View Full Version : New York City Indians
Every skyscraper in New York has been built with crews of Mohawk Indians. For over a century, they have worked on the high rise buildings that are the skyline of the city.
“A lot of people think Mohawks aren’t afraid of heights; that’s not true. We have as much fear as the next guy. The difference is that we deal with it better. We also have the experience of the old timers to follow and the responsibility to lead the younger guys. There’s pride in ‘walking iron.’” —Kyle Karonhiaktatie Beauvais (Mohawk, Kahnawake)
A 21st-century Mohawk ironworker might easily be called a real “man of steel.” For more than 100 years, Mohawk people have taken part in the seemingly superhuman task of building skyscrapers and bridges throughout the United States, Canada, and abroad. Working in New York City since the 1920s, these brave and skilled ironworkers built the city’s most prominent landmarks, including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the George Washington Bridge, and the World Trade Center.
The Mohawk tradition of ironworking began in the mid-1880s when they were hired as unskilled laborers to build a bridge over the St. Lawrence River onto Mohawk land. They quickly earned a reputation for being top-notch workers on high steel, and “booming out” from their Native communities in search of the next big job became a fact of life.
High Steel Mohawk Indians. (http://www.sites.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibits/archived_exhibitions/booming/main.htm)
Today, American Indians are dispersed widely throughout the New York metro area, and can claim no ethnic enclaves along the lines of Chinatown or Hasidic Jewish neighborhoods. It wasn't always like that, however, as there was a distinctly Mohawk community throughout much of the 20th Century, centered in what is now Boerum Hill in Brooklyn (formerly North Gowanus).
The community reached its zenith in the 1950s, when some 700 Mohawk men made their homes there with their families, mostly around Nevins Street. There was a bar in the area called the Wigwam. At a church on Pacific Street, the local pastor learned to speak Mohawk so he could better minister to his flock. It was in this church that a young Louis Mofsie (now in his seventies) practiced singing and dancing with his friends; that group would later become the celebrated Thunderbird American Indian Dancers, which still perform to rave reviews. Mofsie is Hopi and Winnebago.
The economic engine behind the Mohawk community in Brooklyn was steel. Over many decades, Mohawk ironworkers played key roles in constructing New York's built environment, having helped raise the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, the Waldorf-Astoria, the Henry Hudson Parkway, the George Washington, Triborough and Verrazano-Narrows Bridges, and the World Trade Center, among many other structures.
More recently, Mohawks worked on the AOL Time Warner towers at Columbus Circle. Mohawks were also some of the first skilled workers to comb through the rubble when the Twin Towers came down in September 2001.
High-rise work has been a tradition among some Mohawk since the mid-1800s, particularly among men from the Kahnawake (pronounced ga-nuh-WAH-gay) reservation near Montreal in Canada. Observers have suggested that the dangerous, demanding labor is a natural extension of the Mohawks tradition of building 200-foot longhouses. Others have pointed out that when the Mohawk first entered the business, there weren't many other jobs available to them. Over time, the high-stakes career was often passed from fathers to sons. In the building trades, Mohawk men earned a reputation as being sure-footed and excellent workers.
Mohawk Ironworkers: The People that Built New York (http://www.worldhistoria.com/mohawk-ironworkers-people-that-build-new-york_topic126144.html)
w0aew
10-11-2012, 06:45 PM
I made my first visit to NYC last April to attend a wedding in Brooklyn. We were there only for a few days but I find these articles you're posting fascinating. We rode the subway to Manhattan a few times, saw Times Square on a Saturday Night (as busy as the Vegas strip), rode the Staten Island Ferry, but didn't have time to see lots of other places. I'm doing what I can with Google Maps, books, and various websites. I spent hours wandering Brooklyn looking at those cozy (and probably horribly expensive) townhomes situated around the corners of bakeries, butcher shops, green grocers and pharmacies...neighborhoods that looked as if they hadn't changed significantly since the 30s. No big deal for most of youse guys, but having spent most of my life in Texas and now Colorado, it was quite a contrast. I bet putting up an antenna would be quite a challenge, but Cor's shown how he's done it in a similar environment so guess it's done. However, most of the QSOs I've had with hams in that area live in Long Island. I've never contacted anyone in Brooklyn, Manhattan or Staten Island. I'm usually on 40 or 20 meter CW or digital (hint hint).
