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New York Paralyzed As Subways Shut Down Indefinitely: Subway Chief: "Worst Disaster Ever"

Tyler Durden's picture




 

As everyone who has been to New York City knows, without its underground arteries - the subway system - the city is if not dead, than certainly in an indefinite coma. By that logic, New York will not get out of the critical ward for many days, because hours ago the head of the New York City’s transit system just called Hurricane Sandy "the most devastating event to the city’s subway system ever." At last check seven subway tunnels under the East River had flooded, as did the Queens Midtown Tunnel—and Metropolitan Transit Authority chairman Joseph Lhota said there is “no firm timeline” for when the system would be back up and running. According to other MTA employees it would take between 14 hours and 4 days just to pump the water out of the subway system. We'll take the over. And as long as there are no subways, there are no clerical and support workers, there is no Wall Street, there is no beating heart to the city.

A summary of which subway lines are most susceptible to flooding via the NYT, and brief commentary:

Seven subway tunnels under the East River flooded, according to Joseph J. Lhota, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority chairman. A spokesman said it was unclear how long it would take to pump them out. The Long Island Rail Road erected a water dam at its West Side Yards to keep Penn Station and East River tunnels dry, but one tunnel had flooding, Mr. Lhota said. Metro North lost power on two of its lines north of 59th Street.

Instead of subway trains... water:

A representative (unverified) snapshot of what NY's subways looked like at the peak.

via @HeyVeronica

For some stunning footage of what will certainly be an epic struggle to regain control of New York's underground floods watch the clip below:

 

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Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:21 | 2930853 negative rates
negative rates's picture

Karma baby.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:24 | 2930860 Colombian Gringo
Colombian Gringo's picture

Yeah, the New Yorkers get to experience what it feels like to live like a Libyan and Iraqi after your infrastructure was bombed into the stone age. Having said that, I truly feel sorry for everyone who was affected by Sandy.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:29 | 2930871 ghengis86
ghengis86's picture

But what's the over/under on the election? Can't we just phone it in like Dancing with the Idols?

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:37 | 2930896 Harlequin001
Harlequin001's picture

Excellent. Now maybe we'll see some sanity in financial markets...

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:55 | 2930944 JPM Hater001
JPM Hater001's picture

If by sanity you mean logic then yes, Algo's are very logical and will be the only ones trading tomorrow...

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:48 | 2931109 icanhasbailout
icanhasbailout's picture

Bullish

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:28 | 2931287 Half_A_Billion_...
Half_A_Billion_Hollow_Points's picture

O sole mio!

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:48 | 2931111 Pladizow
Pladizow's picture

Imagine a 108 year old colon's first shit!

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:07 | 2931198 Harlequin001
Harlequin001's picture

Hmmm, I'm kind of trying not to... thanks...

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:59 | 2930950 BigJim
BigJim's picture

 And as long as there are no subways, there are no clerical and support workers, there is no Wall Street, there is no beating heart to the city.

Sure, but c'mon Tyler. I can't see it all grinding to a halt for long. Once the waters have receded, people can walk or cycle or catch a cab. The authorities can hire buses from unaffected states (or borrow them from the National Guard or military) and increase bus services.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:05 | 2930966 augustusgloop
augustusgloop's picture

BJ- Where do you think the clerical / janitorial workers live? Not in the UES like the senior partners, nor in the LES like the hipster analysts. The cab fare from way upper Manhattan or inner Brooklyn would be like $30 each way, if you could find one (but of course, you can't find a yellow cab way outer borough). 

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:53 | 2931127 jez
jez's picture

Yeah. Five million journeys a day on the subway system.You'd need hundreds of thousands of taxis to carry that traffic.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:51 | 2931118 aint no fortuna...
aint no fortunate son's picture

and since most of the exchange servers are in Mahwah, the electronic trading must be mostly intact

btw, with all the vast sums of money these fucking banks have accumulated over the past decade, don't they have disaster preparedness plans in place, duplicate locations and clerical/record-keeping facilities, etc? Its's not like they didn't get a hint on 9/11 that uh, maybe WS might be in the cross hairs again someday, if not by terrorists than by natural disasters

and also btw, no malice intended to the specialists out there but I'm sorry - every time you take 30 minutes to open a stock with a small order imbalance, and i see NAZ open a comparable situation at 9:30.00.00.0000001 I kinda wonder why there is still a floor, capiche?

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:55 | 2931125 SWRichmond
SWRichmond's picture

Imagine doing an engineering analysis of hundreds of miles of (subway) rail bed that has been underwater for a few days.  Can it be trusted to sustain load at speed?  Has the underlying earth subsided or shifted?  What was the design criteria for the bed?  Tolerances are pretty close, after all.  Who will be asked to waive their magic wand at it and declare it "safe"? 

"Find yourselves another boy."

