Sometimes, you have to wonder if New York Post editors even live in the city that gives the tabloid its name.
How else to explain why misinformed or flat-out dumb people keep seeing their quotes make it into the final version of the paper's slapdash coverage of the city?
The latest example? The paper's coverage of Gov. Hochul's plan to extend the Second Avenue Subway westward into Harlem by tunneling under 125th Street.
Certainly, we're OK with the Post taking its classic zero-sum-game approach to news — i.e. that the benefit to Harlem commuters is inherently a slap in the face for other Manhattan commuters — but at least the paper could at least provide intelligent people to make the argument.
Instead, readers were treated to "upstate resident Ana Perdomo," who complained that when she takes a Metro-North train into Grand Central, she has to walk to her job on 23rd Street.
Someone (perhaps an editor?) should tell the reporter that Ms. Perdomo is probably not the best source for that particular complaint, given that there already is a train from Grand Central — and, miracle of miracles!, it even stops at 23rd Street! It's the green one with the big number 6 on it.
The same story also quoted Lola Young saying that, “125th has a lot of trains that already run there. We don’t need another one.” In fact, 125th Street has no east-west subway service, which is exactly what Gov. Hochul proposes to build.
Well, I suppose that's not as bad as the time a Post colleague of mine handed in a story with a quote from a guy who gave the name Heywood Jablome — and it made it through all three print editions before anyone caught the homophonic error.
In other news:
- Friend of Streetsblog Richard Robbins joined our ongoing campaign to fight Gov. Hochul's attempt to lower auto insurance rates with an excellent Daily News op-ed that makes a common-sense argument: If you want lower car insurance premiums, get the worst drivers off the roads entirely.
- Today, at noon, protesters will gather outside Columbia University at Broadway and 115th Street to demand the school reopen the gates and allow public access. (Instagram)
- Any period of exceptional cold comprises an inhumane quandary for the city's homeless. But, of course, the Post just chooses to blame the least-fortunate. We agree that no one should be sleeping on public transit, but the Post doesn't offer any solutions (as we and others have). Clearly, there's no cure for this common scold.
- In case you missed it, here's the Times' Flynnterview.
- The Post had more on former child star Kianna Underwood, who was run down in East New York by a hit-and-run driver.
- We used to say that the Hipster Triple Crown was the Idiotirod, Santa Con and the Brooklyn Kickball finals, but now maybe there's a newcomer: Fare Evasion Olympics. (amNY)
- The Post followed Gothamist's look at the underground map.
- Parting shrift: Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill that will reduce e-bike use in his state. Well, you win some and, in this case, you lose some. (NJ Monitor)
- And, finally, in case you're counting at home, it was a very non-disappointing weekend for Mayor Mamdani (after all, he spoke about taxing the rich at an MLK Day event), so we can add a day to our factory-style count-up clock:
