When Trump sends the national guard to occupy NYC it will be about "subway crime." Wait...
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That eight million people live on top of each other as we do and there is so little crime is amazing. A period of historically low crime in the city.
Nonetheless former Democrat, Cuomo, running as an independent for mayor said in a recent interview "I want to talk about, 'I'm afraid to have my daughter on the train, the subway."
Notice he can't say that he is scared himself or that his 'daughter' says she's scared. Because it's not scary. It's just something to worry about.
There are many older New Yorkers who worry about their kids riding the subway. After all they see all of the stories in the news. And the National Guard! *they* don't go on the trains themselves but they remember the 80s. (In the 80s the subways were much more dilapidated and crime was higher, ridership was lower which made it less safe.)
But when these older people tell their kids to be safe we laugh at them and brag "I ride at 3 am CALM DOWN" that must be be so stressful.
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There are many older New Yorkers who worry about their kids riding the subway. After all they see all of the stories in the news. And the National Guard! *they* don't go on the trains themselves but they remember the 80s. (In the 80s the subways were much more dilapidated and crime was higher, ridership was lower which made it less safe.)
But when these older people tell their kids to be safe we laugh at them and brag "I ride at 3 am CALM DOWN" that must be be so stressful.
So the subway problem here is mostly one of scaring old people for no reason.
And if we want to get mad about the subway I have several slogans:
PUBLIC TOILETS NOW!
FIX THE SIGNALS!
STOP LISTENING TO MUSIC WITHOUT HEADPHONES!
THAT STROLLER IS TOO BIG COME ON!
FIX THE ELEVATOR NOW!Real problems.
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Governor Hochul was alarmed by attacks from republicans about "subway crime" and there were a few alarming stories, including people being pushed in front of trains.
But I cannot emphasize how totally manufactured this panic was on the ground. I have lived in this city for two decades and the only changes I've seen in the subway are a slow creep towards it feeling more safe, not less.
Three decades ago it was less safe, but even then it was NOT "send the national guard" unsafe.
@futurebird Did you live in NYC during the "Guardian Angels" period? I would see them occasionally, back when, and that was before/around high profile events like Bernie Getz and the LIRR shooting.
It was a fascinating social experiment, with (IMHO) no "right" side, and I'd love to hear your take.
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@futurebird Did you live in NYC during the "Guardian Angels" period? I would see them occasionally, back when, and that was before/around high profile events like Bernie Getz and the LIRR shooting.
It was a fascinating social experiment, with (IMHO) no "right" side, and I'd love to hear your take.
I'm not that old. But, from what I have read, I don't think it was such a great idea.
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So the subway problem here is mostly one of scaring old people for no reason.
And if we want to get mad about the subway I have several slogans:
PUBLIC TOILETS NOW!
FIX THE SIGNALS!
STOP LISTENING TO MUSIC WITHOUT HEADPHONES!
THAT STROLLER IS TOO BIG COME ON!
FIX THE ELEVATOR NOW!Real problems.
@futurebird Also ACCESSIBILITY. So many hundred year old stations that at dangerous or impossible for many people to use.
NYC subways are great. They have some problems, but the people setting priorities seem unable to identify them.
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I'm not that old. But, from what I have read, I don't think it was such a great idea.
@futurebird As with the current situation, crime was overhyped in the name of policing. Very frustrating.
To your main point: I do remember how jarring it was to have tac-garbed people with automatic rifles standing guard (over what?!) in, e.g. Penn Station after 9/11.
At the time, my dad said, "They're trying to get us used to it." (The term "Overton Window" hadn't entered public discourse yet.)
He was right, of course.
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So the subway problem here is mostly one of scaring old people for no reason.
And if we want to get mad about the subway I have several slogans:
PUBLIC TOILETS NOW!
FIX THE SIGNALS!
STOP LISTENING TO MUSIC WITHOUT HEADPHONES!
THAT STROLLER IS TOO BIG COME ON!
FIX THE ELEVATOR NOW!Real problems.
@futurebird the last time I felt actually fear on the subway was right before everything shutdown with COVID. We knew there was a pandemic, that it could kill lots of people, but we all had to get to work anyways. So people had masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and we packed in on the train.
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Governor Hochul was alarmed by attacks from republicans about "subway crime" and there were a few alarming stories, including people being pushed in front of trains.
But I cannot emphasize how totally manufactured this panic was on the ground. I have lived in this city for two decades and the only changes I've seen in the subway are a slow creep towards it feeling more safe, not less.
Three decades ago it was less safe, but even then it was NOT "send the national guard" unsafe.
@futurebird also, if you want to prevent people falling on the tracks, that's such an easy fix, *and* it will save money!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLKN_Rmb39I&t=226s
(just the 3-ish minutes starting from 3:46)
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That eight million people live on top of each other as we do and there is so little crime is amazing. A period of historically low crime in the city.
Nonetheless former Democrat, Cuomo, running as an independent for mayor said in a recent interview "I want to talk about, 'I'm afraid to have my daughter on the train, the subway."
Notice he can't say that he is scared himself or that his 'daughter' says she's scared. Because it's not scary. It's just something to worry about.
@futurebird for real. I live in a part of Crown Heights that’s nearly Brownsville. It’s not fancy. But when the right wing cycle is about how terrifying New York is, I go outside and people are enjoying the sun, walking to the park, sitting on benches, running errands, there is nothing alarming happening in the city at all.
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So the subway problem here is mostly one of scaring old people for no reason.
And if we want to get mad about the subway I have several slogans:
PUBLIC TOILETS NOW!
FIX THE SIGNALS!
STOP LISTENING TO MUSIC WITHOUT HEADPHONES!
THAT STROLLER IS TOO BIG COME ON!
