Rick Perlstein and his POW-MIA flag rant

Rick Perlstein is an anti-American and left-wing liberal who wrote an article for The Washington Spectator and was reprinted in Newsweek about the POW-MIA flag being racist and should be removed like the Confederate flag.   Mr. Perlstein, a purported historian, claims the flag is simply black-and-white and most POWs were "anti-war activists".  Additionally he notes that Ronald  Reagan was the first U.S. President to order the POW-MIA flag flown at the White House.

That makes Mr. Perlstein an anti-war activist himself too - - clearly the writing based on his so-called biased history shows his disrespect to every captured or presumed dead soldier during the Vietnam conflict.  Yes, I have a longstanding belief that the United States involvement in 'Nam was a big mistake and many soldiers died for nothing but that does not mean we should not remember the missing and captured.   NYC and Long Island have, NY State Rt. 27 in Queens (through Long Island). The POW-MIA flag is proudly waved by hundreds of spectators at most Memorial and Veterans Day parades across the nation (I was one of them at a Memorial Day Parade in Little Neck, NY) and Mr. Perlstein wants nobody to fly that flag?  Please - - this is not like the Confederate flag.    Although Mr. Pearlstein apologized about the racist remark against the POW-MIA flag, my view that he hates U.S. soldiers still stands. 

Mr. Perlstein, find another country to live in, like North Korea or Iran.  Your hatred to the U.S. Armed forces shows you have no place in the United States - - Red, White, Blue or Black and White, these colors don't run. 

The A/C Cranberry tunnels reconstuction - - same old wrong information.

Last weekend was the first of 40 non-consecutive weekends where A and C trains were rerouted on the F line in both directions between Jay Street-Metrotech in Brooklyn and West 4th Street in Manhattan.  The repairs are directed at the Cranberry Street tubes - - the portion where A and C trains travel under the East River between Fulton Street in Manhattan and High Street in Brooklyn.  Cranberry Tube is not named after a delicious fruit which is good for your urinary tract system but rather it's named after a street on the Brooklyn side of the tubes which A and C trains run underneath.  These tunnels were heavily damaged by Superstorm Sandy and were in the third worst condition after the R Montague Street and G Greenpoint-LIC tunnels.

As usual, MTA New York City Transit knows how to screw up information a well as their lack of proofreading skills.  This MTA-NYCT Press Release, dated August 6th, shows travel alternatives for weekday services even though the page clearly shows the words "WEEKEND(S)(ER)" a total of eleven times.  Noted alternate services include the M at Broadway-Lafayette, the Z at Delancey/Essex, and the 5 at Borough Hall station.  If NYC Transit really knows how to proofread and check their own services, they would realize and correct these mistakes - - the Z runs weekday rush hours only, the 5 does not normally travel to Brooklyn on weekends and M service does not travel north/west of Delancey Street or Myrtle Ave on weekends as well.    These mistakes were carried over to a least one news story from WABC-TV which is not really their fault since MTA screwed up this information. 


So how were the train announcements related to the A/C closure on the first weekend?  To be honest, I surveyed only the 2/3 lines for about 45 minutes by traveling back and forth while listening to the car announcements at the Fulton Street and Park Place stations, both are transfer points to the A/C lines - - all but one failed the test.  All but one had the "Transfer to the A/C ..." announcement.  One conductor said he didn't know about the A/C closure - - two conductors thought there was no J service at Fulton Street on weekends.  This sample was taken on Saturday (8/8) evening

Time	Line	Direction	Car #	Result
8:50	2	SB	6425	Fail/Fail "No J"
8:55	3	NB	1411	Pass/Pass "No J"
9:01	2	SB	6415	Fail/Fail
9:15	2	NB	6316	Fail/Fail  "I didn't know (no A/C)" when asked
9:30	2	SB	6386	Fail/Fail
9:35	2	NB	6486	Fail/Fail

If this is going to be the norm of 40 weekends of misinformation and incorrect announcements - - just as I stated the miscommunication during the L line shutdowns  or when the R Montague tunnels were shut down for repairs , nothing appears to change about how the way MTA New York City Transit informs their customers - - not even after a so-called Pledge to Customers  which I stated it's funnier to read than watching Airplane. when they post wrong information or make wrong announcements.  NYCT President Carmen Bianco is retiring on August 21 and is being replaced by interim President James Ferrera  who has zero public transportation experience - - Mr. Bianco, don't hit your head on your way out. 

Vision Zero - - why it should be nationwide

32,719

That's the total number of deaths from all automobile accidents in 2013, nationwide.  That's 32,719 too many deaths.  3,154 deaths are related to distracted driving.  600,000 drivers are using cellphones while driving at any time during the day.  Then there is the untold number of accidents caused by drivers breaking the simplest of laws to follow:  obeying STOP signs, yielding to right-of-way, maintaining at or near speed limits, especially on populated streets.  Google the news feed with adding "accident" after each phrase; "Texting while driving", "STOP sign" or "DWI" and you will always get at least one news story about a tragic accident which seriously injured or killed someone related to distracted and dangerous driving practices. 

Here are some more sobering statistics:

• 10,076 deaths in 2013 were attributed to a DWI driver
• 36 percent of all fatal crashes in 2009 were at STOP signed intersections - - 11 percent more than fatalities which had no traffic control devices (STOP/YIELD signs or traffic signals) at 25 percent
• Speeding was the cause of 9.613 deaths in 2013 or 29 percent of all fatalities. 
• Rubbernecking, the dangerous and stupid act of gawking at an accident scene or something unrelated to the road while driving - - even when the accident is on the opposite side/direction of the roadway, is not only a major source of unnecessary traffic delays (like NY State drivers starting at the new Tappan Zee Bridge which us under construction) - - it caused more accidents like this incident in Sacramento, CA - uploaded a user named @Cindy046 in 2014 - - watch the number of rubberneckers causing MORE than one accident.   EDIT:  I found the same video from a CBS local station capturing it live. 

One traffic-related death is one too many -  this is why Vision Zero is being implemented in cities such as New York, San Francisco, and recently, Washington D.C..  Vision Zero is modeled after Sweden's Vision Zero to eliminate traffic deaths by implementing various public policies and laws.  In NYC, the speed limit was lowered in  November, 2014 to 25 MPH except where posted.

Now, I started a new Facebook page about two weeks ago which is devoted to a Nationwide Vision Zero - - we must reach out to every diver that running STOP signs, texting while driving, drunk/impaired driving, excessive speeding and reckless driving are unacceptable, illegal and dangerous.   You can't read a daily dose of stories across the nation right here.  Of course we cannot eliminate all accidents but we can at least try educating the public that the simplest of laws most drivers break can lead to avoidable accidents.  Please drive carefully and obey the law.