I made my first visit to NYC last April to attend a wedding in Brooklyn. We were there only for a few days but I find these articles you're posting fascinating. We rode the subway to Manhattan a few times, saw Times Square on a Saturday Night (as busy as the Vegas strip), rode the Staten Island Ferry, but didn't have time to see lots of other places. I'm doing what I can with Google Maps, books, and various websites. I spent hours wandering Brooklyn looking at those cozy (and probably horribly expensive) townhomes situated around the corners of bakeries, butcher shops, green grocers and pharmacies...neighborhoods that looked as if they hadn't changed significantly since the 30s. No big deal for most of youse guys, but having spent most of my life in Texas and now Colorado, it was quite a contrast. I bet putting up an antenna would be quite a challenge, but Cor's shown how he's done it in a similar environment so guess it's done. However, most of the QSOs I've had with hams in that area live in Long Island. I've never contacted anyone in Brooklyn, Manhattan or Staten Island. I'm usually on 40 or 20 meter CW or digital (hint hint).
:lol: Thank you. I no longer live in the city, but I do find it interesting that they've had cowboys and indians. There is a strong line of Mohawk in my family so we were aware of Mohawks and other tribes working on the skyscrapers. I knew at least 4 indians in my building in Fort Hamilton Brooklyn, including the main rain dancer for the Thunderbird Indian Dancers. Putting up any kind of antenna on the roof of a building has become nearly impossible since the Reign of King Rudy. They have actually made it illegal to go on the roof and helicopters are in the air all day and night with IR scopes enforcing that law. With buildings being so close and nosy neighbors, even putting a magnet wire long wire antenna is a big challenge. There are a few with Yagis or GR5Vs but they're homeowners willing to deal with their neighbors.
kb2vxa
10-12-2012, 01:31 PM
NH John and I have had that conversation before, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn but antennas don't fare well at all. Now comes the question, how did cowboys and Indians deal with each other in this modern version of Drums Along The Mohawk? Or was that Hudson? Details are sketchy but the outcome is clear, Indians having the high ground remain while the cowboys are gone. You think it funny we sold Manhattan for $24 worth of junk but who laughing now white eyes?
n2ize
10-12-2012, 06:00 PM
Putting up any kind of antenna on the roof of a building has become nearly impossible since the Reign of King Rudy. They have actually made it illegal to go on the roof and helicopters are in the air all day and night with IR scopes enforcing that law.
I have a friend who flies a police chopper for NYC. He;s never mentioned being sent up on anti-antenna enforcement but I'll have to ask him about that next time I see him. From what he tells me the vast majority of their missions are ground support ops... for example a bad guy robs a pharmacy and runs into a park and he gets called to flied over and lights up the entire area with a spotlight while watching for the perp via infrared.
My guess is that if they are doing aerial antenna enforcement that would be a daytime op. as the antennas aren't going to make much of a splash in IR. But they'll get a great view of your rooftop and whatever is up there during the daytime.
With buildings being so close and nosy neighbors, even putting a magnet wire long wire antenna is a big challenge. There are a few with Yagis or GR5Vs but they're homeowners willing to deal with their neighbors.
Yet there are a lot of hams operating HF from NYC, many with very good signals, so they must be managing somehow... From what I've been told by several NYC hams its not so much the city that hassles people about antennas but the landlords / building management. Many buildings simply don;t want a tenant installing anything on their roof. Sometimes you might get a friendly landlord who will make exception and allow an antenna to be put up on the roof or strung across the yard. Of course to make this happen it's always a good idea to pay your rent on time, make sure you give the landlord a nice present around Christmastime, invite him up for dinner now and then. Landlords like that sort of stuff and sometimes might just give a smile and a nod of approval when you ask him if you can hang that skyhook. ;) Of course the other problem is the nosy neighbors who will blame you every time their home electronics malfunctions.
