I'm not a hero,’ Mr Candelaria said. ‘What was I supposed to do? Sit at home and watch a man drown and take pictures to post on Facebook? … That's not me.’
Me too - wasn't sure if I was going to post a thread on this but that line was the deciding point.loved this line!
I am a NYC 911 paramedic. I have been at work since Saturday and was not able to go home yet since my car was flooded by this storm. I have worked countless of hours this week. I have climbed more than 300 flights of stairs these last few days. Myself and my co workers are exhausted beyond belief, because the people who change shifts with us either lost theirs homes/cars, do not have gas, or any means to get here into manhattan. I have run out of clean uniform, have been showering in cold water because the hospitals are running low on generator power. All the hospitals below 40th street have taxed their resources and running on fumes or have been evacuated. Ambulances are running low on diesel and gas.
To have this marathon this weekend is beyond any energy that myself or that of my coworkers have. All the water and blankets and food that are given to these runners can be better utilized to those who lost everything and to shelters. I understand that 45,000 people from around the country and the world have come here for this, but I am sorry, NYC is beyond disaster. Just because north of 40th street looks as if nothing happened, downtown looks as if a nuclear bomb went off and only left standing infrastructure. To have this marathon is selfish, and dangerous. Your EMS/Fire/Police personnel are beyond exhausted, mentally and physically.
Simon Ressner is a lieutenant at the New York Fire Department and a marathon runner. I’ll give his perspective a lot more weight than that of Mike Bloomberg and George Hirsch. Ressner told The New York Times, that emergency personnel are deeply stressed, covering everything from their typical duties to making sure stray fires aren’t sparked as hundreds line up at gas stations to fill cans and containers. “I’ve written two e-mails to the Road Runners saying, ‘Just postpone it’”, he said. “That way, you’ll still get the money, you’ll still have a high-profile event, but it would show that you’re being sensitive. But now, we’re not going to show the world we’re resilient, we’re going to show them we’re selfish.”
Thanks button not nearly enough.It's mind boggling to me that anyone is even considering running or holding the marathon.
The arguments for holding it leave me shaking my head.
It will bring money to the city? All the cash in the world can't turn the power on faster, rescue people from their homes, pump more gas to the region, get the water out of the subways, create more hotel rooms or places to stay, provide food/water/warm dry clothing/shelter for those left homeless by the storms, or put out the fires.
A lot of money has already been spent? Tell it to the people whose insurance deductible has been bumped up to $5K, who can't get to work, whose businesses have been destroyed, and who have lost everything they own.
The runners have trained for months? Yeah, there are people who have lost every memory and memento from their whole life.
It will be a morale boost and/or prove how resilient New Yorkers are? If they spend energy on a sport, a hobby, while others are struggling to stay alive and while bodies are still being pulled from flooded homes, all it proves is how self-centered and egotistical the runners and organizers are.
Unbelievable.
Another "cancel this race" article (though it does attempt to explain - but not justify - why the race is being run):
Should NYC Call Off the Marathon? (motherjones.com)
NBC News ‏@NBCNews
The New York City Marathon has been canceled this Sunday - sources
I know. This was that rare thing, a bad idea no matter what one's politics, lol.Good one. You know when I agree with the folks at Mother Jones we're onto something!
Michael Skolnik ‏@MichaelSkolnik
The NYC Marathon's generators could power 400 homes in Staten Island! POSTPONE the NYC Marathon PLEASE RETWEET