I can truly sympathize with the Jet-Blue Airline passengers stranded for more than three hours on a grounded plane; a result of an ice storm on Wednesday, February 14, 2007. I too found myself stranded that day, in New York Port Authority. My situation was the result a theft though the storm didn’t make the situation easier.
So how does one “Escape from New York” with no money, no credit/debit cards, no identification and no cell phone? I though I had the answer. The USO is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide morale, welfare and recreation-type services to our men and women in uniform. There is an office of the USO in the New York City Port Authority at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue. They have among other services, the internet. I thought this would be easy.
Though I didn’t have my military ID (it was in my stolen wallet), I had so frequently visited that I thought I would have no problem gaining entrance, particularly given my current situation. I was wrong. There was no issue about ID. The USO office was under renovation and closed. Now what would I do?
My first thought was to call someone I knew in the city. I had after all only moved from Brooklyn to New Brunswick, New Jersey three months ago. Surely I could reach someone who would lend and deliver the modest funds I needed to get home (about $6.50). I simple had to reach someone.
There is a funny thing about modern telephone communication. It has become finicky. Gone are the days where on picks up a pay phone (when you can find one), dials 0, a number and attempts a collect call. Many pay phones won’t allow a “free” call of any kind. Trying to get an operator on most payphones is like trying to get a non computer-generated response from a say, the phone company’s customer service line. Finally having tried 4 different independently owned and operated pay phones (Ma Bell Where Are You!) I was able to make a call. Well, sort of.
Remember when I said finicky? Since everyone in America it would seem has a cell phone and is hiding from someone (what is it with all the call intercept?) It is next to impossible to get anyone to respond to a number not identified by caller ID. I had hit yet another brick wall. So, I headed to the Greyhound Passenger waiting area (luckily the buses had been grounded as had the airplanes), found a comfortable spot on the floor, and attempted to sleep.
The next morning (I hadn’t really “slept” much) a police officer came through to rile the entire slumber party without bus tickets. I told him of my plight (as I had the officers who took my statement when my wallet was stolen). He suggested I go to social services.
It turns out the Port Authority has within the building a social services office which helps people in need (generally, but not exclusively New York City’s homeless population). It is called Urban Pathways. The office is located in the North Wing below the Police Station. There I met Dale Goodman a case manager. I didn’t have to fill out any paperwork. I just told him my situation, answered a few general questions and that was it. He verified my identity and address with a friend of mine. I was outfitted with a letter requesting transportation assistance from NJ Transit. I took the letter upstairs to the NJ Transit Information center where I received a one-way courtesy train ticket from Transit Supervisor, Perry Draden. I was homeward bound.
I sent a letter thanking Mr. Goodman and Mr. Draden for their assistance. I will drop off my payment for the courtesy ticket personally. So, now you know how to get out of from New York if you are ever stranded. Getting off of a grounded Jet Blue airplane may prove more challenging.
