I will publish reports from readers about the transit strike. Send me your stories via comments or email (louisecrawford@gmail.com) and I will publish them here. What I’m looking for: human interest, commuting nightmares, smart solutions, bike stories, walking, car pooling, coping. Here is one from FAMDOC. I don’t know who he is but he is a loyal reader and commenter:

The celebratory atmosphere extended from the Slope to the Brooklyn
Bridge this morning, where walkers and bikers seemed unfazed by the
inconveniences the strike created. Midspan was Mayor Marty (Brooklyn
Borough President Marty Markowitz) on a bullhorn, telling us how great
and resilient Brooklynites are (and on the way home this evening, there
he was again, proclaiming, "welcome back to Brooklyn."

You gotta love the guy. Tireless in his enthusiasm for Brooklyn, his
website even proclaims that all he ever wanted to be was BP).

The return trip was cheeful, but far more crowded. Bikers were forced
by cops and the density of the crowd to dismount and walk. Weaving my
way back to the Slope via 3rd Ave, I realized how on my guard I must be
if I am going to live through this strike on a bicycly. Every block
presented new challenges, in the way of potholes, parked cars pulling
away from the curb unexpectedly and moving vehicles driving without
regard for pedestrians and bikers. Back home, a hot shower and a cup of
tea for my achy, previously untaxed muscles.

How long will we tolerate this? And for those of us who run our own
businesses, dependent upon customers, clients, patients, how long can
we tolerate this without going broke? In some strange way, for this
small-business owner in lower Manhattan, there are certain reminders of
mid to late September, 2001.