Asked for His MetroCard, Diaz Goes Berserk

11:45 AM EDT on March 27, 2009

Remember when a local "investigative reporter" badgered Lee Sander on how often he takes the train? The Post decided to give the Fare Hike Four and their Senate allies the same treatment, and found all but one of them without a MetroCard.

Regardless, when asked if they use the transit system, most replied in the affirmative. Not so in the case of Ruben Diaz, Sr., who -- well, we'll let him tell you.

"Don't ask me if I ride or don't ride. It doesn't mean anything," said Diaz. "Who rides the subway doesn't matter. You don't listen to me. It doesn't matter who rides the subway. I don't care who rides the train or who doesn't ride the train.
"Listen to what I'm saying," he said on a continuing tirade. "English, English, English. I don't care who rides the train who rides the train or not. Whoever rides the train or whenever they ride the train, I'm offering the best plan."
That plan, one that he said would hit straphangers with only "a 4 percent" fare increase, was slammed by Gov. Paterson, the MTA and transit advocates as having bad math. It would actually carry a 17 percent fare increase, they said.
"I'm here representing a community," Diaz said. "For the community I represent, I'm offering four things: No layoffs, no tolls, no cut of services, and a 4 percent increase of fare."

Asked earlier this week by another reporter about protests in his district -- where 67 percent of households don't own cars -- Diaz replied: "The gays demonstrate in front of my office, too. Everyone demonstrates in front of my office! I love those people."

So, people, Diaz loves you, even if you're one of the "the gays." But he really, really doesn't care that you ride the train.

Brad Aaron

Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York's dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.

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