Neitherhere Blog: December 2005 Archives

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December 23, 2005

Walker

New York is a great city to walk in. It's just is. I haven't been in a city where you can just walk without passing a large empty space or industrial area. Just the total opposite of nothingness. The logical grid system just begs for unwritten rules that one should follow. Enter the 843-acre Central Park and one would find oneself walking in a wooded area, a refuge for many tired minds. Go south of First Street and a stranger would find it harder to get their bearings, but it shouldn't matter - you're still walking in New York City.

The MTA transit strike forced many to walk to work and back. A quick check with Google maps showed my commute was over three miles both ways. N's visit to the clinic was more than four miles when Farizah had a throat infection. Taxis were full, and since they were allowed to take passengers even when they had three other passengers going to different destinations, it might not be the quickest way to go when one's walk is just two miles.

Maybe it's good to walk. Walking for leisure is more common in the UK, and according to The Ramblers, it is Britain's most popular outdoor recreational activity. I had once walked the length of Manhattan just to see what it was like, and having not exercised for more than a year before that, it was quite tiring. It was also a let down in at least one aspect: the walk only took me half a day. At least my heart rate went up for doing something healthy.

Don't mind the unrelated photos above: Pictures are from the archives about five weeks ago. Even though the strike lasted for 3 days, and I had my camera with me, I didn't manage to get a single shot. Not even of the massive jam that it had caused, or the filled sidewalks during rush hour. I wasn't in Times Square, where I heard the the roads were closed. Nor do I have any extraordinary accounts of the ordeal that millions others faced.

Local news stations kept us up-to-date, bloggers reported and gave first-hand experiences. Some trains and buses were still operational, and the city had an OK contingency plan put in place on the second day of the strike. It took longer to go to work but it was manageable. Personal spaces were traded for frustration - more emotionally-charged in some places like the few stations serving running trains.

But to my mind, and I am sure many would agree, the spirit with which the people faced the situation... and it is the same spirit that built this city... the "I will make it possible" attitude of its people... is what makes New York.

Posted by quickness at 07:44 PM | Comments (0)