Just Another Day On Staten Islands M.T.A.
(2010-01-02 at 12:51:48 )

I was all prepared Thursday night December 31, 2009 to once again record
the sounds of the Fireworks and the sounds of the Gunshots that are set
off in every celebration of the New Brighton New Year on Staten Island!!

This time I was highly disappointed because there was not any Gunshots;
nor were there any Fireworks going off at Midnight. All there was was
the teenagers running throughout my apartment building blowing their
horns and whistles and loudly hollering Happy New Year!!

I will now just have to wait until the Fourth of July for the usual fare
of New Brighton Fireworks and the sound of Gunshots!!

Today is January 2, 2009 and as usual my MTA experiences were not normal!

I caught the 9:00AM # 52 bus from the St. George Ferry Terminal at the
corner of Richmond Terrace and Jersey Street. I got onto the bus # 6123
and paid my cash fare and requested a transfer from the bus driver.

The bus driver looked up at me and said that the fare box was not working.
He said that he had forgotten to tell me. I asked him if he knew that the
farebox was broken why he had not plugged up the fare box the way that
the other bus drivers do to prevent problems.

The bus driver said to just tell the next bus driver that his farebox was
broken and not giving out transfers. I knew that that was not the right
thing for me to be doing so I took out my notepad and pen and wrote down
the number of the bus, the date, and the facts that the cash fare had
been properly paid and the farebox was broken.

The bus driver placed his badge number at the bottom of the note which
was 062497 or 067497. I got off of this bus at Vanderbilt Avenue and went
into the post office to get my mail from my post office box. I then went
down Vanderbilt Avenue to the Clifton Train Station to catch the 9:30AM
train to Eltingville Station.

At 10:00AM I boarded a # 79 bus that was headed for the Staten Island
Mall and I explained my predicament to the female bus driver of bus 6349
as she read the note. She allowed me to enter her bus and a man was
gracious enough to get up and let me sit in his seat.

At the Staten Island Mall Staten Island Advance photographer Mr. Derrick
Alvez took some pictures of me standing by the pole where the # 44 and
the # 61 bus schedules are posted. Mr. Alvez is a poised Gentleman.

The 10:30AM # 61 pulled out during the taking of these pictures. Upon
finishing I waited for the 10:45AM # 61 bus. At 10:47AM I had a brief
conversation with a young man about the state of the bus service upon
Staten Island.

At 10:51AM I boarded # 61 bus 6336 paid my cash fare and got a transfer
from the always very nice and polite bus driver who happened to be six
minutes late for his pullout trip to the St. George Ferry Terminal.

I utilized three businesses near the corner of Victory Blvd. and Manor
Road and at 11:41AM I boarded # 61 bus 4136 and paid my cash fare and
requested and was given a transfer.

At 11:55AM I was at the pole at Victory Blvd. and Cebra Avenue at 11:56AM
checking the Saturday schedule for the # 52 bus to the ferry terminal.

The schedule listed the next due bus at 12:14PM so I sat down within the
bus shelter, which does not provide good shelter, and waited for the next
bus.

At 12:11PM I boarded # 52 bus 6123 and it was the very same bus driver
with the very same broken farebox that he had not plugged up to prevent
more passenger confusion.

Just another day on Staten Islands MTA where Every Day is another Weird
Adventure!! You Betcha!!!