By Matthew Russell Lee
NEW YORK CITY, December 28 -- In the aftermath of the NYC blizzard of 2010, the streets left unplowed included Baxter Street, directly behind the Manhattan courthouses and detention facilities.
At dusk on December 27, as Inner City Press was on its way to the courthouse, it came upon an NYC Corrections Department bus stuck in the snow. Exclusive video here.
As several City workers and machines tried to extricate the bus, two police cars were behind the bus with their sirens on. A passerby wondered at the possibility of a jail break.
On 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue in front of the Public Library, already the snow was turning to ponds of slush in every crosswalk.
In the outer boroughs, even in the following days, many streets had not yet been plowed. Click here for Inner City Press footage of a street in Astoria, Queens, unplowed two day after the blizzard.
Corrections Dept bus stuck in snow, Dec. 27, 2010 (c) MRLee
Astoria councilman Peter Vallone fils denounced the lack of plowing, saying that emergency services vehicles could not get through and not enough planning had been done.
Astute Astorians have noticed the rundown signs on Vallone's Councilmanic and law office, as well as his name on the City's green garbage cans, taking credit for them.
Bronx state senator Ruben Diaz pere sent out pictures of buses stuck in the snow, noting that none including Mayor Mike Bloomberg had suggested they put chains over their tires.
Those impacted include, for example, a young worker at the A-Wah restaurant on Catherine Street in Chinatown, unable take the subway home to Sunset Park in Brooklyn and so sleeping in the store. The Beijing duck sandwiches and salt chicken are good, but so is a good night's sleep.
There will be a continued blame game until and even after the snow melts. Watch this site.