I have some Eskimo blood in my system and I also have a strong line of ancestors that lived in Siberia. People wonder why I like cold winter weather and how I can tolerate severe cold. It is because my genetics is set up that way, I come from a line of peoples that survived in the brutal arctic. Often you'll see me walking down the street in 40-50 degree weather wearing short sleeves and no jacket while every one else is bundled. Even now I have a window wide open and a fan blowing on me. My genetics is geared for arctic conditions.
I have friends in a lot of the NYPD units. There's a reason why this isn't common knowledge so if you get a different answer, there's probably a good reason for that. It's not the antennas that they're looking for, but people who don't belong on the roof.
The reason for making access to rooftops so hard goes back to the 1977 blackout when many snipers took to the rooftops. Landlords were required to put alarms on roof access doors and provisions were written into most leases that required permission to go on to the roof.
n2ize
10-13-2012, 09:50 AM
I have friends in a lot of the NYPD units. There's a reason why this isn't common knowledge so if you get a different answer, there's probably a good reason for that. It's not the antennas that they're looking for, but people who don't belong on the roof.
Oh yeah, I get what you're saying. I didn;t think they were on patrol for antennas.
The reason for making access to rooftops so hard goes back to the 1977 blackout when many snipers took to the rooftops. Landlords were required to put alarms on roof access doors and provisions were written into most leases that required permission to go on to the roof.
Well, if you are going to put up an antenna you are going to need permission anyway. Although back in the early 1990's I had a friend living in downtown Brooklyn and we took it upon oursellves to go up to the roof and install an antenna. Matter of fact we used to hang out on that roof quite often. Access was easy. Climb a few very steep steps and go through a trap door and you were on the roof.
In the old days (back in the 1940's and 50's) my Dad used to keep pigeons on the roof of his building in the Bronx. Lots of guys had pigeon coops in the Bronx. In those days going up on the roof was no problem.
These days with the degree of paranoia and the sterilization of NYC by Guiliani and now 12 years of Bloomby Baby it's hard to do anything in that city without arousing extreme suspicion. heck, you might get arrested if you are caught with a large sized soft drink. An alcoholoc drink might get you hanged in central park.
These days with the degree of paranoia and the sterilization of NYC by Guiliani and now 12 years of Bloomby Baby it's hard to do anything in that city without arousing extreme suspicion. heck, you might get arrested if you are caught with a large sized soft drink. An alcoholoc drink might get you hanged in central park.
Very true. I remember when Rudy I combined the three police forces into NYPD. NYPD absorbed Transit Police and Housing Police. At the time that made the NYPD the biggest police force in the country. I was waiting for a traffic light coming home one night and a newly unearthed subway cop was eying me suspiciously. My transgression? I had a mustache. That's why so few have them in NYC.
n2ize
10-13-2012, 04:50 PM
Very true. I remember when Rudy I combined the three police forces into NYPD. NYPD absorbed Transit Police and Housing Police. At the time that made the NYPD the biggest police force in the country. I was waiting for a traffic light coming home one night and a newly unearthed subway cop was eying me suspiciously. My transgression? I had a mustache. That's why so few have them in NYC.
Well, if you had a mustache you must be a liberal member of a certain ethnic group and probably a drug dealer too !!! All kidding aside I never thought of that. Now I'll have to start counting how many men wearing mustaches I see.
Well, NYC elected Rudy twice and Bloomby Baby thrice so I laugh when I hear people say NYC is a left wing liberal city.
kb2vxa
10-14-2012, 02:44 PM
Days gone by bring a tear to my eye... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9pVOcuqors
Well they sure aged well!
Speaking of the roof, here's a pic from my church in NYC.
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/534565_10150668952226274_2012277522_n.jpg
n2ize
10-14-2012, 10:49 PM
Well they sure aged well!
Speaking of the roof, here's a pic from my church in NYC.
