Time for another occasional introspection…

All of us New Yorkers have probably heard of this famous MTA slogan. They only drill it to us every time we ride the subway. Today, I definitely saw something. I saw a backpack just sitting there in the platform of the 7th Ave and 53rd St station. I stared at it for a couple seconds and thought to myself, is this one of those times when I definitely see something suspicious? But first, I had to make sure. I walked over to several people in the platform to see if that backpack was theirs. They looked at it, and yes, like stereotypical New Yorkers, ignored it. They just went on to doing what they were doing. So, I went back up in the lobby of the station to look for MTA employees. There were none. Cops? Nowhere to be found. OK, I see a poster with a phone number. “To report a suspicious activity, call 888…” it says. OK, I would call but I’m underground. I have no signal in that d***ned station! Alas, I heard my train arrive, and I just had to take it because I was in a hurry. Just when I took it, I kept thinking to myself, what if it was really something? What have I done? How could I not have done more to report it? But then again, there was NOBODY in the station to report it too. I would’ve called the number, but that would’ve required for me to exit the station, and then wait 10 minutes until I could use my metrocard again. So, when the train came, I just automatically took it.

But, as I think more about this, I ask this question: why are there no employees in the whole station? When I was coming home for the day, I saw in another station a sign indicating that the booth will no longer be operational. Yes, I have heard of lay offs at the MTA (surprise surprise), and more price hikes will probably come our way. But what are we really getting? And it’s amazing how easy it could be for someone to leave a backpack and just do damage to a whole station. ESPECIALLY at this time when there is nobody around to turn to!