The question will be asked for years to come. Where were you when the TWU went on strike? I know where I was & I'm sure millions of others do as well. December 20th, 2005 will go down in history as the beginning of the 3 day TWU strike that shutdown mass transit throughout NYC. Many opinions have been shared from both sides of the fences. I will now share my opinion as well as what I did during the strike.

I just hopped out of the shower a minute before midnight. I went into my room & turned on News 1 as I anxiously awaited the news. The announcement didn't come until hours later but when it did I actually wasn't upset. One could ask how come I wasn't upset? The reason I wasn't upset in the least is because I'm not so selfish as to only think of myself.

The transit forum world was hopping with tons of threads & posts about the strike. I was shocked that a decent % of the transit buffs couldn't see past their own inconveniences & understand why this strike was necessary. I am not biased towards the workers even though one might think that since my dad is a bus driver. The bias isn't there but common sense & understanding is.

I didn't feel the demands of the TWU leaders were outlandish. The workers deserve more money considering the jobs they do. I also believe the MTA should take a step back as far as disciplinary actions against their workers are concerned. The disciplinary actions they take are usually so outlandish & uncalled for, it makes you want to scream. The retirement age being lowered to 50 also seemed fair as the jobs these workers do is more demanding compared to most jobs.

The first day of the strike started off quiet for me as I did local errands around my neighborhood. I eventually made it down to the Parkchester train station to see what the scene was without service. I took some photos & went back home.

The second day of the strike was much more eventful. I decided I would go to the Parkchester station during the day & see if I could catch some workers picketing. When I arrived, I saw a good crowd of workers doing just that & it put a smile on my face. I took out my camera & started shooting as the workers picketed & shouted out different sayings.

I found the whole atmosphere to be thrilling as I had never seen picketing upclose & in person. I was approached by a few workers wondering if I shot for the media. I explained I was shooting for my own personal site. I was glad to give out the url to a few workers. When it was all said & done, I was there for a couple of hours & couldn't be happier. The thought of seeing people fight for what they feel & do deserve put a smile on my face.

The third & final day was interesting. Originally I had no plans of shooting any picketers. The only reason I went down there was because I heard about a possible end to the strike. Since this was big news, I wanted to get a sense of the feelings from workers who might be picketing.

I showed up there a few minutes later after hearing the news & saw some of the same workers from yesterday picketing along with a few new faces. The picketing crowd wasn't as big as yesterday & seemed a little flat. I could understand why it would be as most were trying to contact different friends or relatives for the latest news.

Shortly thereafter, the announcement of the strike being over & workers ordered back to work echoed the crowd. I was glad I was there for the annoucement as I changed locations & got a few shots of the workers rallying around a supervisor. The workers weren't allowed in at first since the cops who were there were told not to let them in yet. Eventually the workers were allowed in & I was about to pack up & head back home. Thanfully I didn't as I had a nice surprise for me.

I stood there about to pack up my bag when an employee approached me & asked if I wanted to shoot the empty station. I couldn't say no to an opportunity like that. When would I ever be able to shoot the Parkchester station dead empty during rush hour! I took a couple of shots downstairs & eventually made my way upstairs to the platform. I took a number of shots there & left when my time was up. When I thought about how the day went, going down there for day 3 turned into a wise choice.

In the end, the workers went back & my only concern was the lack of a contract. I will always support their reasons for going on a strike & hope that they would do it again if the situation warranted. This strike should serve as a big lesson for the MTA. If you treat the workers who make your operation go the wrong way, the consequences will be steep. Thankfully for now the workers have a new contract & moving NYC one mile at a time!