While the TWU and the MTA are fighting back and forth about ratification of the contract, and while the Union is still plugging along with the typical, “they don’t respect us cause we’s black” 1950’s segregation shpeil, we find this gem in the NY Post yesterday morning (click to embiggen):

A couple of things stand out about this picture.

1. It’s obvious he didn’t just “doze off” because he’s reclined back holding his head.

2. It’s just as obvious that he’s not actually doing any work.

3. He’s doing this in the middle of the afternoon.

4. This is a member of a union who, throughout the strike, argued that they wanted more anti-terrorism training because they were the first line of defense in the event of an attack (don’t you feel safer now?).

5. This is a member of a union that claims the members work too hard and don’t get paid enough for the work they do.

Now, before you lay into me about how one picture isn’t representative of an entire union, I’d have to say it is actually representative of most of the union. Booth clerks typically sit on their ass all day long and point at the Metrocard Machines when you ask them for anything (which is ironic considering the TWU is dead-set against the machines in the first place) and conductors (not the folks that drive the train, the folks in the middle who have the challenging job of pressing the Open and Close button for the doors) typically read newspapers as their trains run from stop to stop, occasionally bringing some fine hot inner city broad into the cab to have a chat with them. And yes, I’ve seen all of it.

My point is that if these people want more respect, maybe it’s about time they started acting like they cared enough about their jobs to warrant some. As of right now, all most New Yorkers see is a bunch of whiney overpaid bastards who are skating by doing as little work as possible and crying oppression anytime someone points it out.

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