islanders and faces the chin of New Jersey, where vendors sell World Trade Center memorabilia at a whole sale price, where money goes down the tube and drains into the Atlantic eerily similar to the investment statements that were manhandled by Bernie Madoff et al. Here’s this version of fun as presented by the MTA: there is a delay in the opening of this half billion dollar project folks, and it only is due to an inch.

To repeat with some further details: the opening of the first fresh brand spanking new subway station in 20 years has been brought to a grinding halt by a paltry inch.

In New York City?

Shirley, you must be kidding me. Shirley.

This verbatim according to a source: ‘The original contractor built only the platform at the Fulton Street Station and the MTA signed off that it was built properly. The second contractor came in to do the track work and upon laying on the track work, the MTA notified them the platform needed to be trimmed down. Next, The MTA notified the original contractor and asked them to fix the problem but they said that we did our job fine, you signed off on it and the deal is done. In response, the MTA came out and marked out cut lines on the platform that was built and asked the second contractor to cut it to the specifications they asked for - that in which ended up being wrong.’

Ah ha! The dunder heads at the MTA; those who have imbalanced the budget and thwarted the good train and bus service we in the boroughs of New York City have come to love and depend on, screwed up their math calculations on the construction of their subway hub resulting in a month delay, costing the straphanger and even those who abstain from subway travel more money to get this inch figured out.

500 million dollar project. Who cares if it costs another million for another month? There are plenty of idiots in this here city of billionaires to pay for it right?

Bob Seger might have this to say about the MTA.

 You always won, every time you placed a bet
You’re still damn good, no ones gotten to you yet
Every time they were sure they had you caught
You were quicker than they thought
You’d just turn your back and walk
You always said, the cards would never do you wrong
The trick you said was never piay the game too long
A gamblers share, the only risk that you would take
The only loss you could forsake
The only bluff you couldnt fake

And you’re still the same
I caught up with you yesterday
Moving game to game
No one standing in your way
Turning on the charm
Long enough to get you by
You’re still the same
You still aim high

There you stood, everybody watched you play
I just turned and walked away
I had nothing left to say

cause you’re still the same
You’re still the same
Moving game to game
Some things never change
You’re still the same.

Drain your beer. Shut off your CD. The MTA is still the same. 
 
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