September 19, 2007
Extra, Extra
- Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: falling debris on W 47th St. and 8th Ave. in Manhattan, a shooting on Broadway on Staten Island, and a suspicious boat at the Verrazano Bridge near Brooklyn.
- For a reason unrelated to terrorism, the U.S. Parks Dept. is going to keep the crown of the Statue of Liberty closed because it's a fire death-trap.
- Iranian President Mahmoud Amahdinejad's wish to visit Ground Zero was blocked due to security concerns.
- Leaping Labradors! Dogs competing for top dog dock jumping honors were jumping into a pool at Bryant Park.
- Money should start flowing quicker than spilled oil now that Julia Roberts stand-in Erin Brockovich has jumped into the Greenpoint oil spill pool.
- Despite objections from transit groups and the state comptroller, the MTA is prepared to propose a fare increase for commuters.
- Are New Yorkers in store for a second taxi strike?
- Filmmaker brothers Ethan and Joel Coen are attempting to pass off Brooklyn as the Georgetown neighborhood in Washington, DC. Mutual outrage will likely ensue.
- The vigil for recently deceased carriage horse Smoothie has been moved to the southeast corner of Central Park at the northeast section of Grand Army Plaza. It'll take place Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
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Not another taxi strike. The last one crippled the city and brought it to its knees. The national guard should step in and avoid this at all costs, even it requires tanks to patrol the streets.
What about Harlem and Bed Stuy?
I would like to think President Mahmoud Amahdinejad would say something constructive but it's probably best he stay away. Maybe he can stop by the Clinton's for tea. Hillary said that if elected she was going to get to work on foreign relations before the inauguation. Hell, start now.
GOTHAMIST: Please do a study on using the credit card reader in the cabs. They always LIE and say it doesn't work, and they screw with it when you call them out on it (ie shut off the meter). That would be some very useful journalism, and it's absurd they keep going on strike and continue to pull this crap. The city should crack down on these striking dirtbags.
did anyone even notice the first strike?
"Daniel N. Wenk" of the National Park Service. Sounds about right. I can't think of a wimpier name off the top of my head and he sure as hell is a wimp if he says it's a challenge for fit people to take 162 steps to the crown of Lady Liberty. I'm no athlete, but even I walk up a couple of hundred steps on occasion without any serious strain. Running up 20 stories has me nearly dead at the top, though, and I can't imagine how all those people do the race up 86 floors of the Empire State Building every year.
What might I ask is going to burn inside the Statue of Liberty? The skin is copper and the reinforcing structure is stainless steel. The only thing that would burn would be the clothes on the visitors.
There is plenty of stuff beneath the statue in the pedestal that can burn and create a hot and smoky death trap.
If you are referring to the museum at the base I believe it is sprinklered and has adequate ventilation if a fire occured.
This Statue of Liberty thing sounds like a cop-out. What, the observation deck at the Empire State Building isn't a death trap?
I can't think of a better way to go than burned to death in the crown of the Statue of Liberty.
taxi strike didn't affect me the first time - doubt it will again.
The link to the story about the subway fare proposal goes instead to the story about Ahmadinejad banned at Ground Zero.
I believe it is sprinklered and has adequate ventilation if a fire occured.
Source? Sprinklers won't put out a fire so quickly that people above the fire wouldn't asphyxiate. As for ventilation, the pedestal looks like a chimney that would vent straight up. Did they install huge fans and air ducts in any renovation?
Well, never mind what the National Parks Service says, anonymous commenters on Gothamist say it's safe. That's good enough for me!
Gothamist, any further word on that suspicious boat under the Verrazzano Bridge yesterday? I've scanned the web for further info but to no avail. Just curious.