cortland street station
The R train passed through the Cortland Street station today without stopping. Renovations on the station will be in progress until February 2006 and until then all trains will pass slowly along the platform and the construction material and debris and construction workers and back into the tunnel without opening their doors.
The Cortland Street station was closed once before for several months in 2001 immediately following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, because the station sat directly under the buildings and the station entrances ended up under the rubble. During that time the station was as empty and dusty as a ghost town, yellow police tape draped between the pillars along the edge of the platform, large hand-lettered signs instructing the conductor "Do Not Stop" and "Do Not Open Doors." We passed silently through the station daily like mourners.
When I first heard that the Cortland station would be closed again, my heart dropped. I thought it would be a painful reminder of the terrified numbness I felt during those months after September 11. But this time around, all the activity, and sounds of machinery, and the construction workers with their butt cracks in full view of the train passengers, make the experience a completely different one.
Today as we passed through the station, a dyed-in-the-wool New York construction worker nudged his buddy and pointed at the train windows. "It's like Disneyland," he chuckled. "Like one of them rides. Like the 'Pirates of the Caribbean.'" I have to say that I agree with him and that I am relieved.
The Cortland Street station was closed once before for several months in 2001 immediately following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, because the station sat directly under the buildings and the station entrances ended up under the rubble. During that time the station was as empty and dusty as a ghost town, yellow police tape draped between the pillars along the edge of the platform, large hand-lettered signs instructing the conductor "Do Not Stop" and "Do Not Open Doors." We passed silently through the station daily like mourners.
When I first heard that the Cortland station would be closed again, my heart dropped. I thought it would be a painful reminder of the terrified numbness I felt during those months after September 11. But this time around, all the activity, and sounds of machinery, and the construction workers with their butt cracks in full view of the train passengers, make the experience a completely different one.
Today as we passed through the station, a dyed-in-the-wool New York construction worker nudged his buddy and pointed at the train windows. "It's like Disneyland," he chuckled. "Like one of them rides. Like the 'Pirates of the Caribbean.'" I have to say that I agree with him and that I am relieved.
1 Comments:
Nicely told!
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