Well, it's not really a rant, it's a considered, informed opinion. And it's not from me. It's by my friend James Russell, architecture critic at Bloomberg. If I wrote on the MTA I'd be less reasoned (though considering the corruption and stupidity of the MTA management, no less reasonable).

Hizzoner Mayor Mike -- that same Bloomberg, though presumably there's a wall between him and the news service -- is campaigning right now on a platform of reforming the MTA. I'm not a fan of Mayor Mike's, though I haven't seen anyone coming up who looks better. Now, if I really thought he could reform the MTA I'd not only vote for him, I'd be his campaign manager, for free. It's all smoke, though: the MTA's a state agency, answering only to the Governor. Mayor Mike wants to put count-down clocks in the subways. That, he could do, just like he could increase police patrols. (Keeping the subways safe is a NYC responsibility, even though the subways belong to the MTA, and therefore the state.) But save money, and increase efficiency? Make the trains actually run on a schedule, as opposed to giving us a clock that tells us when the next one's coming? Which would be a good thing; I'm not opposing it. I'd rather, though, have a published schedule that I could consult AND BE SURE OF. I can do the math myself.

Anyway, Jim's considered, informed opinion isn't on the subways, it's on Penn Station. I'll leave you to read it. It's just, once I get started on the MTA, I can't seem to stop.