there is a profusion of little tan tags hanging from the pipes in columbus circle station this morning. is this some existential installation piece a la the bold deflationary statements on the cross beams of the 42nd St tunnel? or are they merely evidence of the overlap in two trasit workers jobs, messages left in a public space because out of necessity or insignificance? i'm intrigued.
also, looking at the massive blank advertising space on the subways this morning, i returned again to the idea that as a monopoly so integral to the livelihood of every less than affluent worker in this metro area, the MTA has a moral obligation to minimize the costs incured by each rider. Consequently, their failure to fully utilize alternative revenue sources is gross negligence.
furthermore, all this construction under the auspices of "digging for the next century" or whatever it is is ridiculous. there's nothing at all effecient in long term development where any new extension requires the removal of and accomodation for such substantial physical barriers as solid earth and rock. The subterranian system is bad in so many ways. It traps heat. It channels noise, jeopardizing the hearing of every person forced to rely upon the system. It's more vulnerable to weather conditions. It vastly increases the surface area of the infrastructure requiring regular maintenance. and it makes it nearly impossible to modify the system to more effectively handle the flow of passengers.
which brings me to economics. i did well in what economics classes i took. it was all fairly simple. cause, effect. variable, constant, ratio, scarcity, yada, yada, yoda. i'm not so sure this monopoly principle still stands in information economies. in fact, i'm not so sure it's all that great in the physical space of information economies. i think bloomberg should reevaluate the longstanding belief that monopolies are the best business model for utilities and the like. the MTA needs some competition. why? because i said so. that's why.
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