New York Crippled by Christmas Blizzard of 2010

The closure of JFK during the storm seemed even worse than the chaos at Heathrow. I believe international passengers were made to sit for hours on the tarmac. Passengers on a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong were made to sit on board for 11 hours as the planes couldn't reach the gates because of the snow. Surely the airport is equipped with shuttle buses. Is it even legal to let passengers sit on the tarmac for so long?I thought this had all stopped with the Jet Blue incident in 2007- http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003574754_jetblue160.html
Disgraceful! And the Cathay flight was not the only flight affected. No where in the world does this happen but in NYC.Only when someone dies on one of these flights will the authorities wake up I think,

I have to say, watching all that snow come down on Sunday, I was so so so so grateful to be cozy at home and free of the traveling nightmare.

@uptowngirl I also heard that a train-full of people were trapped for six hours overnight in the subway, just a few feet from the platform. Can you imagine!?

@Uraniumfish I read that too.. it was the A train transporting passengers away from JFK. I would have gone stark raving mad as I do panic when the subway gets stuck underground. With no cell phone access one is truly helpless down there ugh.. nor'easters I do not miss at all...

I am in Florida for the holidays, but I would like to come back eventually. But I drove down here, so now I am at the mercy of the snow plows if I ever want to return, and supposedly the city took their time plowing the outer boroughs. Perhaps I'll just stay in the 60 degree weather until all of that snow melts!

My roommate has skiing through the city on the back of a zip car, which looks like fun...until the cops pull you over, at least.

The snow piles are pretty high in Chinatown still. What a drag trying to get around those narrow streets, now made sloshy and even narrower by snow. I always see those poor people getting off the Chinatown buses with stacks of suitcases and feel glad I'm not in their shoes.

I was home watching the storm. Couldn't believe how much snow we got. It really came down hard at times.

I don't know about the rest of you, but the city sanitation did a lousy job with snow removal. I heard on the news yesterday that some residents may sue the city for negligence. This city has about 125 lawsuits pending now. And each one is in the millions. No wonder this city is broke. Why can't people just fend for themselves sometimes, instead of looking for City Hall to solve all their problems. The people of this city need to be self-sufficient.

@hhusted I guess, but...There's only so much snow a private individual can shovel on his own. Besides, what do we have city infrastructure for if they can't even clear the dang streets the one time each year it snows.

Uhhhh... no. A lot of people had to abandon their cars in the middle of the street in Brooklyn because they had become stuck in the snow. City streets are the responsibility of the government, and if they feel differently they can send me a sweet tax refund!

@uptowngirl, etc.; I don't usually trust the New York Post, but the NYT et. al. are picking up the story and it seems there's something to it! What a shame...

Also it looks as if this article pointing out that it's the right-wing media outlets blaming the snow ordeal on union protests has a point: http://mediamatters.org/research/201101030024

What are we supposed to believe!

@BroadwayBk the TV news crews got coverage of the piled up snow which made headlines around the world so its safe to say yes there was some kind of delay but as the reason for the delay in plowing and the neglect of certain boroughs who really knows why that happened?

While most New Yorkers stayed home during the blizzard , this young man( like your roommate BroadwayBK) decided to amuse himself skiing down Park Avenue.
http://www.dnainfo.com/20110105/murray-hill-gramercy/park-avenue-skier-becomes-youtube-sensation

@Uraniumfish and @Uptowngirl: I understand what you mean. However, I used to dig out of my driveway, sidewalk, and half the street, just to get to work. So people can shovel more than just in front of their building if they wanted. I do agree that the department of sanitation is responsible for clearing the street, but it doesn't hurt if people help them sometimes.

I am seriously considering leaving my car in FL and flying home without it.

@BroadwayBK maybe that is a wise idea as another snowstorm is supposed to hit the city today

Here comes the second storm: it's coming down hard but so far it isn't sticking.

@Uraniumfish: This snowstorm today wasn't much. It's been too warm lately. The ground wasn't cold enough for the snow to stick. However, there is supposed to be a snowstorm next Tuesday and the temps are supposed to be much colder, so that snow may give this city trouble.

So far I have been enjoying the snow days at home, but let's see how this next storm will go. I feel like I'm using my down time productively lately.

No snowstorm, but the city claims it was prepared anyway: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/08/nyregion/08snow.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=snow%20storm&st=cse

@Uraniumfish: It is good to be prepared and productive. I try to be that way as much as possible. If I'm not productive, I feel useless.

@hhusted I think we all feel the same way

@Yes, especially when being very talented, creative, and imaginative. We all have energy and need to release it.