On Tuesday, New York had the Democratic and Republican primaries for the upcoming presidential election, and I woke early to vote before work. Except when I arrived at the polling place, I was turned away because the “machines were down.” What other choice did I have but to accept that this was how it is and come back in the afternoon after work? The polling place had been open for an hour and a half at this point so it seems weird that no one had come by to fix it. Apparently this was a common problem throughout my Brooklyn borough, so I didn’t want it to deter me from voting –as I’m sure it deterred new voters, marginalized people, or the elderly. When I returned that afternoon, I had no problem voting, but I did find the whole system old fashioned. Basically I used a giant scantron to vote. I participated and my vote counted and that’s what matters. I chalked up the morning incident to one of the many things that the City of New York is bad at handling…
Like mail… How many times have I stressed about receiving a package or something as simple as a letter? How many extra days does it take to get something delivered when it’s supposed to be overnight shipping? It’s more reliable to have my mail sent to my work, especially anything larger than junk mail. My mom sends me birthday cards to my work address because she knows I’ll get it. And ironically, the office senta memo that we are not to send personal packages to the office because it’s not work related. I bet the people sending those memos have fancy doormen and reliable mailmen, because I have not encountered that!
Like subway delays… In the morning, the evening, and all times in between. There are 8 million+ people living and working in the city, taking public transportation, and yet there’s no money to upgrade the vital infrastructure that is the MTA. Or the updates mean shutting down an entire subway line or constant repairs on weekends that seem to do nothing and never end.
Like nosey laundromat drug dealers…I was being a nice person and interacting with you in a civilized manner–as much as I could considering you had to personally hand me quarters instead of fixing the change machine–and yet, I will never return to your laundromat because it smells like weed, but more importantly, you were asking too many personal questions. Telling me you watched me walk to the subway in the morning and return in the evening. I just wanted to do my laundry in peace. Glad to be rid of this laundromat because now I just drop off my laundry and it’s stress free.
Like landlords who only fix problems temporarily…I had a mouse problem in my old apartment. Traps were not going to solve the problem, but the exterminator insisted that was it. So I had to fill the hole behind the stove with steel wool to keep them out. Yet, there were always dead mice behind the stove. The problem wasn’t solved. You’re just too cheap to actually do anything about it. I had a problem where I didn’t have hot water for the whole month of March. How many times did I have to call before the problem was solved. There’s no pride in taking care of the building that’s crumbling from the inside out.
Like working for an industry based in New York, but not having your employer cover the cost of living…This is a very real issue and something I’ve been trying to work out of by finding a new job or something above entry level, but it’s such a trap! These publishing companies make billions of dollars, but they pay their entry level employees the bare minimum. I’m not supposed to save money or go out to eat with my friends. Just live on “cheap” (but well above average) grocery store food and hope for the best. A TRAP!
Like a million other things I don’t have time to explain…New York is a tough city. It’s livable, but at what cost? What have I given up in order to live here? Air conditioning, in-unit washer/ dryer, a car, space…There’s no happy conclusion here, just a rant about how difficult it is to live in a large city.
Heather Allen 