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Yeah. It was horrible. Going to the ladies room was an adventure, walking across this long hallway and being accosted by 20 homeless women blocking you (or trying to) demanding money. They got nothing from me. Being a pedestrian and navigating city streets for more than 20+ years, I know how to weave around anything all the while with a mega stink face on.
I grew up on LI, and used to go through Penn a lot. If you think it's bad now, you should have seen it in the early 80's. This was before they built the 34th Street entrance and put air conditioning in on the main LIRR concourse. I had a summer job in college right by Penn and commuted. It was really bad.
I often had to go from Penn to the East 50's. This meant using the concourse extension to the 8th Ave Subway (E). This was a full blown homeless colony. The homeless lined the tunnel on either side all the way to the subway platform.
I don't go to LI much anymore, so I have no reason to go through Penn. But by the time I stopped, it had gotten much better then when I started. But most people thought in that shape it was terrible.
I also grew up on Long Island and remember going to see concerts, let's say 82-85, and there would be a whole homeless city by the tracks (interracial for those counting). I remember one couple had a whole bunch of stuff -bed,lamps etc probably from their former home. It was interesting.
Same with the PABT in the early 80s. I worked there. It was wild. People complain now, but it was worse.
But, the city is getting a new one.
I remember one time, probably 85-87, walking through PA and a crazy lady, sorry that was what she was, holding a standard steak knife waiving it at a suit wearing older white guy (I was around 20). I laughed like free entertainment but I then passed her and got too close for comfort next to that steak knife.
That said I think this time the decay is worse because efforts were made to end it and we do not have the elasticity to bounce back like we did 40 years ago.
I didn't need to deal with the PABT in that time frame, or really ever. But the impression I got was that it was worse for shear criminality then Penn.
This time around, there's no excuse. We know how to beat the crime. We did it pretty handily for twenty years starting in '94. We just have to grow the balls again to actually do it, and tell the criminal class and their enablers to go to hell.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gregorsamsa8
I remember one time, probably 85-87, walking through PA and a crazy lady, sorry that was what she was, holding a standard steak knife waiving it at a suit wearing older white guy (I was around 20). I laughed like free entertainment but I then passed her and got too close for comfort next to that steak knife.
That said I think this time the decay is worse because efforts were made to end it and we do not have the elasticity to bounce back like we did 40 years ago.
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