Nothing like a transit shutdown to bring about the best and worst of local TV News and Radio. At least, for once, the endless traffic reports, (which is the tapestry of morning-news TV), were longed for and legitimate.
The BART strike of 2013 is a big story, no doubt, but it has brought forth all the icky elements of why many people have a distaste for the media.
For one, the noticeable rush of adrenaline seen on the Bay Area TV screens was not from the commuter but instead on way-too-giddy local reporters doing live shots with the glee of a kid inside a toy store about to go on a free shopping spree.
As usual, the Bay Bridge Toll Plaza was a popular destination for reporters. The overhead shots from the helicopters made for compelling TV and for once, actually showed the vehicular mayhem, the Bay Area's version of carmageddon. Too bad one reporter, instead of asking the usual ridiculous "is it rough driving?", could not think on their own and better ask, "did you not think about alternative ways to get into the city?" I know, grumpy me, dare thinking beyond the usual standard-fare morning TV news minutiae.
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I can not wait for the BREAKING NEWS when the Ailens arrive.
ReplyDeleteI love it! Let all of the lemmings suffer with the heat and the traffic while I sit here at home in Marin and chortle at your misfortune. We don't have to worry about a BART strike, because we don't have any BART lines over here!
ReplyDeleteInteresting that the 'breaking news' of the heat wave is getting trumped by the 'breaking news' of the BART strike. Traffic beating weather for a change.
ReplyDeleteThey don't call it "Traffic and Weather Together" without reason ...
DeleteThis would be an "Alien" Alert ... Breaking News First!" leading into a "Zombie Flash Mob FIRST on TWO".
ReplyDeleteHey Rich, since you have such experience in doing TV news as an on-air reporter, how do you know what you'll say? A producer and director shouting in your earpiece through IFB may twist what you think you'd say into "Well...how do you feel about the BART strike?
as opposed to thinking about what you'd really like to say.
Often, you have no choice, but it still comes out dumb. Don't tread where others fear to go unless you've been there, please?
It's a career wrecker.
Don't take yourself so seriously...you're not curing cancer. Simple common sense please.
DeleteHere's breaking news ... It's 10 am and the Lieberman "Censor" switch has already been thrown. "When news break, we break up!"
ReplyDeleteRich
ReplyDeleteYou've got a steel-trap mind. It's a shame that you're not one of the chosen few to bring us the news each day on the telly.
I haven't seen or heard the "icky elements" you're talking about. KCBS in particular shines during these huge news events. They're the only radio station with airborne traffic reporters. The usual criticism of repetition goes out the window when people actually NEED traffic reports every 10 minutes. KGO has done a good job too. Most of the media outlets seem to be focused on the right angles...how long will it take me to get to work and what are some of the alternatives? And yes I just heard a reporter ask a commuter if they considered telecommuting.
ReplyDelete...And shame on bay area TV/Radio for not asking any questions or giving any insight as to WHY Bart is allowed to have no contingency plans when a strike arises? Why do the airlines have pilots ready to go when they strike but Bart has nobody waiting in the wings to make sure the good people of the bay area are not stressed out, crippled and totally inconvenienced by their problems? Where is that story??? I don't care that it takes 90 minutes from Concord into the city... I already knew that. Why is Bart allowed to get away with this?
ReplyDelete"Why is Bart allowed to get away with this?"
DeleteIt's all just theater...
It's easier, much easier for BART to let the strike occur and cave in after public outcry. Cave in too early and they have trouble selling the rate hike to the riders. Their objective isn't to beat the union, it's to beat the riders mindset.
Implementing a contingency plan is hard work for a complicated system, one that the union workers wouldn't participate in. Spooling up a couple thousand worker just in case? Then, god forbid the scab isn't qualified and a fatality occurs? It's much better that the strike occurs. Again, the only objective is to make the wage increase digestible.
It's called the "strategy of tension"...9/11, Major shooting rampages, etc. Make people nervous and uncomfortable and they will surrender and cave in on a topic when they otherwise wouldn't. That's why we have now spy problems, fake wars, new gun laws, etc.
