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Saturday, October 30, 2004

Subway observations

After reading Subwayland by a New York Times columnist, I started to think about how weird the New York City subway system is. Here is what I got so far:

--You can buy anything on the subway except a used car. Everything from DVDs to watches, and candy.

--You can haul everything on the subway. Even delivery guys use the subway to move things. I have seen guys halling newspaper bundles to stores on a cart. Heck, even today I lugged home a vacuum cleaner.

--Figure out what the latest popular books are becauseeveryone reads on the subway. Might as well join one of the most literary bunch of people percentage wise. I guess illeterate people don't ride the subway.

--The most hot, humid and stuffy places I know of are New York City subway stations. Visit one and find out!

Friday, October 01, 2004

New York...where is my check?

New York City Department of Education only told me that I wouldn't be on the first pay check until after I arrived in August. Even worse, I now won't be paid until October 15th. Whats up with that? Seems that some bureaucrats can't do their jobs and move that paperwork fast enough. I had to go in and rant and rave to get a file number (which they said I didn't need, and now won't admit to saying it).

Even worse is the emergency check situation. On forms that International Recruitment gave out it says I can get a check for up to 60% of my regular pay check. I had to rant and rave with someone on the phone in order to get a check cut for sixty percent. Seems to me this would have been a no brainer because the sheet that International recruitment handed out was a print out from the Department's own website. I thought all was well until I received a message from my principal that the check couldn't be run for higher than a certain amount. That certain amount was way lower than the 60% of my pay check.

Seems to me that you just get stabbed in the back as a teacher in New York City. Then they just keep on twisting it. And the Department of Education wonders why there is a shortage of veteran teachers.

Go figure....