I saw something really heartbreaking riding the bus home the other day. The MTA has put together a slide show of bus operators who passed away due to COVID, showing each one in a portrait separately with the dates of their lives. They have it up on the screen that shows the upcoming stops. So many men of color, most of them. I love bus drivers. The only man my mom ever dated after she and my dad divorced was a bus operator. It was really hard to get through watching that without just crying on the bus.
I kind of love that MTA is doing this. As difficult as it would be to sit through this as a captive audience on the bus with it really in your face, we need to be reminded of the real cost of this pandemic. Plus, we tend to develop relationships with the people we come into regular -- if tangental -- contact with. I'm sure there are patrons who wonder where their regular driver that always greeted them with a smile or a "hello" went.
Hang in there!
Yes, it's one of the few things the MTA has gotten right recently, IMO.
You hit the nail on the head in terms of relationships with the people we come into contact with. In a large city, those relationships can provide an important sense of community and "anchoring" when you pass by countless strangers every day. And when you don't own a car, bus and train operators are your heroes, helping you get groceries home, get to work, get to appointments, get everywhere. I count on them so much and care about them. I couldn't live here without them.
I kind of love that MTA is doing this. As difficult as it would be to sit through this as a captive audience on the bus with it really in your face, we need to be reminded of the real cost of this pandemic. Plus, we tend to develop relationships with the people we come into regular -- if tangental -- contact with. I'm sure there are patrons who wonder where their regular driver that always greeted them with a smile or a "hello" went.
Hang in there!
Yes, it's one of the few things the MTA has gotten right recently, IMO.
You hit the nail on the head in terms of relationships with the people we come into contact with. In a large city, those relationships can provide an important sense of community and "anchoring" when you pass by countless strangers every day. And when you don't own a car, bus and train operators are your heroes, helping you get groceries home, get to work, get to appointments, get everywhere. I count on them so much and care about them. I couldn't live here without them.
gosh - how come I have not seen it?! I am on a bus up 1st Ave and down 2nd Ave EVERY SINGLE DAY - and have been doing this basically all through and since the morbid spring (after being released from my Covid isolation in early April). I'll keep my eyes open tonight.
Yes, it's one of the few things the MTA has gotten right recently, IMO.
You hit the nail on the head in terms of relationships with the people we come into contact with. In a large city, those relationships can provide an important sense of community and "anchoring" when you pass by countless strangers every day. And when you don't own a car, bus and train operators are your heroes, helping you get groceries home, get to work, get to appointments, get everywhere. I count on them so much and care about them. I couldn't live here without them.
gosh - how come I have not seen it?! I am on a bus up 1st Ave and down 2nd Ave EVERY SINGLE DAY - and have been doing this basically all through and since the morbid spring (after being released from my Covid isolation in early April). I'll keep my eyes open tonight.
I happened to see it on the b67 or 69, but I haven't seen it again since... Maybe on the MTA web site?
I'll check out my M15 today. Remember when these things first showed up? (sorry came out sideways!)
Lol, No! I have never seen one of those!!! The majority of people I see breathing all over in the subway (it's hardly ever on the bus for some reason) have a mask on their chin, anyway. This dispenser is funny. "Reach your dirty hands on in there to rub up all the masks!"
Have all the hand sanitizer dispensers in the your subway stations been empty for months, too? Those gallon bottles that dispense 1/2 cup per pump of pure alcohol.
I'll check out my M15 today. Remember when these things first showed up? (sorry came out sideways!)
Lol, No! I have never seen one of those!!! The majority of people I see breathing all over in the subway (it's hardly ever on the bus for some reason) have a mask on their chin, anyway. This dispenser is funny. "Reach your dirty hands on in there to rub up all the masks!"
Have all the hand sanitizer dispensers in the your subway stations been empty for months, too? Those gallon bottles that dispense 1/2 cup per pump of pure alcohol.
oh - I see - we got these installed in 2 or 3 locations per bus. And people take them. Some people take quite a few - but I guess it's alright!
These containers are pretty funny 'indy' kinda make-it-yourself plastic jars with missing bottoms where you pull the mask from.
I am about 5 hours out from getting my second dose today. It's hard to tell how much of what I'm feeling (tired, achey) is just because I'm old and tired and achey, or side effects. From talking with a couple of people who've had their 2nd, I'm expecting to "not feel great", but who knows.
It was 30 degrees outside today so it wasn't really fun standing in line outside without moving. People started moving around to stay warm.
Now if we only knew more about how long it's good for and how much transmission possibility to others who aren't vaccinated there is...
I am about 5 hours out from getting my second dose today. It's hard to tell how much of what I'm feeling (tired, achey) is just because I'm old and tired and achey, or side effects. From talking with a couple of people who've had their 2nd, I'm expecting to "not feel great", but who knows.
It was 30 degrees outside today so it wasn't really fun standing in line outside without moving. People started moving around to stay warm.
Now if we only knew more about how long it's good for and how much transmission possibility to others who aren't vaccinated there is...
My dad got his second dose last weekend. That second one is definitely a doozie! Knocked him out for about a day and a half. Of course, he’s in his 80s, so that could’ve been a factor. Hang in there!
I am about 5 hours out from getting my second dose today. It's hard to tell how much of what I'm feeling (tired, achey) is just because I'm old and tired and achey, or side effects. From talking with a couple of people who've had their 2nd, I'm expecting to "not feel great", but who knows.
It was 30 degrees outside today so it wasn't really fun standing in line outside without moving. People started moving around to stay warm.
Now if we only knew more about how long it's good for and how much transmission possibility to others who aren't vaccinated there is...
My dad got his second dose last weekend. That second one is definitely a doozie! Knocked him out for about a day and a half. Of course, he’s in his 80s, so that could’ve been a factor. Hang in there!
Yeah, this is no cake walk. I slept really poorly because of being hot and achy and also had some pretty wretched nausea and a headache. Have only gotten out of bed to take ibuprofen and a migraine pill, which helped. I don’t want anyone to be discouraged from getting it, but it definitely warrants clearing one’s calendar the day after.
Sounds like an extreme version of the flu jab. That tends to make people feel a bit dickie for a bit. Rest up K. I think feeling a bit rough for a day probably outweighs the alternative.
I got a message from Kate (Mort's wife). He is seriously ill after contracting covid & has been in ICU for a couple of weeks. We've been in touch in that time. He described it as like scuba diving with a straw for a snorkel. And everything tastes like rust. So at least he couldn't taste the hospital food. The virus has resulted in him getting pneumonia which can't be much fun when you only have one lung & a second hand heart. I am told he is now stable & the doctors hope to see some improvement from now on. So please keep him, Kate, Charlie, & Jane in your thoughts.
I got a message from Kate (Mort 's wife). He is seriously ill after contracting covid & has been in ICU for a couple of weeks. We've been in touch in that time. He described it as like scuba diving with a straw for a snorkel. And everything tastes like rust. So at least he couldn't taste the hospital food. The virus has resulted in him getting pneumonia which can't be much fun when you only have one lung & a second hand heart. I am told he is now stable & the doctors hope to see some improvement from now on. So please keep him, Kate, Charlie, & Jane in your thoughts.
I got a message from Kate (Mort 's wife). He is seriously ill after contracting covid & has been in ICU for a couple of weeks. We've been in touch in that time. He described it as like scuba diving with a straw for a snorkel. And everything tastes like rust. So at least he couldn't taste the hospital food. The virus has resulted in him getting pneumonia which can't be much fun when you only have one lung & a second hand heart. I am told he is now stable & the doctors hope to see some improvement from now on. So please keep him, Kate, Charlie, & Jane in your thoughts.