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/534565_10150668952226274_2012277522_n.jpg
Must be a pretty big church.
Must be a pretty big church.
:lol:
Not OF my church, FROM my church. It was on the 40th floor and on a clear winters day you could see well into Rockland County...
Not quite the roof, but a few floors below and much warmer. The neighbors were making a lot of noise putting up that new World Trade Center.
I wonder what would happen if someone were to clip a feedline to a tower on the GWB and tune up....
kb2vxa
10-15-2012, 05:04 PM
He'd end up talking to Rich Little posing as the ghost of George Washington.
Quagmire: Wait a second.
Joe: Yeah, no shit.
Peter: What?
Quagmire: Peter, that's not Ronald Reagan. That's Rich Little! [to the ham radio] You're Rich Little!
Joe: He must be on his own ham radio!
Rich Little: [imitating Johnny Carson] Ah, well, uh, you know, Ed, the kids say you gotta go viral to promote yourself these days.
Peter: So, this is not Reagan?
Quagmire: No, it's Rich Little. He's an impressionist. He's been screwing with your head.
Peter: Well, this thing is worthless! Like my Palestinian alarm clock.
n2ize
10-15-2012, 05:18 PM
:lol:
Not OF my church, FROM my church. It was on the 40th floor and on a clear winters day you could see well into Rockland County...
Not quite the roof, but a few floors below and much warmer. The neighbors were making a lot of noise putting up that new World Trade Center.
I don't quite understand. I take it that the "church" is not an actual conventional church building but is part of a large building in which a floor of the building is used as a church.
In the early 90's I used to work on the 34th floor of the building on the corner of 57th street and 3rd ave. I really liked that job. And it was great. What a view. Except on rainy days when we were literally in the clouds. And I used to get some awesome vhf/uhf coverage from up there.
I don't quite understand. I take it that the "church" is not an actual conventional church building but is part of a large building in which a floor of the building is used as a church.
In the early 90's I used to work on the 34th floor of the building on the corner of 57th street and 3rd ave. I really liked that job. And it was great. What a view. Except on rainy days when we were literally in the clouds. And I used to get some awesome vhf/uhf coverage from up there.
The Church was on the 40th Floor of 250 Greenwich St. Nice views but you didn't notice that after the first visit. The message was that compelling. Wasn't a week that went by that I didn't learn something. That's what church should be like. They were also open to all. One of three things I miss about NYC is going to that church. The other two are Greek Moussaka and Fish & Chips.
I wonder what would happen if someone were to clip a feedline to a tower on the GWB and tune up....
The paint would probably mess up the SWR. OTOH, on the bigger suspension bridges like the GWB and the VZ, the towers are about 800 feet up and the base is grounded in Salt Water. Word is a ham working on the VZ talked to DC on 2 meter FM from the top of the tower with a HT.
kb2vxa
10-16-2012, 11:40 AM
Bridge towers are vertical real estate. You'd be surprised how many antennas and equipment rooms there are on the gee dub including a long story about what happened to a long neglected 2M repeater run amok that took years to find. Oh and please don't call it the GWB... most of us would like to forget... Mister Stupid.
Last time I crossed the GWB the toll was $35. Couldn't believe it.
Last time I crossed the GWB the toll was $35. Couldn't believe it.
They're talking about raising it again. I can safely say that because they're ALWAYS talking about raising the tolls. Granted, it is one-way. There is a way around that. Come into the city via the Verrazano Bridge and leave via the George Washington Bridge. For some reason known only to Staten Islanders, the VZ's toll booths work in the opposite direction of every Hudson crossing in the rest of the city and state.
The downside is that you have to traverse the Gowanus and Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) and cross another bridge to get to Manhattan.
They're talking about raising it again. I can safely say that because they're ALWAYS talking about raising the tolls. Granted, it is one-way. There is a way around that. Come into the city via the Verrazano Bridge and leave via the George Washington Bridge. For some reason known only to Staten Islanders, the VZ's toll booths work in the opposite direction of every Hudson crossing in the rest of the city and state.
