New York City's Endurance

Though running is my physical workout mode of  primary choice, I have never had occasion or desire to run in a marathon (though several years ago I did do a solo run of 30 miles in what was initially intended as a 4-mile excursion).  It has been a number of years since I have run competitively, mostly in the 5 - 10 km range.  It nevertheless pleases me that there are many organized marathons.

The New York City Marathon is a very worthwhile event.  It is good for the economic and physical health of the population, notwithstanding the significant but temporary transportation irregularities from road closures.  Having stated this, I unequivocally endorse the decision to completely cancel the 2012 running of the New York City Marathon.

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg had initially asserted that, notwithstanding the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Sandy, the 2012 Marathon would go forward.  Bloomie cited the decision of his predecessor, Rudy Giuliani, to hold the 2001 Marathon notwithstanding the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.  But the two situations are inapposite for several reasons:

A.  In 2001, the only people who could not return to their homes (temporarily or permanently) were those who lived in the vicinity of the World Trade Center, at the lower tip of Manhattan.  The 2012 hurricane has displaced people -- many more in total than were displaced from Lower Manhattan in 2001 --  in geographically diverse New York City neighborhoods.  I will venture to conservatively estimate that in excess of 80% of the population of New York City and Long Island has at least one friend who has been made homeless by Hurricane Sandy (and though my home incurred but minor damage, my wife and I know at least two homeless co-workers or colleagues).

  Many services -- transportation, electric power, gas and water utilities, gasoline for automobiles -- are simply unavailable to many New Yorkers (and, for that matter, many on Long Island and in other suburbs).

Expending resources for the Marathon -- including electrical generators which could be used to power the darkened homes of many New Yorkers -- is not in the City's best interests.  And running the Marathon on its route through several afflicted neighborhoods only adds insult to the injury incurred by the residents.

B.  Many of the 100,000 + entrants in the New York City Marathon are from out of town, and therefore ensconce themselves in New York City hotels for the event.   Under normal circumstances, this would be good for the economics of the city.  But, unlike the statutes and ordinances enacted by the New York City Council, the New York State Legislature or the United States Congress, the laws of supply and demand, like the laws of gravity, are inviolate.  If large numbers of out-of-towners bed down in New York City's hotels, then the cost of shelter for those displaced by Sandy cannot help but rise. 

C.  [This is the reason which the Main Stream Media will not report (and will take affirmative measures to censor from its content)]:  In 2001, there was a need to show the Muslim world that their attack on New York City did not break the New Yorkers' spirits.  Running the 2001 New York City Marathon was an important element of that.

And to those of you sob sisters who sing the "Not All Muslims Are Terrorists" song, I will reiterate that in 2001, there was a need to show the Muslim world that their attack on New York City did not break the New Yorkers' spirits.  Muslims in America, particularly the Muslim youth, needed to see that New York City was not a vanquished loser, that New York City had a fighting survival spirit, and that there were viable alternatives to Islamic terrorism available for them.  It is because of these alternatives that not all Muslims in America are terrorists.  And the alternatives had to be demonstrated definitively and expeditiously.  Running the 2001 New York City Marathon did just that.

For Hurricane Sandy, the Islamic terrorist factor does not present itself -- at least not in the same manner as it did in 2001.

Mayor Bloomberg  realizes that he called this one wrong, and he accordingly reversed himself.  But then again, Bloomie has been calling many things wrong of late.

Railroad Was Not Running

I haven't posted in a while because (A) have been occupied with professional things, and a death in the extended family; and (B) have had nothing to say that had not already been more eloquently stated elsewhere, including and especially about the elections.

Though running is a regular part of my physical workout, I have not run competitively for 20+ years. Though I have run distances well in excess of 20 miles, I personally have never had any desire to run in a marathon.

Nevertheless, I am all in favor of public marathon events. They give a positive public spin to physical fitness, stimulate economic activity, keep many young people occupied and out of trouble, and push many a negative story off from the front pages of the pulp tabloids.

Today was the New York City Marathon. I did not attend, but understand that it went off quite well. The weather was certainly good for it. My congratulations go to all who participated!

The main problem with the NYC Marathon is that it ties up traffic. Specifically, the Verrazano Bridge is closed until 3 PM. One year this was problematic for us because my parents were visiting us, and they had planned to leave Sunday morning. We convinced them to stay until the next day. Such traffic perturbations are part and parcel of Marathon events, but if they only occur once or twice a year it is not such a bad thing.

This year, however, another monkey wrench was thrown into the works by the shmucks at the Long Island Railroad. The LIRR is finishing its replacement of its 90-year-old switching technology, and the train service during this weekend has been very, very limited. Per my information, travel into New York City from Long Island has been an absolute mess, and the LIRR situation exacerbated the usual problems inherent in holding the Marathon.

It would seem to me that the LIRR people should have known that this weekend was the Marathon (being that the date was known over a year ago).

The LIRR is not known for its fine management of its trains. The riders, of which I was once a regular but now am only an occasional, do not hold the railroad in high esteem, and have no reason to do so. The LIRR is notorious for communicating misinformation to the public, sometimes intentionally so. Every LIRR rider has stories about this; I shall not now get started with mine.

To plan what amounts to a major shutdown on the weekend of the NYC Marathon is emblematic of the Long Island Rail Road and its public-be-damned institutional attitude.