Those of you who ditch the office for the weekend at 3 p.m. on Fridays on the pretense of "picking up some of those sour candy straws": the MTA is on to you. A recent report co-authored by an MTA researcher shows that bus service on Fridays between noon and 3 p.m. experiences a "mini-surge," but drops off later in the evening for a 5% total dip in customers. Naturally, the implication is that the agency could cut or "adjust" Friday bus service and save $13 million. more ›

It seems as though Mayor Bloomberg had a serious case of the Fridays this morning during an appearance on a radio show. Or maybe he went out for drinks after last night's storm, and was hungover. Either way, Bloomberg and Health Commissioner Thomas Farley appeared together on John Gambling's WOR-AM radio show to discuss the proposed smoking bans, and what ensued was a veritable "Who's on First" routine, with the Mayor confusing Farley's name with former Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden, as well as NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman. more ›

The TGI Friday's in the Financial District known for its uppers as much as its poppers has been reopened with an entire new staff after last week's drug bust. The Times checks in with the eatery where a bar maid tells them everyone was fired after the place was shut down following two men being arrested for openly selling pot and coke at the bar. One woman dining on mozzarella sticks was surprised to hear of the news and said, "He was selling it right here at the bar? Dag. I didn’t know it was that kind of place.” Friday's parent company, Riese Restaurants received a $50,000 fine for the bust where staff was accused of knowing about the dealings, an accusation the Times says is supported by the cramped quarters of the location. One patron at the bar seemed to think the incident gave the chain some character, telling the paper, “If some guy’s selling drugs at a bar—I don’t know, it doesn’t bother me. It’s actually kind of cool.” more ›