The downside is that you have to traverse the Gowanus and Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) and cross another bridge to get to Manhattan.
Not a practical solution when you're driving an 18-wheeler and headed to points north.
VE7DCW
10-16-2012, 10:00 PM
Last time I crossed the GWB the toll was $35. Couldn't believe it.
Someone charges $35 .....to cross a damn bridge?????? WTF !!!!
One of the brand new bridges on the outskirts of Vancouver crossing the Fraser River will only be charging a toll of about 4 dollars a vehicle to cross when the damn thing opens around December ........ personally my tax dollars built the thing and the transit corporation thinks it's a beautiful revenue source!!! :irked:
Not a practical solution when you're driving an 18-wheeler and headed to points north.
Bridges cost a lot the closer you get to New York. There's I=84 that goes across the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge I see a lot of trucks on that. Then there' the Bear Mountain Bridge (not really for 18-Wheelers). It has a narrow, steep, twisting and winding mountain road to get to and from it. Dunno where you were headed, but here's the toll schedule anyway. (http://www.nysba.state.ny.us/index%20page/tolls.htm)
n2ize
10-17-2012, 11:22 AM
They're talking about raising it again. I can safely say that because they're ALWAYS talking about raising the tolls. Granted, it is one-way. There is a way around that. Come into the city via the Verrazano Bridge and leave via the George Washington Bridge. For some reason known only to Staten Islanders, the VZ's toll booths work in the opposite direction of every Hudson crossing in the rest of the city and state.
The downside is that you have to traverse the Gowanus and Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) and cross another bridge to get to Manhattan.
Are you sure you want to send him to the Gowanus and the BQE ?? I mean, that is just plain ...mean !! :lol:
W1GUH
10-18-2012, 01:11 PM
I have friends in a lot of the NYPD units. There's a reason why this isn't common knowledge so if you get a different answer, there's probably a good reason for that. It's not the antennas that they're looking for, but people who don't belong on the roof.
The reason for making access to rooftops so hard goes back to the 1977 blackout when many snipers took to the rooftops. Landlords were required to put alarms on roof access doors and provisions were written into most leases that required permission to go on to the roof.
Thanks for that -- didn't know that was a legal requirement. My old building had no restrictions on roof access -- no alarms or anything, but I don't know if they just ignored the requirement or what. And in my current building, it started out with no restrictions but then they installed an alarm. Wondered why, and this is probably the reason. I'll check into getting the so-called "permission" to be out there. I LOVE being on the roof.
W1GUH
10-18-2012, 01:14 PM
Someone charges $35 .....to cross a damn bridge?????? WTF !!!!
One of the brand new bridges on the outskirts of Vancouver crossing the Fraser River will only be charging a toll of about 4 dollars a vehicle to cross when the damn thing opens around December ........ personally my tax dollars built the thing and the transit corporation thinks it's a beautiful revenue source!!! :irked:
Yea, it's totally ridiculous. And what's really, really galling about Port Authority tolls is that they're being raised, in part, to finance the construction of the new WTC!!!!
Car toll on PA bridges and tunnels today is $12. The Tappan Zee is $5.
Are you sure you want to send him to the Gowanus and the BQE ?? I mean, that is just plain ...mean !! :lol:
A lot of truckers use that route as it is probably a bit better than the Cross Bronx Expressway or Major Deegan Expressway. The Major Deegan used to be the best of those four, but now it's becoming Mad Max territory. Nobody knows how to drive on it. I didn't relax until I crossed the Tappan Zee Bridge on the way back a couple of months ago.
W1GUH
10-18-2012, 01:16 PM
Oh, and one more thing. It's good that NY was built by New York Indians. So glad it wasn't the Cleveland Indians.
(Apologies to Ma and Pa Kettle for stealing one of their jokes!)
W1GUH
10-18-2012, 01:20 PM
A lot of truckers use that route as it is probably a bit better than the Cross Bronx Expressway or Major Deegan Expressway. The Major Deegan used to be the best of those four, but now it's becoming Mad Max territory. Nobody knows how to drive on it. I didn't relax until I crossed the Tappan Zee Bridge on the way back a couple of months ago.
