Monday, December 31, 2007

Cleanup crew

If there's a fresh coat of paint at your subway station, the bigwigs are on their way.

Transit workers painted support columns on the platforms and in the passageways of three major Manhattan hubs in recent weeks - all on the eves of press conferences, the Daily News has learned.


Stations spruced up for press events

Two of the events featured Gov. Spitzer and Mayor Bloomberg while the third was held by MTA CEO Elliot Sander.

Maintenance workers who paint the stations earn between $26 and $28.64 an hour.

More than a dozen workers converged on the Rockaway Parkway station on the eastern end of the L line in Canarsie, Brooklyn, Thursday as word spread that Sander would be dropping by Friday, workers said.

They scrubbed the joint, did spot painting and even hung new signs, the workers said.


Sorry this story got lost in the holiday shuffle. I wish a bigwig would visit these stations!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Usually don't recycle, but here's my comment following innumerable "what, me worry?" responses onthe "Daily News" discussion page:

Wow, the naivete here. Let's spell this out: politicians making political hay and an agency head trying to score points with a pissed-off public divert funds needed for legitimate work so that they can bloviate in a clean-looking station, testimony to their tireless and peerless efforts on our behalf. That the opposite is true--that maintenance and upkeep is falling behind; that we're wasting $2billion on ONE freakin' station to satisfy Mayor McChee$e's obsession with the Hudson Yards boondoggle; that the politicians hold press conferences claiming they saved the fare, when as always they've screwed real New Yorkers in favor of tourists and out-of-town businessmen; that those MTA board schmucks get free Metrocards for life, but couldn't be bothered to swipe one and attend public hearings on the rubberstamped fare hike--none of this actually bothers you? Might as well sign your comments "Ben Dover".

To which I now add, how is this not malfeasance, when the MTA can postpone scheduled, long overdue upkeep, in favor of sound bite sanitizing? Can they just choose whatever they want to work on, with no accountability? Oops, answered my own question there.

Anonymous said...

Hopefully a few bigwiggies plan to have press conferences held at the Grand Ave. Station!

Anonymous said...

Yeah.....apply a little elbow grease....
wash down those platforms.....spiff up the trains....
light the aroma therapy candles.....
sweep the horse crap off the streets.

Emperor Nero is coming to town soon.....
and if he finds one pellet of rat shit in his path....
he'll feed your nuts to the crows!

Work crews can dump their dirty rags, brooms
and used paint brushes in any one of Flushing's
convenient, overflowing public waste baskets
when they're through with their jobs!

Or just leave them outside of John Liu's
district office and he'll return them
to the transportation committee
when he's free from his "busy schedule"
to make an appearance at the city council !

verdi said...

How about taking Gov Elliot
to a typical dirty subway station on the "L" line,
the next time NYC asks for transportation
subsidy $$$$$$ for improving the system.

Show him a spotless station , on the other hand,
and he'll most likely deny you any funds.

"Wow....
everything here looks ship shape.....
I guess the MTA doesn't need any money
from Albany this year".

Anonymous said...

kingofcabbies is so right. King Michael has no eye for the common man.

It's also interesting how at $28.64/hr they are making more painting than I am as am ultrasound tech with college and a 3 year medical program at a major hospital! Guess I picked the wrong job!