Hard to imagine an accident occurring with a scab "driving" a train. BART was designed to be run by computer, no driver necessary. So it's unlikely a new driver would cause an accident. They mostly are there to look out the window to make sure the doors close properly etc. Minimal training would be all they need to begin working. That could be done in simulators, and they'd have a backup force all ready to go. Why doesn't BART do it? Who knows?
DeleteI have no sympathy for these workers. They are well paid for unskilled or semi-skilled jobs. Who do they think pays their salaries, benefits and pension? Riders and taxpayers, so if their customers aren't getting raises, why should they?
Molly not all football players are 1/4 backs, not all bart employees are operators.
DeleteThe vast majority are behind the scenes and work with lethal hazards such as high voltage. Next time you see a bart service vehicle on the road, figure they are not one of the folks that "drive" the trains.
Regarding raises, the economy hasn't impacted the wages of most federal, state, and municipal workers one bit. Why shouldn't BART folks be entitled to the same treatment? Folks that work for water districts are treated like kings and queens! They get their yearly cost of living bumps without the strike drama and pass the increase on to the end user ALL THE TIME.
Prove me wrong and offer proof that BART admin hasn't been getting their annual bumps in salary.
But MOST other govt workers HAVE been impacted, either by being furloughed (state, county and city workers) http://www.seiu1021.org/2013/02/19/alameda-courts-workers-no-more-furloughs/
Deletewages frozen (Federal workers)http://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2013/03/obama-signs-fed-pay-freeze/62103/
sequestration etc.
As far as I know, none of this has been done at BART. And their work week is 37 1/2 hours, not 40, with lots of paid holidays.
What gives you the idea that I am sympathetic to other quasi-govt workers getting raises? I didn't mention them at all. My feelings are the same for water district workers, EB Parks workers etc. and I email their board members regularly expressing my displeasure with raising rates to cover pay raises (concealed as infrastructure improvement). They are very well compensated with great benefit packages and they usually don't contribute their share -- we pick up their benefits. I don't think they should be threatening to strike or expecting big raises either.
Same with BART admin. Grossly overpaid. But all this still does not justify BART workers getting big raises, too. As a transit agency overall, they are within the top 5 in the country in compensation across the board, so I don't think they're underpaid.
The Today Show had a canned shot of the Golden Gate Bridge this morning. Those stranded BART commuters wil go to any lentgth to get into the SF.
ReplyDeleteActually, they do. The Richmond Bridge has been a major alternative to the Bay Bridge for some time now (it started when people discovered it after the '87 earthquake) which greatly increases the East Bay traffic over the GG Bridge.
Delete"...the endless traffic reports, (which is the tapestry of morning-news TV), were longed for and legitimate."
ReplyDeleteExcept that you already know what the traffic will be like.
Glenn's traffic report from this morning:
ReplyDeleteJammed.
Now on to other news.
Please inform me of the other options of getting to the city when the trains are not working:
ReplyDelete"Too bad one reporter, instead of asking the usual ridiculous "is it rough driving?", could not think on their own and better ask, "did you not think about alternative ways to get into the city?""
Alternative ways to get to the city today aside from driving to catch a bus or ferry: swimming.
The bus and/or the ferry--beats the hell out of sitting in your car. Just my opinion.
DeleteThere are numerous reports that the buses are taking longer than driving and this morning the ferry lines looked unbearable. Plus they are packing them in like sardines
Deletework from home. take comp time, sick leave. vacation. Ask Google to help. In fact, you might want to use Google, Steven.
DeleteBREAKING NEWS! ABC7 has Cell Technology!! Yeah it's called "FaceTime" "Skype" boring........
ReplyDeleteWhat a Mess Thanks BART and Unions
ReplyDeleteJust heard a report that there were fewer cars crossing the bay bridge today than last monday between 5a-9a. Too bad there aren't lots more ferries at a better price
ReplyDeletePlease get BART up and running. If necessary fire all the BART employees. We the people designed, built and paid our tax dollars for this system and now we are being held hostage by the BART employees who make better wages and salaries than most of us in the Bay Area. Management is not without blame either. These employees are bringing the end to labor unions. It is time to get different managers and hire non-union labor so riders get better service: cleaner cars, cleaner stations, less hearing damage from the rail noise, etc. What about all the the transit housing that is being built? People are being harmed in more ways than one from BART. Shame on all of you BART employees.
ReplyDelete