Mickey Z

Cool Observer

Saturday, July 29, 2006

If I had a dollar for every time...

Storytelling Saturday for sale

Once upon a time...

To board the subway in my neighborhood requires me to climb two flights of stairs. That’s because the N and W lines run on an el while they’re in Queens and then enter a tunnel to delve in Manhattan...and eventually Brooklyn.

Today, once I’ve reached the top of the first flight, I can see that the line for both the Metrocard machines and the token booth are each about ten people long. This is a fine time to mull over how a commodity culture never fails to find ways to drain us of our humanity. Let’s say NYC wants to save money by reducing the number of token clerks. They come up with the Metrocard and offer some sweet deals to coerce commuters into making the switch from tokens. Instead of showing solidarity with the beleaguered Transit Authority workers, we complain about poor service, treat the subway workers with contempt, and gladly purchase the Metrocard at our local news stand to avoid future lines-knowing full well these actions will lead to the eventual phasing out of token clerks and one less opportunity to interact with a fellow human being in our increasingly cyberized world.

Read the full Saturday story here.