Wednesday’s Headlines: You Had One Job Edition
It’s a comfort station without a toilet.
Sorry, but you won’t see this grizzled (and small-bladdered) editor joining the lovefest over yesterday’s ribbon-cutting at the new deliverista rest stop next to City Hall — and it’s not because I’m still pissed about the four years of Adams administration dithering.
No, I’m outraged that the first delivery worker hub was built without a toilet for hard-working deliveristas — who are often denied bathroom privileges at the very restaurants where they pick up food for customers.
Yes, I know that plumbing isn’t easy. But is it too much to ask that a facility for delivery workers have … facilities?
But that’s how it is in late stage capitalism: App companies make millions on the backs of these workers, but the workers are mostly left to fend for themselves. Or as some smarter economist than me probably said, capitalism is good at privatizing the profits because it’s also good at passing along the underlying infrastructure expenses to the public.
The Times had a much more charitable view of the quickly built — and good-looking — rest hub. The City and amNY ran the press release. Gothamist pointed out that the hub isn’t even open yet — it still needs an electrical hookup.
In other news:
- Speaking of old newsstand sites, the West Side Rag reported on the reopening of an actual newsstand.
- We’ll be on Staten Island today to present the March (Parking) Madness trophy to the 120th Precinct, which
wonlost in a runaway. We hope Inspector Eric Waldhelm will be on hand to accept the award for overseeing the most-disrespectful precinct on Staten Island in our annual review of outrageous police parking practices. - We had an exclusive early in the day about a new “Office of Curb Management” inside the Department of Transportation, and amNY followed it.
- Crain’s is the latest outlet to join our obsession with Gov. Hochul’s insurance scheme.
- The Atlantic Avenue rezoning in Brooklyn is bearing fruit. (NY Yimby)
- A racial equity plan without references to “diversity, equity and inclusion”? Welcome to Mayor Mamdani’s effort to steer through the shoals of the Trump era. (City & State, NY Times)
- See how a cop nearly gets killed by a reckless driver. (News12)
- A driver killed a man waiting for a bus in Staten Island. (NY Post)
- And, finally, fauxgressive union lawyer Arthur Schwartz was at up to his old hijinks again. We ran his plate and he gets a lot of parking tickets. I reached out to him and he said, “I don’t usually park in crosswalks, but I was late for a disability discrimination mediation. … Parking lot costs are too high.” Awww, Arthur:
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