Buses on Farragut Road near Flatbush Junction pulled over. - © Frank H. Jump
FLATBUSH, BROOKLYN 7:00 PM: All up and down local Brooklyn roads this evening, you will find bus operators pulled aside due to hazardous snow conditions created by unsalted roads. One bus operator told me that the NYC Sanitation Department had not salted local routes and a unanimous decision by bus operators was to pull over until roads were made passable.
Rows of buses can be seen pulled over down Nostrand and Rogers Avenues. A local resident observing me taking pictures of the scene told me that he saw parked buses parked down New York Avenue for blocks. What’s up Mayor Bloomberg? Saving some dough by not salting our streets? Let’s hope there are no accidents caused by this lack of snow maintenance.
Another bus operator told me that they were trained to pull over in the event of encountering unsalted roads and other hazardous snow conditions. Apparently many of the operators called each other and made the decision to park it until they can pass safely. Good call.
I remember days and nights like this in New Haven. A very long time ago, I used to work at Macy’s in New Haven and we had an ice storm. The buses weren’t running except in the city-proper. I took the bus down Whitney Avenue as far as they’d let me, then I had to walk all the way to Spring Glen – seems now like it took all night but it didn’t. Funny thing is — I didn’t mind. Very odd.
Fortunately I live several blocks from where I work. The roads don’t get plowed or salted in our neighborhood until the last possible moment it seems. Can’t help thinking it is because it is a minority neighborhood.