SIGNS: Is NYC Going To Hell Because Of New, Controversial Congestion Pricing?

Here we go.

New York City just got a little more chaotic. The sprawling metropolis has been slumping quite a bit and I’m not talking about music. A Bronx subway station turned into the scene of yet another violent incident early Sunday morning (January 5), just as the controversial congestion pricing plan went live. Are you familiar with it? If not, be aware. It could come to places like Atlanta and Los Angeles, too.

Let me tell you about the new policy that impacts the whole East Coast in a few. Bare with me. For New Yorkers and New Jersey people, the new policy is pushing more commuters toward the increasingly dangerous subway system.

Let us have a word about “congestion pricing,” because it does have a significant role overall.

A 38-year-old man was stabbed in the arm uptown about 4 a.m. on Sunday (January 5). That sounds like a very dangerous time. The attacker managed to get away. He’s on the run like Kool G Rap. The victim is in stable condition, but this has people worried even more.

There have been five similar attacks in just a few days, causing people to feel that congestion pricing is forcing people back on the trains. The thought is, the cops are not able to handle the demand for safety. Keeping it real, New York has been on this slippery slope since we all came out of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, what about tourism?

Congestion Pricing

New York is already DUMB expensive for people coming from out of town. Congestion pricing will make it more expensive. The policy is a plan to reduce traffic and emissions by charging drivers a toll for entering Manhattan below 60th Street during peak hours.

RIGHT.

They hope to push more people onto public transportation—FURTHER TAXING THE PEOPLE. But here’s the catch: NYC’s subway system is already delayed, overcrowded and clearly crime is an issue. Again, nothing totally new.

But tourists are the lifeblood of New York’s economy. They use the subways to feel like New Yorkers. Some probably see it as a safari, a public a way to explore the big city. The risks seem to be rising and the sheer chaos of the subway system will become a pressing issue. Now, that 38-year old wasn’t named Becky or Logan. When that happens, I think this will turn into an emergency.

Check this out.

Things are so crazy, The Guardian Angels are back. You have to be a real OG to remember them. They are a legendary vigilante group that started patrolling subway platforms in the late ‘70s. It corresponds with Dirty Harry and “Death Wish” Charles Bronson. I digress. They’re back at it. I’m not a fan because I think their leader, Curtis Sliwa, is a possible racist and a scammer. I will say this, most of the early Guardian Angels were Black or Hispanic/Latin.

How does this all play into congestion pricing? I’m not sure. I think it sucks. I hope they turn it off as less people GAF about New York City. In the meantime, if you’re heading to NYC, keep your eyes peeled and your head on a swivel!

Stay safe!

– illseed out!