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:01 | 2931164 Chump
Chump's picture

It'll be a young PE who will be promptly thrown under the bus (on to the rails?)

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 14:37 | 2932176 Zymurguy
Zymurguy's picture

The devastation to the electrical system that controls and powers teh subways will take tremendous amounts of time, work and money to repair.  The saltwater is going to cause dissimilar metals to corrode through electrolysis.

In addition, the storm surge should be called a storm purge - sewers will have their waste flushed out of them.  The stench alone in those tunnels will keep workers out of them for a long time.  Their lucky this didn't happen in August when the heat and the humidity combined with the waste water would be truly offensive.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 20:51 | 2933238 jerry_theking_lawler
jerry_theking_lawler's picture

yep. after Katrina, visited plant where all electrical motors, wiring, controls were underwater(seawater). almost nothing could be saved and it took months to get equipment changed and operational. if you are a certified electrician, head to new york......your services will be in great need and you could name your price!

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:22 | 2931020 paulie
paulie's picture

For that to happen Sandy would ahve to burn down Wall Street.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:42 | 2931095 Dr. Richard Head
Dr. Richard Head's picture

At least the subways got a good cleaning.  Look at all that fucking garbage.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:51 | 2930935 ptoemmes
ptoemmes's picture

I am surprised there has not been any talk - yet - of delaying the election and of course NYC may in fact not be the worse off on the entire area affected by the storm.

 

 

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:09 | 2930984 SafelyGraze
SafelyGraze's picture

this just in:

"Authorities are rescuing residents of a small New Jersey town" 
"Hurricane Sandy: Authorities use social media to keep people informed" 
"Authorities offer Halloween safety tips"
"Romney in touch with authorities on storm" 

thanks, authorities.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:57 | 2931141 aint no fortuna...
aint no fortunate son's picture

thank gawd they're saving halloween... that should be good for .1 or .2 bump in GDP - those authorities have their priorities in order!

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 12:49 | 2931766 lostintheflood
Tue, 10/30/2012 - 18:34 | 2932979 Clashfan
Clashfan's picture

Cool Springsteen SN, Lost.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:27 | 2931028 ptoemmes
ptoemmes's picture

I guess I posted too soon: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/83020.html?hp=f3

=====

"Federal law requires presidential elections to be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, but it also provides that if a state “has failed to make a choice on the day prescribed by law, the electors may be appointed on a subsequent day in such a manner as the legislature of such State may direct.”

======

Hmmm...so could states, in theory, punt elections and have their legislators choose the electoral college members?  And what about early/absentee voters?

 

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:41 | 2931091 Joe Davola
Joe Davola's picture

Wait until the challenges hit the Roberts 'Make it up as I want' court.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:12 | 2930995 Stock Tips Inve...
Stock Tips Investment's picture

Yesterday, millions of people have been affected by an action of nature. We have to show solidarity with them and expect very quickly to normal life in those states.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:29 | 2930872 malikai
malikai's picture

I don't. Life's tough. Get used to it. There's much worse coming.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:33 | 2930880 Dr Benway
Dr Benway's picture

Some day a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IAJFCxAP_Y

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 18:35 | 2932987 Clashfan
Clashfan's picture

Also used in this tune, by a band we all know and love:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUcRQVFAHNw

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:21 | 2931018 eclectic syncretist
eclectic syncretist's picture

The stone age?  Now the subway looks more like a DisneyWorld ride to me....."It's a small world after all.......".  Maybe they could just borrow some boats from Disney for a few days.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:20 | 2931255 DaveyJones
DaveyJones's picture

Actually, the New Yorkers got a pretty good taste of Iraqi life eleven years ago... from the same enemy

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 12:42 | 2931741 Offthebeach
Offthebeach's picture

Bomb what back into the stoneage? Half the Arab world is without running water, dirt floored, half or more illiterate, doesn't manufacture one world class good or service, has a combined wealth of 600 million people less than Finland, translates into Arabic less books of all languages less than Greek texts into Spanish.

Source, UN Arab Development Report. ( web available )

All that aside, like gold, workers are .....barbaric antiquities. ( Fed think off )

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:42 | 2930911 Awakened Sheeple
Awakened Sheeple's picture

I hear Paul Krugman was one the unfortunate victims of the storm. Autopsy showed he'd suddenly lost 50 lbs and his hands and penis were badly bruised.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:51 | 2930930 max2205
max2205's picture

Don't worry Obama (we) will buy them a brand new one.

Obamas last welfare check has been written

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:32 | 2931064 yogibear
yogibear's picture

Didn't Krugman advocate a disaster to boost an economy? It's practically right outside his door. He got what he wished for.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 11:35 | 2931512 Chump
Chump's picture

He called for an alien invasion whereas you're just being ridiculous.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:24 | 2931035 malikai
malikai's picture

Doubtful it will be a big deal. The unit has been shut down for a while and without risk of the core melting down, it will be much easier to manage a pump failure in the storage pool, if it happens.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:43 | 2931099 Joe Davola
Joe Davola's picture

OMG - MA, BREAK OUT THE DUCT TAPE FOR THE WINDOWS!

