Enter Metropolitan Transit Authority

Feb 17

I call the MTA info line.  Someone who is clearly not going to be the person to help me asks how she can help me.  I tell her I have an unusual question: I want to know where to obtain empty Metrocards.  She laughs and says, “just look on the ground.  I don’t know about you, but where I live, they’re all over.”

“I know,” I tell her, “the only problem is, I need about five thousand.”

Thus begins the goose chase.  She refers me to the MTA Transit Museum at Grand Central Station.  I phone them and am told to call back later for “Greg,” head of inventory.  I wait out the hour wondering how “Greg” could possibly be responsible for the inventory of Metrocards supplying New York City’s transit needs.  I’m buoyed between the exhilarating, insane possibility that this actually might be true, and the sinking feeling of having boarded a train going in the wrong direction.

Greg eventually refers me to his boss Gail, whom I should email.  It’s already Friday evening.

I don’t know if this is going to happen.  Too many uncertain variables at this point.  Time is running out.