Winter Gives MTA a Bad Name (Metro-North, Too!)

A few winters ago, my wife and I always seemed to have the TV tuned to a particular local channel when a snow storm would come rolling into our area. Invariably, the station would proudly roll out their rather portly weatherman who mirthfully filled us in on the all the "fun" that Mother Nature had in store for us. To this day, I can't look at the guy, even in the summer, without cringing and being engulfed by a sense of resentment. For those of us who live in the north and hate the cold weather, this winter has brought us another innocent villain, a ubiquitous presence in our news feeds whenever things go bad outside: the MTA, or Metropolitan Transit Authority.

Indeed, the MTA, despite seemingly being a three-letter acronym, has become a four-letter word around our house. Every major city has an MTA, and their announcements this winter have been frequent and grim, each one driving the MTA moniker further into the realm of Jack the Ripper, Benedict Arnold, and Stalin. It doesn't even matter that I don't live near any of these cities. When they get hit, we're bound to get nailed out in the boonies of the hinterland as well. Even if we don't get the direct joy, airports will be snarled, people will be grouchy, and gas prices will go up. I fear that the MTA will never recover its benign name after this blizzard-ridden winter. Now " Metro- North " is threatening to join the fray, as well.

Now, I do have some sympathy for the plight of MTA. I realize that this is all guilt by association, and that it's my immaturity and propensity for knee-jerk reactions that are coloring my opinions. But I suspect that this MTA aversion will last long after this dark winter has finally been wiped clean by Spring's rains. Like our meaty meteorologist, the MTA taint will likely color my recipe for a happy life from here on out: avoid Channel XYZ at all costs, and stick to the sidewalk or taxis when in New York (or Boston or D.C. or ... ).