 

(Hey GW, am I doing it right?)

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:10 | 2930989 Gully Foyle
Gully Foyle's picture

negative rates

Good fucking lord! Why has no one warned about the coming CHUD attacks? They have been driven from their underground dwellings by this storm.

Beware people beware.

( CHUD's should not be confused with ZOMBIES.)

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:15 | 2931006 forwardho
forwardho's picture

By last census  EST; over 25.000 people in NY city spend some if not all of their time living in the tunnels. Where are they?

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 12:07 | 2931621 forexskin
forexskin's picture

i didn't feel real bad - at least until i read this.

sorry, but nyc is a city of busy people that will probably make out ok, but loads of the mole people probably not doing so well.. sh*t... a small prayer for the helpless...

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 15:40 | 2932438 Go Tribe
Go Tribe's picture

Not to worry, they all gots obamaphones.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:22 | 2930854 Cassandra Syndrome
Cassandra Syndrome's picture

What a complicated method of postponing the Payrolls data from this Friday till after the election using HAARP.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:26 | 2930862 Stoploss
Stoploss's picture

They said last night on the news it was worse than 9/11, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the meteorite air burst explosion over Russia, COMBINED.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:27 | 2930866 Stoploss
Stoploss's picture

Rumor has it GOD is being questioned by Bloomberg.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 15:01 | 2932262 Cast Iron Skillet
Cast Iron Skillet's picture

Doesn't Romney have a direct uplink?

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:28 | 2930867 digitlman
digitlman's picture

The amount of energy in a large hurricane is like an atom bomb going off.  Every second.  A LOT.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:18 | 2931012 New World Chaos
New World Chaos's picture

Repost from last night:

I am fairly skepitcal of HAARP because any energy it could project would be a fart in a hurricane and Nature is too chaotic AND unknowable to be controlled by such thin puppet strings.  But conspiranoid net-delvers have discovered this:

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread894111/pg1

Back in '97, Westchester County, NY had a drill about a Hurricane Sandy with similarities to this one.  We do know the puppetmasters like to drill their false flags.  They usually drill on much shorter timescales (weeks to hours in advance) so this one is probably a coincidence, but it's still creepy.  It's like all of reality is a stage.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:18 | 2931242 TSA gropee
TSA gropee's picture

Geneva treaty banning weather as a weapon: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3436120/UN-1976-Weather-Weapon-Treaty

Weather as a force multiplier   csat.au.af.mil/2025/volume3/vol3ch15.pdf

www.space.com/1725-military-weather.html

 Weather as a weapon of war   www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=674

Lastly, look up project Stormfury that was conducted by the USAF.


Tue, 10/30/2012 - 17:17 | 2932788 New World Chaos
New World Chaos's picture

Interesting, thanks.

For others:  The space.com link describes the work of plasma physicist Bernard Eastlund, who takes HAARP seriously enough that he has founded his own company in hopes of using HAARP technology for profitable weather control.  Wait till the spooks and hedge funds start bidding, ugh.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:24 | 2931034 aerojet
aerojet's picture

You're a moron.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:54 | 2931132 New World Chaos
New World Chaos's picture

Actually, he's right.

The heat released solely due to rain formation is about 6x10^14 watts.  That's 200x the world's electricity generating capacity: http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/D7.html

It's also about 10 Hiroshima bombs per second (watts = joules/sec):  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_bomb

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:39 | 2930901 rsnoble
rsnoble's picture

Oh bullsit, unless they were just talking the dollar amount.  And that's not really accurate either considering a dollar was worth more than a penny back then.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 16:52 | 2932736 StychoKiller
StychoKiller's picture

I tol' dem millionz of times NOT to exaggerate! :>D

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:39 | 2930902 Flakmeister
Flakmeister's picture

Better make those chin straps on the tin-foil hat a wee bit tighter....

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:30 | 2931054 Spastica Rex
Spastica Rex's picture

+1 for you, Flakmeister. Go get 'em.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:36 | 2931310 Zero Govt
Zero Govt's picture

Thanks Flak, great advise

..and you tie the laces to those size 19 clown boots mate, we don't want you tripping up and falling flat on your face everytime you come on here

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 15:40 | 2932441 Flakmeister
Flakmeister's picture

ZG, you would have made a great jester in days of yore until that fateful day when the Laird would have you drawn and quartered for nothing more than shits and giggles...

PS I think you meant advice, is that indeed the case?