FIX THE ELEVATOR NOW!Real problems.
Listen. I know this is something more center-leaning (or simply nervous) Democratic voters don't like to hear about the elected Democrats we *hope* will protect us from this ongoing and growing police state.
I just wonder if Governor Kathy Hochul has reflected on how, in caving to imaginary Republican fear about crime and immigration, she helped keep the myths alive. Do more moderate Democrats learn? Experience regret?
Or is she thinking ...I should have leaned right harder?
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@futurebird also, if you want to prevent people falling on the tracks, that's such an easy fix, *and* it will save money!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLKN_Rmb39I&t=226s
(just the 3-ish minutes starting from 3:46)That's so ... civilized. And in the biggest city in the US we huddle on the platform like mountain goats.
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@futurebird the last time I felt actually fear on the subway was right before everything shutdown with COVID. We knew there was a pandemic, that it could kill lots of people, but we all had to get to work anyways. So people had masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and we packed in on the train.
Yeah that's part of why I stopped riding the subway and took the bus mostly for those years.
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Listen. I know this is something more center-leaning (or simply nervous) Democratic voters don't like to hear about the elected Democrats we *hope* will protect us from this ongoing and growing police state.
I just wonder if Governor Kathy Hochul has reflected on how, in caving to imaginary Republican fear about crime and immigration, she helped keep the myths alive. Do more moderate Democrats learn? Experience regret?
Or is she thinking ...I should have leaned right harder?
If a reporter asks you "What will you do about the ghosts haunting the city and turning our kids into toads?" You MUST say "Ghosts aren't real. No one can turn someone into a toad." Not "Many people are concerned about ghosts... we have a brought in the national guard to protect from ghost-related concerns. Nonetheless most scientists say ghosts aren't real. Blah blah blah..."
The latter makes you sound like you are nervous and LYING about the ghost problem. It makes people scared of ghosts.
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If a reporter asks you "What will you do about the ghosts haunting the city and turning our kids into toads?" You MUST say "Ghosts aren't real. No one can turn someone into a toad." Not "Many people are concerned about ghosts... we have a brought in the national guard to protect from ghost-related concerns. Nonetheless most scientists say ghosts aren't real. Blah blah blah..."
The latter makes you sound like you are nervous and LYING about the ghost problem. It makes people scared of ghosts.
You can't win over someone who thinks the city is being terrorized by ghosts by doing this, and you are making more people suspect that the ghosts might be real after all by not being firm and clear about the facts.
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You can't win over someone who thinks the city is being terrorized by ghosts by doing this, and you are making more people suspect that the ghosts might be real after all by not being firm and clear about the facts.
"But then they will say I'm soft on ghosts!"
They will say that even if you bring in the got damn ghostbusters themselves.
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"But then they will say I'm soft on ghosts!"
They will say that even if you bring in the got damn ghostbusters themselves.
If Democrats want to talk about "crime problems" they could discuss the poor clearance rate for murders and invest in getting more crimes solved. While violent crime has dropped the clearance rate has stayed the same or gotten worse.
And when crimes go unsolved it hurts people. This is a real problem worth attention and investment.
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If a reporter asks you "What will you do about the ghosts haunting the city and turning our kids into toads?" You MUST say "Ghosts aren't real. No one can turn someone into a toad." Not "Many people are concerned about ghosts... we have a brought in the national guard to protect from ghost-related concerns. Nonetheless most scientists say ghosts aren't real. Blah blah blah..."
The latter makes you sound like you are nervous and LYING about the ghost problem. It makes people scared of ghosts.
The more I think about this the more obvious it is that what centrist, right leaning Democrats do on issues like crime is doomed to fail. On the issue of crime you have:
1. What is the problem and how bad is it?
2. What are effective ways to address the problem?
3. What will we choose to do with current resources?What message is sent by saying "it's not such a big problem, hinting that the ways to address it aren't what we are doing... but then going all in for right wing solutions?
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The more I think about this the more obvious it is that what centrist, right leaning Democrats do on issues like crime is doomed to fail. On the issue of crime you have:
1. What is the problem and how bad is it?
2. What are effective ways to address the problem?
3. What will we choose to do with current resources?What message is sent by saying "it's not such a big problem, hinting that the ways to address it aren't what we are doing... but then going all in for right wing solutions?
@futurebird If they were really concerned about people being pushed in front of trains, they'd install those walls/doors that open synchronously with the train doors that places with properly developed subways have. This actually has a ton of benefits (no track hopping, no trash getting down on the tracks, no danger of tripping/falling onto the tracks) in addition to preventing attacks, and is even estimated to pay for itself over time.
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The more I think about this the more obvious it is that what centrist, right leaning Democrats do on issues like crime is doomed to fail. On the issue of crime you have:
1. What is the problem and how bad is it?
2. What are effective ways to address the problem?
3. What will we choose to do with current resources?What message is sent by saying "it's not such a big problem, hinting that the ways to address it aren't what we are doing... but then going all in for right wing solutions?
@futurebird an important left vs right asymmetry: on the right, principles exist only to be gamed, therefore comprising one's principles is easily portrayed as smart political strategy. This gives many the illusion the same trick can work everywhere. But everywhere else, principles are the foundation, and comprising the foundation often leads either to collapse, or to a slide to the right, or most commonly, both.
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@futurebird If they were really concerned about people being pushed in front of trains, they'd install those walls/doors that open synchronously with the train doors that places with properly developed subways have. This actually has a ton of benefits (no track hopping, no trash getting down on the tracks, no danger of tripping/falling onto the tracks) in addition to preventing attacks, and is even estimated to pay for itself over time.
The trash on the tracks issue is one of the top causes of delays. This would make the trains more reliable and save some money that could help cover the cost of installing the gates and doors.
