I've just got home, and there has in the last hour been an explosion at 42nd St and Lexington Ave. Right next to Grand Central.
There is apparently smoke billing out of the subway. Right now, I can hear some sirens etc coming uptown. It sounds like everything is OK. Apparently only one guy was injured.
And terrorism it ain't.
However, I work about 10 minutes north of the explosion. To get home each evening, I can either catch the 6 subway downtown through the explosion site. Or I catch a bus downtown. As I rule, I catch the bus.
But if I had caught the subway today, I would have been right in the middle of it.
Cool.
I wonder what’s happening there right now.
In a few minutes, I'll be getting back into the subway for a meeting at 34th St. So I'll let you know. Lets hope that there aren't any more. Really not that keen to be stuck in a subway underground tonight…
Famous last words…
There is apparently smoke billing out of the subway. Right now, I can hear some sirens etc coming uptown. It sounds like everything is OK. Apparently only one guy was injured.
And terrorism it ain't.
However, I work about 10 minutes north of the explosion. To get home each evening, I can either catch the 6 subway downtown through the explosion site. Or I catch a bus downtown. As I rule, I catch the bus.
But if I had caught the subway today, I would have been right in the middle of it.
Cool.
I wonder what’s happening there right now.
In a few minutes, I'll be getting back into the subway for a meeting at 34th St. So I'll let you know. Lets hope that there aren't any more. Really not that keen to be stuck in a subway underground tonight…
Famous last words…
(I’ll let you know when I am back…)
13 comments:
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It happened on the East side of 41st and Lexington Ave. I was like a block away in the office. At first I thought it was thunder, but it just kept going for like over 20 minutes it seemed, and it was very very loud.
Very scary, the NYPD says it was not terrorism. They say it was a steam explosion. Smoke and steam went up over the 45th floor. There was no black smoke like a fire though. People were running down Lexington. It was pretty scary, I was positive while in the area that it was terrorism.
It happened right around the corner from one of the biggest creators of traffic congestion in NYC.
Will Mayor Bloomberg do anything about Park Ave. being blocked off at 42nd street?
I think Mayor Nanny Bloomie is a very arrogant man. I also highly doubt he rides the subway that much. He's the mayor, I want someone driving him around so he can work and make calls and stuff. New Yorkers shouldn't want him wasting all that time on the subway.
We all have to wonder what Bloomberg is really thinking of with this congestion pricing tax scheme. Maybe he mostly just wants a new tax. Just wrap it up in ‘concern for the environment’, and then people can just demonize those who oppose it.
If he cares so much about traffic jams, congestion and air pollution, why does he let Park Avenue be blocked off? Why doesn’t he do anything about that?
It's true, Pershing Square Restaurant blocks Park Avenue going South at 42nd St. for about 12 hours a day/5 months of the year! This Causes Massive Congestion and Air Pollution!
But apparently it does not bother NYC’s Nanny-in-Chief Mike “Congestion Pricing Tax” Bloomberg?
It certainly supports his claim that the city is hugely congested.
Check out the map! Tell your friends!
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Thanks!
:)
Glad you weren't trapped on the underground for hours in midst of crisis! ......On what basis do we make decisions?? On what might happen, what the consequences might be - or - on basis of what is most convenient, desirable to us at the moment of making the decision - and how much of this is a conscious thought process?? I have been wondering about this - in the meantinme I cycle! S xxxx
Yes -- I'm back and OK. Just in case you were worried. I didn't see anything. I ended up at 43rd and 6th. And I didn't see anything from there.
Sharon --
Good questions!
what might happen, what the consequences might be...
I try not too as a principle. This feel like its based on fear. (Unless it is reasonably clear and evident 'what might happen').
But I'm not sure I do only what is convenient and desireable!
Can I have another option please?
"...if I had of caught the subway today, I would have been right in the middle of it. Cool."
Only you Justin. Only you. Gotta love that adventurous spirit. Just think of all the sermon illustrations that you could have come up with...
comment from the urban design guy...
it was a STEAM explosion. new york city has an underground network of steam pipes that are used for heating, cooling, hot water, etc. in various buildings. our network is about twice the size of paris', which, i think, makes it the largest in the world.
so when it gets clogged... this happens.
as to a congestion pricing "tax," you've never been to london, have you? it works, it works well, it raises a ton of money for public transportation, and it makes the city (by which i mean the city of london, that mile-square area where there is usually a ton of traffic) an honest pleasure to walk around. besides, you don't need a car in central new york.
nevermind that they could easily accomplish the same thing by putting toll plazas on a few more bridges and raising the toll on all of them. you're already paying 75% of that fee coming from queens or jersey.
oh, and as for closing the streets because of this... nevermind the crater in the middle of lexington avenue.
Little Blue pd and Ian:
Glad to have you over, although my Post (and this thread) is not about Bloomberg or Traffic Congestion or the tax. Surely there are other Blogs about that that you can join.
Comment about your experience, but get political on a political thread.
But thanks for stopping by...
i was at century21 returning some stuff and trying to go to grand central to stop by the MTA transit store (they're really cool) but i was told that there was a "police investigation" on the 4/5 line, so i was like whatever and took the A then E to home direct. had no idea there was all this hoopla. stupid pipes..
It's been reported here (Sydney, Australia) that one person died in the explosion.
Mr Moffitt -- Yes. I heard that too. I think it was cardio arrest, wasn't it? Indirect, rather than direct.
Still V. serious, of course.
Cardiac Arrest, I should say...
sorry, i go where the conversation goes...
didn't have much experience with the whole thing. i work on 22nd street and didn't hear anything about it until i got home at 11 pm.
No problems Ian. How did you find this site? You can email me if you want: jmoff at hotmail dot com etc
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