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:25 | 2931038 HamFistedIdiot
HamFistedIdiot's picture

Agreed that HAARP is used to worsen and steer these storms. Check out the new documentary "Why in the World are they Spraying?" to see how the constant chemtrailing in certain areas of the country causes droughts as well as increased precipitation at the other end of the jet stream, eg. drought in CA, but more extreme rainfall in NYC as the nano metal particulates hold moisture in suspension for a time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEfJO0-cTis

Monsanto now owns 80% of the world's seed suppliers, and seed is said by Catherine Austin Fitts to be a likely reserve backing to a new globalist currency. The 50,000 fold increase in aluminum content of our soil (see "What in the world are they spraying" for that) fits nicely with Monsanto's new line of aluminum resistant seeds. The epidemic drought is causing massive farmer bankruptcy and land consolidation (cf. Agenda 21), and Monsanto's seeds see greater market share due their claimed abiotic resistance (eg drought).

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:36 | 2931311 BooMushroom
BooMushroom's picture

Our founding fathers would be so disappointed to hear we went from a gold/silver monetary system to a corn/soy one.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:28 | 2931045 eclectic syncretist
eclectic syncretist's picture

No doubt.  Here's a pic of Mayor Bloomberg on his way into work this morning.

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/183mgh2cblq8hjpg/original.jpg

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:23 | 2930855 GetZeeGold
GetZeeGold's picture

 

 

Well....looks like we're walking.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:26 | 2930861 BillyBoy22
BillyBoy22's picture

Nothing like a leisurely stroll from Bayside to Long Island City to cross the bridge.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:43 | 2930912 Harlequin001
Harlequin001's picture

Stroll?

Bring forth the canoe dude...

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:37 | 2931314 Half_A_Billion_...
Half_A_Billion_Hollow_Points's picture

watch out for zombies or cops

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:51 | 2930932 Abiotic Oil
Abiotic Oil's picture

How are the looters going to get their spoils home?

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:23 | 2931027 oddjob
oddjob's picture

Firefighers will find a way to get the loot back to the hall for proper distribution.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:40 | 2931326 Joe Davola
Joe Davola's picture

Another Bloomberg public health initiative.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:24 | 2930856 Ghordius
Ghordius's picture

World cut off from Wall Street

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:26 | 2930863 ghengis86
ghengis86's picture

Parasite cut off from host

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:37 | 2930897 a growing concern
a growing concern's picture

As someone mentioned on another thread, this may have been the black swan we were all looking for.  No one would have imagined it would have been a hurricane.

 

We shall see.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:57 | 2930946 nonclaim
nonclaim's picture

You may be right... in the financial world, this black swan has doomed at least the trading floor as a place to look for. All electronic going forward, no center stage anymore.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:44 | 2930917 Oh regional Indian
Oh regional Indian's picture

Terrible as it is for regular folk, this definitely feels karmic. And if it was induced (HAARP etc.)... speechless.

And then one thinks of Iraq, Libya, PAkistan, Afghanistan, Bani Walid.... on and on. Loin gridding times all around.

It's the age of aquarius dawning, flooding, on a massive scale like this, more and more....it's a given.

ori

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:05 | 2930941 falak pema
falak pema's picture

how come its hitting NY, its not even on the 33rd parallel?

Something wrong with the celestial model and maybe that african supernova is now rescheduled to hit DC, like the plane that didn't on 9/11.

I wonder if there is GWB right now playing on his Haarp and singing : I told ya so when you elect a demo to the WH. 

Here is a cute summary of Masonic 33 rd parallel theory with the Bushes in front role positions in contemporary history.

This is a page out of Da Vinci  Code! Only, Da Vinci Code was a NOVEL; nuance. 

Masons and Mystery at the 33rd Parallel - David Icke E~Magazine

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:08 | 2930982 Oh regional Indian
Oh regional Indian's picture

Whatever Falak...Enjoy your limited perspective.

ori

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:47 | 2931088 Spastica Rex
Spastica Rex's picture

I enjoy both of your perspectives.

Here's some Fifth Dimension.

edit: Eurdites and mystics, racists and rednecks, philosophers and alcoholics. ZH is a weird fucking place.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:15 | 2931003 Gully Foyle
Gully Foyle's picture

falak pema

You fully understand that Babs Bush real Daddy Aliester Crowley cast a spell allowing Babs to always be near power, some say control it from behind the scenes, until she dies.

But eveyone overlooks that Black connection to the dark side.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:13 | 2930997 Gully Foyle
Gully Foyle's picture

Oh regional Indian

You read far too much into a simple event.

Buffalo has been paralyzed by numerous snowstorms, and none are Karmic.

Shit happens and it has no deeper significance.

But man is a pattern making creature so we create connections which just are not there.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:26 | 2930858 lolmao500
lolmao500's picture

Good. All those fat people will lose some weight walking.

Ban all cars in the city till the subways are fixed. Roads will be for people and bicycles only.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:58 | 2931146 Matt
Matt's picture

  Yeah, just walk 20 miles in to work from out in the burroughs to the far end of Manhattan. Better get up at 1 am to make it to work on time.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 11:36 | 2931516 lolmao500
lolmao500's picture

Get a bicycle.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:24 | 2930859 johnnymustardseed
johnnymustardseed's picture

I hope that fucking rat Blythe got washed out to sea

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:32 | 2930879 malikai
malikai's picture

Now that would be divine intervention.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:51 | 2930931 Ghordius
Ghordius's picture

she would ride a shark home and eat it for breakfast

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:27 | 2930864 Bagbalm
Bagbalm's picture

Market can't crash if it's closed can it?

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:30 | 2930873 swissaustrian
swissaustrian's picture

They're gonna re-open on November 7th.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:29 | 2930870 Kaiser Sousa
Kaiser Sousa's picture

this in a small way might restore my faith n a divine overseer.......

just maybe....

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:31 | 2930875 ReallySparky
ReallySparky's picture

Will be very interesting to see how this affects the psyche of the average investor in America when they don't have access to their accounts for What could be a prolonged period. Wonder if the herd will turn and run. Perhaps some folks will wake up to the illusion of their paper wealth.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:43 | 2931342 BooMushroom
BooMushroom's picture

Let's say that the average 401(k) holder makes calls to his broker to cash out his 401(k) to pay the rent, like has been happening daily anyway.

Say that a week's worth of "sell it all and mail me a check" orders all hit on Open.

Say all the smart money shorts or sells financials and insurance, with orders queued up as soon as the market goes live.

Just those two things, absent algos, panics, and speculation, might be enough to start one hell of a leg down.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:31 | 2930876 rsnoble
rsnoble's picture

Everyone loves mass destruction and bad news, you can tell lol.  

Having lived in the country all my life......places like NYC just disgust the total hell out of me and as far as im concerned all those busy ants can just slow down and sit their asses at home for awhile.  The worlds' asshole needed a good cleansing anyhows.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:39 | 2930903 Ghordius
Ghordius's picture

careful, careful. half of the world's population lives in cities. denigrate cities too much and they might just come back to the countryside

btw, according to the Economist, America is more productive than Europe because it's urban population share is greater

lol - go and define what is urban or not in both continents. nevertheless it makes a good goofy taunt: "hehehe, we are more redneck than you"

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:50 | 2930929 rsnoble
rsnoble's picture

Oh we done figured there would come a day when the zombies realize that hamburgers come from cows, that cows are food and that cows live in the woods somewhere.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:55 | 2930943 Kaiser Sousa
Kaiser Sousa's picture

well put...

we all should consider this a dry run for what awaits this cesspool called America....

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:15 | 2931004 blunderdog
blunderdog's picture

Maybe you can explain why residents in the "flyover states" get so offended at that phrase...

Doesn't seem like anyone could claim a moral high-ground, considering how quick folks *everywhere* are to celebrate others' misfortune.

Where are all the nigger-haters?  Newsflash, guys: we haven't seen "them" tearing the city to pieces yet. 

Here's a thought: a city of 8 million people PROBABLY isn't a monolithic group of people with exactly the same values and interests. 

Yanno, just like a small rural STATE.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:50 | 2931116 Bangin7GramRocks
Bangin7GramRocks's picture

Anyhows? Dumb. Fucking. Hick.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:31 | 2930877 the iD
the iD's picture

Ben Bernanke: "It could still use a lil more liquidity."

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:31 | 2930878 Whoa Dammit
Whoa Dammit's picture

Note to Mayor Bloomberg:

Police line tape appears not to work very well when one wants to hold back water. Perhaps much of the water in NYC cannot read. If you cannot improve the water literacy rate in your city, next time, I suggest you try using sandbags, /sarc

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:02 | 2931175 Zero Govt
Zero Govt's picture

Govt graffiti, i want more, more, more, more...

simply love being told, directed and partonised by State clowns who couldn't organise a knees-up (or flood defences) in a Budweiser factory

 

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:05 | 2931190 Agent P
Agent P's picture

I'm guessing he will create an ordinance limiting future flooding to 16oz.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:10 | 2931211 BurningFuld
BurningFuld's picture

No shit...I think New York has a fairly large work crew. Knowing there was going to be a 3 to 4 meter ocean surge why did they not sandbag the subway entrances?

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:25 | 2931271 Uncle Remus
Uncle Remus's picture

An epidemic of "stand-down".

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:33 | 2930881 Catullus
Catullus's picture

The tendency now is to overstate damage to critical infrastructure and demand that the federal government (meaning taxpayers) pony up for the repairs.  I fully expect that they keep the subway closed until Monday just inconvenience New Yorkers enough to a critical mass of bellyaching and complaining.  And with central planning, fascist billionaire Bloomberg as mayor?  There's no fucking way the rest of the country isn't going to pay for this.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:37 | 2930894 homme
homme's picture

+1 and true. But didn't everyoe already know this?

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:52 | 2930937 Catullus
Catullus's picture

Probably not. I think the critical thinking skills have hit negative at this point. Just call spending something else and everyone agrees to it. The NY subway has never been profitable since the government slobs took it over. They live for these disasters.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:00 | 2930954 Bobbyrib
Bobbyrib's picture

As a subsidizer of the rest of the country people affected by this storm should have at least part of the infrastructure damage paid for. Why don't you ask your Congressional representatives to introduce a bill to have states only to be able to accept what tax dollars they paid into the system to get back by the Federal government? There was a bill introduced to have taxes adjusted to the taxpayers cost of living, but the fiscal conservative Republicans wouldn't pass the bill. So enjoy living off of my dime in your two horse town in the mean time.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:04 | 2931186 Matt
Matt's picture

unintended consequences. If you gave people tax rebates for cost of living, you know what would happen? One possible outcome is that if the people have more money for living costs, the living costs would go up.

If government makes mortgages "more affordable" by increasing amotization, decreasing downpayment or lowering interest rates, since everyone can "afford" to borrow more, housing prices rise. Same with student loans.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 12:13 | 2931650 Bobbyrib
Bobbyrib's picture

I'm sure the Republicans were just looking out for the people subsidizing their way of life. /sarcasm.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:59 | 2931388 BooMushroom
BooMushroom's picture

Interestingly, those stupid hick redneck racists you love bitching about while you stare down at them from your highrise skyscraper...

WOULD'VE BEEN FINE WITH IT!

You could keep all your fancy city money, and used it to gold-plate your stupid, nanny, noses-in-other-people's-business rules and regulations, and left them alone.

Those Red states would have been happy with unsubsidized schools and jails, and unpasteurized milk, and moonshine and Mary Jane, and making do without all your food stamps and welfare checks.

But you came along, in your black suit coat and silk tie, and told them that they had to live by your rules, which they couldn't afford to follow, so you had to start paying for them to follow the rules.

You got your direct election of senators, and your income tax, and your paper money. You buttered your bread, now eat it.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 11:55 | 2931590 Bobbyrib
Bobbyrib's picture

First of all you look down on us, more than we look down on you. All I ever hear on this website is bitching about a Civil War that took place 150 years ago.

Secondly, the way your politicians represent you, proves otherwise about receiving our subsidies and regulation. Why is internet gambling illegal (other than the stock market, which is more predatory theft) in the US? I'll give you a hint it's not regulation loving liberals. Oh, yes the red states didn't vote for the politicians who started the War on Drugs, then under the Reagan administration (a Republican) we began invading other countries to make sure these drugs did not reach our borders. I wish you could keep your stills intact. They should allow you to exercise your states' rights. Unregulated liquor sounds like a good idea, but I would rather make sure the products are safe I ingest.

We came along and told you how to live and you couldn't afford it? More like the wealthy in your region of the country would rather not pay for it and would rather accept Federal subsidies. The southern part of the country was even more for FDR than the north. They also helped elect LBJ to office in '64 after he took over the office of the Presidency when JFK was assissinated.

To pretend like the north was responsible for expanding the role of government while red states dragged their feet is outright BS. The only rights you really fought for were the right to treat African Americans like dirt (slavery then the Civil Rights Act).

Direct election of senator is certainly evil. Even more evil than the 3/5's Compromise (giving "representation" to people with zero rights). Who took away the backing of the dollar by gold? Red states certainly participated in electing Nixon: http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/votes/1965_19....

 

 

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 19:41 | 2933103 BooMushroom
BooMushroom's picture

It's not about the Civil War, any more, buddy boy.  And it isn't North versus South.  It's more like Big Cities On The Coast against Everyone Else.

It's about one hundred and sixty three thousand three hundred and thirty  three federal regulations, it's about eleven percent underemployment, it's about sixteen trillion dollars worth of debt, and it's about putting a trillion dollars worth of deficit on the backs on the children that fewer and fewer American are willing to have.

It's about $35 in 1980 costing $100 now, and the government insisting on taking 15% - 39.6% on the "profit".

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 18:49 | 2935925 Bobbyrib
Bobbyrib's picture

You think it has to do with living in big cities on the coast? It has more to do with voting in mainstream politicians. Both Bush and Obama set new records by expanding the size of government. Most people on the coast living in cities didn't vote for Bush either. The debt was run up by the entire country making poor choices in who they elected to run the country. I do agree businesses should have less regulations, but so should citizens (get rid of the Patriot Act). It has nothing to do with where you live, but who you vote for. 

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:10 | 2930992 Abiotic Oil
Abiotic Oil's picture

No way will this hit the taxpayers.  Barry-Barrack-Hussein-Soetero-Obama-Davis will use his Community Organizing skillz to put together an all volunteer force to rebuild.  They can use all the now useless, illegal 64oz soda cups to bail the subway out one scoop at a time.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:34 | 2930886 j0nx
j0nx's picture

Good thing algos don't ride the train.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:48 | 2930926 exi1ed0ne
exi1ed0ne's picture

Tell that to the Trainman.

 

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:34 | 2930888 Big Corked Boots
Big Corked Boots's picture

Wages for Local 3 electricians in NY City: Base wage, $51.00 per hour, benefits $42.45 per hour. Time-and-a-half for all work over a 7 hour day and for all weekend and holiday work.

http://wpp.labor.state.ny.us/wpp/viewPrevailingWageSchedule.do?typeid=1&county=87

Oh, and good luck trying to find replacement switchgear and other electrical components for a 75 to 100 year old subway that runs on 600 volts of direct current power.

Walking, bitchez.

 

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:37 | 2930898 blunderdog
blunderdog's picture

"Local 3" ain't what it used to be.  The majority of the buildings I've worked in were non-union.  They've probably got all the political offices and the subways, though.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:45 | 2930919 Big Corked Boots
Big Corked Boots's picture

Consider the strength of the unions in NY City and NY State before you right off the halls. Also consider the need to cement union participation in this rebuilding right before the election. There's no way the unions are giving up this gig. Trust me. I know.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:05 | 2930967 blunderdog
blunderdog's picture

I live here.  I know about their strength.  That's why I commented.  They don't have NEAR the kind of pricing control they had back in the '70s--the Reagan administration really took a lot of wind out of the big-union sails.

There are a lot of immigrants who'll do whatever work they can handle for peanuts.  Local 3 can't stop 'em.

They DO have a giant inflatable rat they like to set up in front of non-union buildings and businesses, though.  It's kinda cute.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 11:01 | 2931394 hedgeless_horseman
hedgeless_horseman's picture

 

 

I hope you both keep us posted on this as it progresses.  The unions have a fine line to walk in any disaster situation.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 18:40 | 2932995 blunderdog
blunderdog's picture

The big issue is this: the VAST majority of the infastructure for telecom, cable, internet, etc, is accessible through private property.  THAT sort of thing will be repaired very promptly, because folks running businesses will not be intimidated by the unions and will happily hire "consulting workers" to do all that work.  So far, I have been online with power and no problems, apart from a brief Internet outage this afternoon.

However--the "public" electrical systems will be far more likely to take awhile to be brought back online, because if the *government* controls access, they probably WILL support the unions and will be perfectly happy to pay through the nose and allow them to delay repairs.

So I suggest that the SUBWAYS, which are by far the most crucial piece of municipal infrastructure after the electrical grid, will be the best large-scale indicator of how much clout the big unions have.  If the subway is back in full service by next Monday, I'll be very impressed.  I suspect what will happen is they will prioritize a few major routes and move heaven and earth to get about 5-10 "arterial" lines operational.  Once THAT happens, it could be several weeks, possibly even months, before the less-traveled lines are back to full service.

And even a *minor* subway line is likely to severely impact dozens of businesses and tens of thousands of people. 

The point I'd emphasize is just that this is going to fuck the lives (short-term) of a LOT of people even assuming everything is handled as efficiently as possible.  The other thing I'd mention is that much of NYC does break down into "neighborhoods" which are relatively local.  This is going to hurt the businesses whose primary strength is based on location and transit-traffic, and those are mostly small businesses which can't be easily replaced if they fail.

It'll definitely be interesting to see what this place looks like come Thanksgiving.

FD: I'm in a part of Brooklyn which wasn't hit very hard, although I saw an uprooted tree across a street (and on top of 2 cars) when I was out a few hours ago.  If that sort of damage occurred just once in every 20x20 block area, there is a *lot* to do.  In my old rural hometown, there'd be a few pickups parked nearby by locals with chainsaws collecting firewood already, risk to the neighbors' houses be damned.  Heh.  Definitely a trade-off there...

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 11:03 | 2931401 BooMushroom
BooMushroom's picture

Will work done under FEDERAL flood insurance require that repairpersons be paid at the "prevailing wage?"

You could get quite a few good 'ol boys from flyover country to hold their noses and work in the city for a few months at $90 an hour.

If there was room for them to stay...

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 18:45 | 2933007 blunderdog
blunderdog's picture

There's plenty of room, and for sure the labor could be useful, but the only places they'd be likely to be able to "work" would be for private businesses and individuals.  $90/hr isn't any kind of problem for a $4million/year business that doesn't want to lose a whole week waiting for the local help. 

Electrical?  Probably not.  Plumbing, heating, telco/cable, construction?  DEFINITELY.  If you have urban contacts, give 'em a call and put some feelers out.  I'm sure it's all going to be word-of-mouth.

In case I haven't made it obvious yet: the government contracts are only going to be a small fraction of the work that gets done over the next few weeks.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:41 | 2930907 a growing concern
a growing concern's picture

 "Apparently there's this new fad called jogging. I believe it's jogging or yogging. it might be a soft j. I'm not sure but apparently you just run for an extended period of time. It's supposed to be wild."

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:15 | 2931005 sdmjake
sdmjake's picture

Stay Classy, NYC...

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:29 | 2931051 Uncle Remus
Uncle Remus's picture

"cardio..."

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:34 | 2930889 rsnoble
rsnoble's picture

BTW, no mention how screwed things up will be 'after' the water is pumped out.  Submerged electrical systems don't generally just come back to life that easy of course I don't know the extent of this.  Is there just a couple feet of water or could you scuba dive down there?  I've never been to NYC and im not ever going to go there.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:35 | 2930890 Infinite QE
Infinite QE's picture

One thing for certain, whatever gold ws in underground vaults will have been disappeared by the time they get NYC working again. Germans can kiss their bullion goodbye.

 

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:37 | 2930892 falak pema
falak pema's picture

does it dissolve in water? 

 

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:43 | 2930913 Ghordius
Ghordius's picture

given enough time, yes. it's about the same timeframe that the NY-FED plans to keep it, though, so it's irrelevant

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:52 | 2930936 Anglo Hondo
Anglo Hondo's picture

Never heard of 'dispersible gold'?  Just like aspirin, but a much bigger headache.  Germany should have opted for the 'enteric coated' version, methinks.

 

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:40 | 2931086 JohnFrodo
JohnFrodo's picture

Does tungsten dissolve in salt water?

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:07 | 2931194 Zero Govt
Zero Govt's picture

dunno but Benny Bucks cotton notes probably disintigrate in salt water as fast as they do in a Wall Streeters pocket ...an ocean ($40bn) of liquidity, gone every month to keep them afloat

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 14:34 | 2932166 Sokhmate
Sokhmate's picture

No. It becomes salted gold, though.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:36 | 2930891 bank guy in Brussels
bank guy in Brussels's picture

Movie from 1968 about a businessman in various adventures with Doris Day and others, during the great New York blackout earlier in the 1960s

Song by the Lettermen, 'Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?' in New York City

Opening of the film and the song ... a remnant of America's kinder, gentler age, when even America had no death penalty (1968-1976)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&v=6r9W7Jz_11Q

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:02 | 2931169 juangrande
juangrande's picture

Oh we had a death penalty. It was called "lynching"! Kinder, gentler is a matter of perspective....

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:37 | 2930893 Brokenarrow
Brokenarrow's picture

There are many decent people living in NYC. That said, I think we just witnessed karma in its most real sense. My bet is that it's not over. That said, the entitled, financial class will need some sort of special compensation--a double bonus--something. They don't lije interfering with the ways. Franky, not that it would change much, I would have loved to see the nyse under ten feet of water. The sacred cow of the most abusive criminals in American history.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:59 | 2930951 shovelhead
shovelhead's picture

Slight technical problem with the Karma Theory.

You have to be dead to experience it.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:25 | 2931037 Bastiat
Bastiat's picture

Not true. 

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:38 | 2931083 Vince Clortho
Vince Clortho's picture

Yes, the financial class is suffering terribly from this disaster.  These people deserve better.  Triple the Christmas bonuses and distribute them immediately.  Then do it again at Christmas.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:37 | 2930895 Rainman
Rainman's picture

Is a paralyzed world financial center considered to be a Black Swan on a solo flight ? Didn't see this bird coming.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:38 | 2930899 blunderdog
blunderdog's picture

Bingo.

There's no such thing as a black swan people were predicting.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:42 | 2930910 LawsofPhysics
LawsofPhysics's picture

That or great cover for more theft.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:31 | 2931057 Uncle Remus
Uncle Remus's picture

Wait...there was gold in that vault?

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 09:24 | 2931032 a growing concern
a growing concern's picture

I was thinking a Grexit or the fiscal cliff would get things rolling, so well played, Mother Nature.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:38 | 2930900 westerman
westerman's picture

Pumping the water out is just step one. Powercables have probably been destroyed, tracks aren't working, lights are destroyed, signalsystems are out, surveillance systems not to mention potential structural damage. All of this must be fixed inspected and tested before the subway gets back online. My basement was flooded 3 weeks ago. Took 2 hours to pump the water but the basement is still a mess, and we just had a few centimeters of water.

This is what happens when you pray for liquidity.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 10:40 | 2931330 aerojet
aerojet's picture

The subways are damp and dank, I'll bet they get them back up and working pretty fast.  Your basement does not offer any sort of comparison.

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:43 | 2930914 falak pema
falak pema's picture

turning tragedy into comedy; good photo shopped pictures. That's the irrepressible spirit of young spunk like bubbly chardonnay.

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