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THE TROUBLES AT SOUTH FERRY SEAPORT
Sadly enough, the problems exposed on that article are not the only ones endured by the suffering Staten Island commuter, for the South Ferry seaport terminal is in terrible condition, and some of its users only make the place and the wait more uncomfortable than it already is. As most people know, smoking is prohibited at any subway stations, trains, ferries and at any other public transportation facility in New York. However, at South Ferry the law is largely disrespected, and smokers more than often puff their cigarettes freely there ,despite of the huge "no smoking" sign painted on the wall, just above the terminal's only newsstand. The newsstand is another problem. Not only does it lack many important publications(there are absolutely no children's magazines, for example) but it exposes pornographic materials in areas where they can be viewed by anyone, including small children. Security is almost nonexistent there. Hardly ever do we see policemen at the terminal(we mostly see them on weekends during the day), so one has to keep looking behind one's shoulder at all times, specially during late hours, when the homeless and the thugs mingle, giving loud, annoying displays of drunkenness. As mentioned by the Staten Island Advance(
http://www.silive.com/advance
) last January 24th, the two escalators at the terminal are a serious
and ongoing issue. For years, they have constantly malfunctioned, and
they are often broken down, forcing the commuter - even those physically
challenged- to use its steep stairs, for the elevator is constantly
dirty. As of this writing, New York City Department of Transportation Last Monday morning one of the escalators was working, but later at night(and as of this writing), both of them remained broken. Cleanness is definitely not expected to be found at the South Ferry Seaport. The place smells awfully(except, maybe, early in the morning), and it is(just like the boats are) seldom in clean conditions, although there are plenty employees there who seem to have nothing else to do. There are no restrooms for men. Due to the slow remodeling of the station, the male restrooms were "relocated" to temporary facilities downstairs. The problem is that those facilities are usually not available for those who just happen to need it, and then males are left with the only alternative of waiting for the next ferry which might not come in the next hour if the poor guy is using the service at night. The original South Ferry terminal burned down about ten years ago, and the current facilities were built as a "temporary arrangement" planned to last a couple of years. Only last September did the City start to rebuild the station, which, according to official sources, is supposed to be ready only by 2003. In the meantime, the old terminal gets little or no service when something breaks down, the excuse being the upcoming remodeling job. Comforts, such as a coffee shop or a snack bar are simply do not exist in the terminal(the only options being a McDonald's restaurant and a Starbuck's Coffee shop two blocks away), turning the the wait into something much more uncomfortable to bear. There are several tourists who take the Staten Island Ferry, for it is one of the best options(not to mention the fact that it is free) to photograph the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty and other New York City spots. As a resident of this great city, I often feel ashamed of the ordeal that our visitors have to go through when they have to use our public transportation outside Manhattan. As a taxpaying citizen, I feel appalled by the treatment Staten Islanders and other New Yorkers who also use the ferry on occasion get by our public transportation authorities. It is definitely time for change. Ernest Barteldes
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Please send feedback to: ebarteldes@nycny.net
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richard e. schiff,
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wo
weeks ago, I published an article on this column exposing the troubles
of the Staten Island Ferry. Back then I basically focused on the bad
schedule and the horrible conditions faced,every single day, by those
who depend on that service, specially for night time commute. 
