It was an unexpected step for what turned out to be a common winter storm.
For the first time in the Subways 110 year existence, the subway was closed down because of weather complications; and when NYC Governor, Andrew Cuomo, made the announcement, Monday–demanding the system be shut down–many transit workers, and even other decision makers, only took heed of his message after the official announcement was made.
“We found out,” NYC Mayor de Blasio said on Tuesday, “just as it was being announced.”
Local and state officials were left to defend a decisions elected officials are hardly ever forced to make: closing a city for a storm that did may not arrive.
At the episode’s heart is the sort of damned if you do, damned if you don’t decision that has bedeviled politicians for decades: Play it safe with closings, all but guaranteeing sweeping economic losses, or try to ride out the storm.
Nevertheless, the decision of playing it safe came at a huge expense as New York City lay bare and desolate, while city commissioned snow plows and waited for the dust–or rather snow–to settle.
And when it did, all that was left was a reminder that a city run by a certain hustle was neglected that very movement for an enemy that never even bothered to show up for war.
But Cuomo seemed satisfied by the decision. On Sunday, Mr. de Blasio said, “This could be the biggest snowstorm in the history of New York City,”
But on Tuesday, sentiments were different.
“I would much rather be in a situation where we say we got lucky than one where we didn’t get lucky and somebody died,” Mr. Cuomo said, reported the Times.
– Hurtjohn
