Occupy Wall Street -- just venting

[salsabike]

I am so disappointed that that is not a "real" Wikileaks truck.

Has anyone figured out yet how the park denizens are going to the bathroom?

[PamNY]

Has anyone figured out yet how the park denizens are going to the bathroom?

As far as I know, they are using local fast food places. I was thinking this morning that it's too bad pay toilets are illegal in New York.

Maybe I could work around that restriction by simply charging admission to my apartment, say $2 per 5 minute visit.

[ny biker]

They're in DC today. Supposedly with a focus on the issue of jobs/lack thereof. They marched to a few places and from what I've heard, they messed up rush hour traffic. Which is guaranteed to just make people around here hate you, regardless of what you're trying to accomplish.

[Crankin]

They've been in Boston for a few days. Don't seem to be bothering anyone... camping out on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
I'm not sure if they are accomplishing anything, no one here seems to be paying attention.

[OakLeaf]

Very good reading: http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/...allstreet.html

I have to say I'm mildly astounded at how many people on this forum seem to consider themselves, in Steinbeck's words, "temporarily embarrassed millionaires" instead of part of the 99%.

Now I'll put this thread on ignore. I'm disappointed that it's been allowed to continue, but apparently I'm the only one so bothered by it.

[tulip]

Oak,
Not that you will read this because you put it on ignore, but please don't assume you know what I think of this simply by the posts or non-posts on this thread. People are doing their best to get by. Some people are speaking out. Some people are just putting their heads down and forging ahead as best they can. Some people don't have anything to worry about. There is room in the world for all those people; they have value no matter what where they stand on this, or any other, issue.

Pam can speak for herself; I found her observations from the ground to be very interesting. I did not feel the need to comment on it one way or the other, though.

Personally, I spent the day with a dying friend. I will see her one more time over the weekend, and then never again since I will have to travel for the next few weeks and she won't be here when I get back. My concerns are a bit closer to home at the moment; I would even venture to say more important in my world. We all contribute in our own way; we do not have to do it your way in order to have value as a person. So what if I don't particularly give a hoot about these protests; it does not mean I don't care about the issues (not that it should matter). I just go about it in a different way than you or the protesters do, apparently.

I can't speak for anyone else on the forums, but I felt moved to respond to your post. Ignoring the thread is a good idea if it doesn't say what you want it to say. I do that all the time.

[salsabike]

Oak,
Not that you will read this because you put it on ignore, but please don't assume you know what I think of this simply by the posts or non-posts on this thread. People are doing their best to get by. Some people are speaking out. Some people are just putting their heads down and forging ahead as best they can. Some people don't have anything to worry about. There is room in the world for all those people; they have value no matter what where they stand on this, or any other, issue.

Pam can speak for herself; I found her observations from the ground to be very interesting. I did not feel the need to comment on it one way or the other, though.

Personally, I spent the day with a dying friend. I will see her one more time over the weekend, and then never again since I will have to travel for the next few weeks and she won't be here when I get back. My concerns are a bit closer to home at the moment; I would even venture to say more important in my world. We all contribute in our own way; we do not have to do it your way in order to have value as a person. So what if I don't particularly give a hoot about these protests; it does not mean I don't care about the issues (not that it should matter). I just go about it in a different way than you or the protesters do, apparently.

I can't speak for anyone else on the forums, but I felt moved to respond to your post. Ignoring the thread is a good idea if it doesn't say what you want it to say. I do that all the time.

Lovely, Tulip. Truly. Thank you. And I am sorry about your friend.

[NbyNW]

Very eloquent response, Tulip. I too am perplexed at how Oakleaf arrived at her conclusion about those who may or may not be participating in this discussion.

Sending wishes for peace and comfort for your friend, and for the precious time that you have together.

[ShubieGA]

Tulip, So sorry about your friend. Cherish your time with her.

