Thursday’s Headlines: ‘Glory Dazed’ or ‘Blunder Road’ Edition

Our old man editor loves to tell stories of his days at the city's two main tabloids, especially how editors gather every afternoon around one graphic designer's desk to brainstorm the wood (aka the front page — named "the wood" because back in the old days, the largest-sized type had to be made out of wood instead of metal).

The New York Post brought to mind those great old days yesterday, and not simply because its likely wood was such wonderful tabloid fodder — Bruce Springsteen (yes, the same Bruce Springsteen who always writes about cars and was just featured in a Jeep ad) had been arrested for drunk driving. That was good enough, but the arrest provoked so much creativity in the Post newsroom, that the Tabloid of Record couldn't contain itself — and ended up running a story that featuring all the runner-up front pages.

"Blunder Road," right, was probably the best, but the paper ended up going with "Born to Rum" anyway (even though it's probably not accurate).

Meanwhile, the Times also covered the important story, but (for some reason) went with the bland headline, "Springsteen Faces Drunken Driving Charges in New Jersey."

Come on, Gray Lady, you couldn't even manage a Timesian wood like, "He was born to run, but now Springsteen, an American Everyman, will only be able to do so on two legs."

In other news:

• Several outlets were all over Scott Stringer's big transportation plan, detailed in depth by Streetsblog yesterday.
  • The Daily News focused on Stringer's promise that no one would ever have to wait more than six minutes for a bus or subway ever again.
  • Curbed's Justin Davidson saw Stringer as a transportation messiah.
  • The Post ignored it, but ran a story about a poll showing Andrew Yang far ahead in the mayoral race.
• MTA service cuts on the F and C lines will continue. (NYDN)
• The Post's obsession with subway graffiti continues.
• Here's a reminder of the most important advantage of the 15-minute city: fewer car trips mean fewer deaths (at least that's our spin on this NY Post crash story, that made no mention of how certain lifestyle choices, and suburban zoning, have ruined childhoods for millions of Americans).
• "Safety first," politicians always say, until they check the price tag. So that's why the MTA won't build barriers to prevent people from being pushed onto the tracks (also because it doesn't happen that often to justify billions and billions in expenditures). (NY Post)
• Breathe easy ... unless you use the Christopher Street PATH train station, which has the dirtiest air in the region. (NY Post)
• Lime, the scooter company, is really pushing all the great things it'll do for New York if the Department of Transportation selects it for the scooter-share pilot program. In amNY, the company promised to hire 40 full-time workers, which in this day and age, is not nothing!
• The MTA is just doing hygiene "theater" with its 1-5 a.m. subway shutdown, council members charged. (amNY)
• Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer says the city's quickest way to recovery will be on two wheels. (City Limits)