Yesterday, as you no doubt have heard, there was a fire at a LIRR control tower that totally effed up the commutes of hundreds of thousands of people who travel to and from Long Island.  Today, the trains are still all kinds of messed up.  Sure, accidents can happen, so it’s hard to be angry at the MTA about a fire they clearly had no control over.  Until, that is, one finds out that the fire just so happened to hit equipment that dates back to 1913.

1913!  That is NINETY SEVEN years old.  Are you kidding me?  How has this not been replaced?  Before this fire hit, the technology was due for an upgrade in the fall, but really, why did the MTA wait until it was 97 years old before deciding to upgrade?  I’m pretty sure there were enough significant advancements in technology that would have modernized things significantly in, say, the 1940’s.  Or the 60’s.  Or 80’s.  Or, in fact, many times in between 1913 and now.

What exactly were you waiting for, MTA?  A massive fire wiping out all of your Woodrow Wilson-era tech?  Well, good planning!

Then, on top of that, news breaks that the MTA is looking to raise the cost of a monthly Metrocard to $130.   One hundred and thirty dollars!  That is a $41 increase from how much a monthly costs now!  And if it seems like fares were just raised, that’s because they were – on June 28, 2009 to be exact.  Just after a year since the last fare hike, and right after horrific service outages, comes new that the MTA could in the very near future raise commuting costs by a staggering amount.  This is insanity!

And who is going to stop the MTA?  A mass boycott would be nice, but what about the people who depend on mass transit to get to work?  You could drive, but then you’ll just be paying the same people your hard-earned money in tolls, which will also continue to go up and up and up.  The fact of the matter is that the MTA has essentially a monopoly on getting people in and around the city.  Bloomberg has talked tough to the MTA, but it clearly hasn’t done much good.  No, the sad reality is that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (can you believe they get to call themselves the “authority?!”) will continue to raise fares year after year, all while subjecting their riders to delays, cancellations, outdated equipment, and noisy rides.

Sigh.  Perhaps someday we’ll be able to live hundreds of miles away from our workplaces and still be able to get to our city offices on time thanks to new super high speed railways, that maybe won’t be run by evil, inefficient, and corrupt agencies.  A boy can dream…