Everyone Has Public Transit SEPTA Us

In less than two hours SEPTA, our public transit system, will be shut down due to a strike by the local Transit Workers Union. The buses, trolleys and subways in the city will be out of service. There's a Regional Rail system (commuter trains) that will be running because those workers are under a different union. Those trains, however, only make certain stops inside the city, and with the rest of the system down, it will be much more crowded.

This means that I'm limited in where I can go, and when. Those commuter trains can get me downtown, but that's it for anywhere I go on a regular basis. If I had tickets to a sporting event or concert (as it happens, I was at the Flyers game earlier) I wouldn't be able to go unless I had a ride. The largest of the movie multiplexes I frequent is also now impossible for me to get to now.

It might be worse if I had a job, though. So many people will be more adversely affected than I am. People should be able to get to work, school, etc. even if they don't have a car or aren't able to drive.

As much as I tend to support labor unions (outside of the "unions" for baseball and football players and other professional athletes), this should not be allowed. Between the economic situation and the environmental impact caused by cars on the road, public transit is now as crucial as the police and fire departments. Strikes by police and firefighters are banned by law (at least here, if not everywhere) as a matter of public safety. Their contracts are finalized, if negotiations fail, through binding arbitration. This same law should extend to transit workers as well. It would take a state law, and our legislature is pretty worthless, so I doubt it'll happen any time soon.