New Yorkers face all sorts of hassles that come with living in the big city. Whether it’s the daily breakdown of the subway or a parade blocking your crosstown taxi, these is always some minor inconvenience that comes with living in a vibrant city. The day-in-and-day-out of millions of people rubbing shoulders, fulfilling their dreams is bound to result in some rough edges from time to time. We all know it happens, it’s a fact of life, we just roll with it and keep on, keeping on.
But an injustice that New Yorkers will not tolerate is when a corporate or political bureaucracy picks on the individual. New Yorkers are quick to smell bullshit and will unify and rise up if they sense injustice thrown down from above. An attack on one is an attack on all.
This played itself out during the recent holiday travel disaster that played out in airports across the country with Southwest Airlines cancelling over 2,500 flights in a single day. When flights get cancelled, airlines need volunteers to give up their seats on overbooked flights. Usually the airlines can get people to give up their spot but in NYC, the people collectively came together to resist.
99% of the time the chaos breaks people at the airport. 1% of the time the chaos creates an impromptu game show.
At JFK. Guy behind the counter asks for a volunteer to give up a seat for $500. Nothing. “$550.” The crowd suddenly coalesces to shout “HIGHER!” like it was a game show. “$750” “HIGHER! “800!” “NOT IN NEW YORK! GO HIGHER!” They applauded the elderly woman who took it at $1100.
I love New York City because it’s a place where a diverse group of people of different ages, beliefs, backgrounds, and experiences can come together as one if it means fucking with somebody else making them wait in line.
@Mike Drucker
Don’t mess with a New Yorker.
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