April 19, 2006
Mayor Wants Some Tram Answers
The Mayor will hold a press conference today at noon about the Roosevelt Tram incident, as he and Governor Pataki want to know what exactly happened last night to strand 69 commuters in two tram cars. We don't know what happened, but we do know it was like a local media dream: Human interest drama (kids, babies, old lady, Hasidim), iconic and curious NYC vehicle, and a happy ending, albeit it one in the middle of the night when most people are sleeping. There was a 90 minute tram stoppage last fall, but that's a cakewalk compared to this. What's interesting is that the tram was originally supposed to be a temporary transportation solution to Roosevelt Island.
More information about the tram from the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation. And Gothamist would like to know is how this may impact those ambitous gondola dreams for Governor's Island (the sketch above is by Santiago Calatrava). Maybe there will be escape hatches with rafts or something.
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Seinfeld was preempted to cover this. Horrible.
Well, I was already upset about the Nets game preempting Veronica Mars.
I suspect Joe Rogan may have had a hand in this fiasco.
A backup system that didn't work? A Backup System That DIDN'T WORK!
Nuclear Power planst have backup systems, skydivers have backup parachutes. In both of those instances the backup system are routinely inspected, tested and maintained. Apparently to the operators of the tram, "out of sight is out of mind". Since they never used the backup equipment, they didn't do anything to it until the day they needed it and found out that it was useless. Talk about abunch of morons!
Can you imagine if this happened on the trams out on the Rockies or in Switzerland? Those things are miles long and thousands of feet in the air (not a measly 200). That's why, those guys have routine maintenance and testing programs. Doh!
see my commentary on Roosevelt Island above...
oops, not above but here:
http://www.tricker.net/index.php?p=57
In the Rockies or in Switzerland I bet they have better procedures in place.
I expect tonight's once-a-year Community Board meeting (timing IS everything) on Roosevelt Island will give them a good platform to express themselves.
I'm just upset that the Post and the Daily News had the same lame headline: HIGH DRAMA -- wtf?
I was expecting something clever like STUCK IN TRAM-SIT
www.joeapology.com
Jen, you and me both. It's being rerun tonight though.
I was amused by the media coverage.
I have to ask...how did they go to the bathroom?
Don't ask.
I still hope the Calatrava tram goes up downtown. Give him another skyscraper while we're at it.