An Open Letter To The MTA | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

An Open Letter To The MTA

On behalf of the 75 percent of New York subway riders.

177
An Open Letter To The MTA
Tim Gouw

Dear MTA,

I hate to complain, but if we’re all being open and honest here, I can’t help but address some issues about your service. Although I am incredibly grateful that you provide the means for me to travel everywhere throughout New York City at an affordable price (compare $2.75 to the Metro North or LIRR), there are still some underlying issues that I have.

For starters, let’s take about this price increase. I understand that repairs are costly and there has to be a way to gain addition funding for you to undertake these projects. But aside from using our money to make new subway lines (the Second Aveune Q line was the best thing to happen to the Upper East Side), repair damages, improve technology and many other things, you should also work on fixing the little things that seem to piss us off the most.

One thing being, broken turnstiles that don’t read your card after a swipe. If I spend close to $120 per month to get unlimited swipes around New York City, I should be able to get just that. I don’t want to see “Please swipe again” or “Just Used,” especially when my card isn’t bent or if it hasn’t even been used. There comes a point when this is extremely annoying and if necessary, I’m not afraid to hop the turnstiles.

Did you ever think that a quick wipe down of the poles would be worth it? To think that New York City is already one of the dirtiest cities in the world, maybe some improvements should be made. Thousands of people ride the subway on the daily. Just imagine how many germs collect on the daily! I'm not saying New Yorkers should prepare themselves to watch janitors clean the subway from head to toe. It would just give many of us some peace of mind if there was a slight chance of having some sort of cleaning service during the off-peak hours.

The icing on the cake has to be all of the delays and technical difficulties of the subway system. Delays, no matter how inevitable they are they seem to happen more and more often, especially during the most inconvenient times in our lives. If you ask me, a subway line shouldn't be shut down at 8 a.m. on a weekday due to "signal problems." At that point I find myself questioning where exactly have the millions of dollars the MTA collects go to; after all, it's 2017 and all of these signals should be advanced and up-to-date.

It's unfortunate that during the many times we ride on New York's most popular and confusing attraction, we seem to only remember the much too often miserable rides. Although these terrible flaws of the MTA lead to great stories, it affects our travel time and our sanity. One thing is for sure: if there's going to be a price increase, make it worth it. Less subway traffic, more on-time service, cleaner stations, working turnstiles, escalators and audible train speakers are just some of the finer qualities many of us New Yorkers hope our future $3.00 dollar subway ride will contribute to.

Sincerely,

75 percent of New Yorkers

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

1784
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

16540
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

3476
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments