Dear Editor:
Although government and environmentalists try energetically to get commuters to use public transportation, we have the likes of Faith Garcia, who commutes from Bergenfield by auto, complaining about the proposed Hudson River crossings tolls increase. She opines that getting to the east side of Manhattan requires a car; this will be news to the several hundred thousand commuters who endure the hell of public transportation because they can’t afford to use a car.
Her complaints about the toll increase should be heard, but her lack of good sense in using her car to commute to work in Manhattan should be criticized.
She complains about inhaling diesel and gasoline fumes, conveniently forgetting that she is a voluntary polluter with her own car. Of course, the car is convenient and, in many cases, preferable to the hell of public transportation; she is also one of the elitists who must use a car when abundant and cheap public transportation is available.
She may complain about one of the perquisites of PA employees, free passes for transit on PA tunnels and bridges, but she will soon find out that this fringe benefit giveaway by the PA is really a hollow gesture.
When I was an employee of the PA, I routinely commuted to Manhattan by public transportation despite the free passes. You see, I couldn’t afford the high price of parking in Manhattan; 95 percent of PA employees do not use their commutation passes on a regular basis for the very same reason.
Ms. Garcia might consider changing her residence, her job location, her method of transportation. Thus she might be able to avoid the tolls increase.
Frank X. Landrigan