"Mad Max territory"? Apart from the occasional death-with crotch rocketeers and drivers, I haven't seen much different over the last couple of decades. But then, I don't access the GWB from the Deegan, alway pass it. And traffic "seems" a "little better", or at least not as bad as it was. What have you observed?
kb2vxa
10-18-2012, 02:55 PM
"For some reason known only to Staten Islanders, the VZ's toll booths work in the opposite direction of every Hudson crossing in the rest of the city and state."
Those familiar with NYC area club bands know the Beagles, nearly unknown outside Brooklyn. Their signature tune could be confused with an advertizing slogan for the Roach Motel unless you read between the lines and understand the Brooklyn mentality and it's not the Staten Islanders.
Welcome to Brooklyn New Yawk
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room here in downtown Brooklyn
Any time of year (any time of year)
You can find it here...
Last thing I remember, I was
Driving for the BQ Distressway
I had to find the passage back
To the Island South Shore
"Relax," said the toll man,
"We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave!"
The bridge has been called New York's most dangerous bridge because 170,000 people cross it per day into Brooklyn, can't get home and are eaten by zombies.
n2ize
10-18-2012, 04:44 PM
"For some reason known only to Staten Islanders, the VZ's toll booths work in the opposite direction of every Hudson crossing in the rest of the city and state."
Those familiar with NYC area club bands know the Beagles, nearly unknown outside Brooklyn. Their signature tune could be confused with an advertizing slogan for the Roach Motel unless you read between the lines and understand the Brooklyn mentality and it's not the Staten Islanders.
Welcome to Brooklyn New Yawk
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room here in downtown Brooklyn
Any time of year (any time of year)
You can find it here...
Last thing I remember, I was
Driving for the BQ Distressway
I had to find the passage back
To the Island South Shore
"Relax," said the toll man,
"We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave!"
The bridge has been called New York's most dangerous bridge because 170,000 people cross it per day into Brooklyn, can't get home and are eaten by zombies.
WOR Am radio's pioneer traffic copter reporter Fred Feldman used to call the Long Island expressway (abbrev, L.I.E) as "The big LIE". Fred pioneered aerial traffic reporting.
"Mad Max territory"? Apart from the occasional death-with crotch rocketeers and drivers, I haven't seen much different over the last couple of decades. But then, I don't access the GWB from the Deegan, alway pass it. And traffic "seems" a "little better", or at least not as bad as it was. What have you observed?
I can't remember passing the Fordham Rd exit without there being a bad accident. Not in 30 years. Used to drive it once a week and, dasvidaniya, it happened the last time too. There was the 40-something who was driving at 15 MPH in the right lane that nearly got rear ended by the Greyhound who then nearly go rear ended by the cement truck. There was the teenager who was speeding up then slowing down to 35 MPH and cutting people off. There was the GWB interchange which means that most drivers have no idea what to do when they get to it - there was also a three car accident on that ramp. Last there was the pickup driver who hadn't tied down his load. He got off before I could tell him, but it was a pretty exciting stretch of road to drive.
"For some reason known only to Staten Islanders, the VZ's toll booths work in the opposite direction of every Hudson crossing in the rest of the city and state."
Those familiar with NYC area club bands know the Beagles, nearly unknown outside Brooklyn. Their signature tune could be confused with an advertizing slogan for the Roach Motel unless you read between the lines and understand the Brooklyn mentality and it's not the Staten Islanders.
Welcome to Brooklyn New Yawk
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room here in downtown Brooklyn
Any time of year (any time of year)
You can find it here...
Last thing I remember, I was
Driving for the BQ Distressway
I had to find the passage back
To the Island South Shore
"Relax," said the toll man,
"We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave!"
The bridge has been called New York's most dangerous bridge because 170,000 people cross it per day into Brooklyn, can't get home and are eaten by zombies.