PamNY - thanks for the info, as there will be one in Atlanta tomorrow too - may change my lunch plans.

[PamNY]

I was contemplating why I posted about this in the first place. Finally figured out the reason for my first post: this is a place I'm comfortable talking about fear in general, and on the street in particular.

My first post was about a large, fast-moving crowd that I didn't expect or know about -- and a cop ordering me to not run across the street away from them, for reasons which I understand now, but didn't then.

I certainly wasn't looking for sympathy, but I knew my experience would be understood in this group. I didn't think of my post as political at all -- in fact, my complaint was about our city government, not about the protesters.

Later, the story became that individual people in the neighborhood and (mostly) our unpaid community board volunteers are doing all of the negotiating with the protesters about small, day-to-day issues. I mentioned a bit about the human-scale things that were taken away on 9/11 because it's an interesting local detail, and I made it very clear that OWS, in general, is paying attention to our concerns. It is quite remarkable that five OWS people attended a community board meeting in the middle of yesterday's march of 15,000 people.

My story would be the same regardless of who was camped out in Zuccotti Park; if the Tea Party was over there with a drum circle, you can be assured that we would try to get them to stop at a reasonable hour. Nothing political about it.

Tulip, thank you for your eloquent post, and I am sorry about your friend.

[NbyNW]

Pam, I have not found your posts to be political. It's really great that you've shared your observations and what you've experienced of how this has impacted and interacted with the neighborhood on a day-to-day basis. As I mentioned before, I haven't heard much on that perspective from the news sources I frequent.

By and large I think this thread has avoid crossing over into what could become a political and possibly inflammatory discussion. I think most of us have a sense of where that line is, and thus avoid crossing it.

[jyyanks]

Oak,
Not that you will read this because you put it on ignore, but please don't assume you know what I think of this simply by the posts or non-posts on this thread. People are doing their best to get by. Some people are speaking out. Some people are just putting their heads down and forging ahead as best they can. Some people don't have anything to worry about. There is room in the world for all those people; they have value no matter what where they stand on this, or any other, issue.

Pam can speak for herself; I found her observations from the ground to be very interesting. I did not feel the need to comment on it one way or the other, though.

Personally, I spent the day with a dying friend. I will see her one more time over the weekend, and then never again since I will have to travel for the next few weeks and she won't be here when I get back. My concerns are a bit closer to home at the moment; I would even venture to say more important in my world. We all contribute in our own way; we do not have to do it your way in order to have value as a person. So what if I don't particularly give a hoot about these protests; it does not mean I don't care about the issues (not that it should matter). I just go about it in a different way than you or the protesters do, apparently.

I can't speak for anyone else on the forums, but I felt moved to respond to your post. Ignoring the thread is a good idea if it doesn't say what you want it to say. I do that all the time.

I'm very sorry to hear about your friend. Sending thoughts and prayers.

Your post was amazing and well written - thank you.

[PamNY]

Honest, I was going to leave this topic alone, but the Daily Show (Jon Stewart) has addressed the bathroom issue.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/th...treet-occupied

If you aren't familiar with the Daily Show, it is irreverent, sometimes graphic humor.

And in case you think we in lower Manhattan are obsessed with potty issues, the 9/11 Memorial does not have public rest room facilities. This lack was already putting a strain on small businesses and other tourist destinations in the area.

[ny biker]

I was going to post that Daily Show link. With a warning to not ever let those people into your home, for any amount of money. How do they not see what they are doing to some really hard-working people??

Re: the 9/11 Memorial, what exactly is open to the public at this point? The fountain area? The museum? Is the lack of bathroom facilities a temporary thing while it's all still under construction?

[PamNY]

I think just the fountain part is open now, and the area where names are engraved. Museum opens next fall and will have restrooms.

They can't have outdoor public trash cans or Porta potties near the memorial because both are security hazards -- bombs could be placed in them. It's really crowded and littered and only a block away from OWS's encampment.