Dear Editor:
Throughout the recent tragedy so many have come to the aid and support the thousands of victims of his horrible event. People are doing everything and anything they can to help those in need. The blood banks are full, warehouses are bursting to capacity and volunteers line up for miles. Residents who have working showers are opening their homes to rescue workers, and restaurants downtown are supplying food and drink at no cost. Hotels are providing shelter for free. Realtors are offering their services without charge. And even landlords have lowered their rental prices for those evacuees who can’t return home.
In light of all this patriotic samaritanism, I wonder what is going on in the offices of New York Waterways. While so many who can are donating services or lowering their prices for those who are affected by this horror, New York Waterways seems to be reaping great benefits. So many who commute have been forced to take the ferry due to the closure of the Holland Tunnel and the delays and sporadic closures at the Lincoln Tunnel. The increased number of riders has surely been a boon to business for NYWaterways. For many of these people the considerable increase in their commuting costs is a great burden. Lack of offering greater discounts in light of these difficult circumstances certainly makes Arthur Imperatore and New York Waterways look as if they are capitalizing on the hardships of others. They should reconsider the lasting harm this will do to their reputation in the communities in which they operate.
A Concerned Resident of Weehawken