Stand clear of the closing doors

Hurricane Sandy blew through the city earlier this week, and my family is safe, dry, and with power. Others in the city are truly suffering, and their hardships will continue for a long time. My thoughts go out to them and to the people who are helping them. 

At my subway station, still closed.

With the start of November, I thought I'd start a Gratitude List. This is Day 1, and I'm grateful for public transportation. 

I want to say, "I love you" to the Bx7, to the extra-long Select bus with the accordion bend in it, to my beloved M4, and to all the other MTA buses that carry me around.

The buses were taken off the streets for only a couple of days because of the hurricane, but the streets felt eerie and empty without them. I was happy to see the bus pull up to the stop where we waited for it yesterday. I was less happy when the bus was so crowded that I questioned the sanity of humanity, and my son and I decided to walk a couple of miles and let others who really needed the ride to take it. We walked faster on the sidewalk than the stuffed bus moved along Broadway. Still, I'm very grateful for the buses in NYC and for the sign that life is getting back to normal, if only piece-meal, in the city.

The stretch of subway line closest to my apartment isn't running yet, but there are stations within walking distance of my place that I can use. Whoohoo. I'm very happy some subways are running again, not only for me, but for all the people who need them to get to work. (My husband rides his bike to his job.) I will be grateful to stand clear of the closing doors.

As I am typing this, I received a phone call from a friend who is going through her phone book and calling New York friends to say hello and ask how they fared the hurricane. As thankful as I am for public transportation, I'm reminded that I'm more thankful for friends. Of course.