All Activity

What you have never, ever seen.

Oh I must be wrong then. 🤷‍♂️

I ride the M14 a lot, and I’ve never, ever seen the Omni machine out of order.

Don't forget, depending on the bus, you may actually be paying before you board. I take the bus so infrequently that I forgot about this when I tried to get on the M86 earlier today. Oops.

And now for something completely disgusting.... https://ny.eater.com/new-york-restaurant-news/399924/ample-hills-ice-cream-chicken-burger-restaurant-ramblin-chicken-brooklyn

With immigration issues at our forefront, there has been a dramatic disappearance of bus boys and runners in local restaurants. The waitstaff are having to accelerate to serve dishes and clear plates. Meanwhile, quite a few car washes have closed for the duration.

N got into a mood for strudel after our trip, so she used our homegrown apples and marionberries, plus frozen filo dough, to make some on Friday. For some reason, the strudel recipe on the filo box calls for a lot of breadcrumbs, more than I expected, so to me it's a little disappointing. She also used our blueberries (and homemade applesauce--the woman was really busy) to make Maida Heatter's blueberry-applesauce tea cake for a potluck/house party yesterday. The recipe makes 2 loaves, so we got to keep one for ourselves. Next up: I get to do some baking--a sour cherry chocolate torte for N's upcoming birthday.

Aaaaaaand that's why I said they still got Sietsema.

As long as they continue using his content. You would find my name online at media outlets I left years ago.

Given my job, if I was caught not paying I would be fired immediately. Not worth the risk. I have an annual card.

Who ever thought it was worthwhile?

OK. I wonder how long they will continue to use his name.

I try always to pay. If the Omny machine on the bus is out of order (not infrequent) or the subway train is already in the station and the "exit" door is being held open, then I sink into depravity.

Good point. I didn't think of that.

Will have to shake up the alphabetical order. I want to re-read Dead Souls, I want to re-read Oblomov, but not one after the other. Trying to plan reading for my upcoming European trip and in addition to the length of the books I can get through, there's the weight. I think my Modern Library Karamazov would need its own suitcase.

I always pay, but my neighborhood has a rowdy band of senior citizens who never pay on their way home from the senior center. They hold the back door and board. Many times they’ve invited me to join them. I always thank them and refuse the offer.

It's a pittance of other money we piss away without a second thought. I DO take advantage of senior discount.

FWIW, I never don't pay - I feel as if it's my civic responsibility.

I enjoyed the "free bus" pilot program the few times that I got to use it in southeastern Queens, especially on days when my journey would have been a double fare involving 3 buses. The ride was much faster and people were much nicer about giving up their "free seats" to the disabled and elderly. Also, it's not really free because taxes. It's also nice to feel like you're getting something you already pay for, at no additional charge. I do not believe that people who can benefit from free buses are the equivalent of dog shit, but your mileage may vary. The kids probably had school transit passes and many bus drivers prefer that they just go through the back door because it's faster, less annoying to the people in the front and the kids like sitting in the back, anyway

N made fish broth a couple of days ago, but not all of the jars sealed properly so she used the broth in those jars to make fish soup tonight with cod filet, canned clams (plus the clam juice), Yukon gold potatoes, carrots, and red pepper. Sourdough baguette on the side.

The MTA's own estimate is around 50% of riders not paying which I can totally believe. I have not seen a ticket inspection since before COVID. I may be repeating myself but the fine is so low, that if your objective is to save money, then never paying your bus fare will leave you way, way ahead even if you get caught. Like once every five or six years. I pay like out of charity because I like buses.

This one was pretty good too: https://www.montafon.at/en/my-montafon/special-features/sura-kees

Sietsema was let go from Eater in December 2024. He now has a Substack newsletter, “Robert Sietsema’s New York.”

I have to push back on this a bit, as I think compliance varies but is not dead. As an extremely judgmental person, I am forever eyeing people who I either know haven't paid (like your gang o' teens) or suspect. And I think more people pay the fare than not, at least on my regular downtown routes. For one, I see them. And for two, I've witnessed a fair number of transit cop fare-checks, and these days, fewer people are getting caught having not paid than a year ago. Or cats to live in bodegas! https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-lawmaker-wants-to-legalize-bodega-cats-in-the-5-boroughs

Trying to be clearer. A policy discussion about whether bus travel should be free would be valuable if it wasn't essentially free already.