:lol:
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is on the atlantic flyway. There are times when I've taken the bus across and seen Canadian Geese flying outside the window as they migrated south. Sometimes if you're in a high area of Staten Island, you'll see them circling in the night looking for a place to land and rest. They'll circle as little as 8 feet off the ground. In the spring, the VZ can be hard to drive. It is right on the ocean and the fog can reduce visibility to mere feet.
There was a legal case in NYC back in the 70s. A judge sentenced a man to drive the LIE from end to end roundtrip every day for a year. It was overturned as cruel and inhuman the next week. Says a lot about that highway. It's been described as the world's largest parking lot.
kb2vxa
10-19-2012, 10:36 AM
That must have been a long time ago, now those infernal walking, eating, shitting machines refuse to leave! They've turned lake shores around here into sliding ponds, I can't imagine what the kids have to put up with on the athletic fields in front of the local primary school.
Freddie Feldman may have been noted for his reference to the LIE but he didn't coin the phrase. For as long as I can remember many have referred to it and some in song as the big lie and/or the Long Island Distressway. It must have been the inspiration for ACDC's Highway To Hell. Not too bad when you get farther east but in Queens it's not worth your life driving on a roller coaster door to door with the traffic next to you.
"It's been described as the world's largest parking lot."
Not so, its 71 miles can't compare with the Garden State Parkingway's 172 that affords paid parking from the New York Thruway to Cape May.
Then there's the BQE that has its moments, that should come as no surprise. I witnessed one a few years ago and it was the timing that surprised me but then I remembered the phrase they only come out at night. Coming home late from the GF's in Queens the roads were deserted, on the elevated westbound side I was the only car on the road but not for long. I noticed headlights coming up fast behind on the inside lane, a low flying jet? Just as we reached the only exit on the left side that soon terminates in a T with a concrete support on the far side it happened, down he went at full speed... WHAM! --- Darwin Award.
Then there's a certain toll road in Westchester where they've yet to learn EZ Pass does NOT indicate a passing zone.
< snip >
In the old days (back in the 1940's and 50's) my Dad used to keep pigeons on the roof of his building in the Bronx. Lots of guys had pigeon coops in the Bronx. In those days going up on the roof was no problem.
< snip >Your dad knew Franz Liebkind?
Bridge towers are vertical real estate. You'd be surprised how many antennas and equipment rooms there are on the gee dub including a long story about what happened to a long neglected 2M repeater run amok that took years to find. Oh and please don't call it the GWB... most of us would like to forget... Mister Stupid.
Now that sounds like an intriguing story. Certainly better than the "pink" repeater in Butler PA.
Is it written up anywhere? If not, don't suppose you'd like to regale us with it, one day?
WOR Am radio's pioneer traffic copter reporter Fred Feldman used to call the Long Island expressway (abbrev, L.I.E) as "The big LIE". Fred pioneered aerial traffic reporting.I remember Fred Feldman & Helicopter Seven-Ten. Isn't he credited with coining the term "rubbernecking delays"?
Do you by chance remember the day that the relief pilot was filling in for him & crashed?
n2ize
10-19-2012, 06:38 PM
I can't remember passing the Fordham Rd exit without there being a bad accident. Not in 30 years. Used to drive it once a week and, dasvidaniya, it happened the last time too. There was the 40-something who was driving at 15 MPH in the right lane that nearly got rear ended by the Greyhound who then nearly go rear ended by the cement truck. There was the teenager who was speeding up then slowing down to 35 MPH and cutting people off. There was the GWB interchange which means that most drivers have no idea what to do when they get to it - there was also a three car accident on that ramp. Last there was the pickup driver who hadn't tied down his load. He got off before I could tell him, but it was a pretty exciting stretch of road to drive.
I was nearly killed on the Deegan a dozen times by people who didn't know how to drive. I stopped using the Deegan, I would be dead had I continued using it. I used to monitor the scanner and 95% of the calls were for an accident on the Deegan. many of them fatal.
The Fordham Road exit was the worst. There was never a moment when there wasn't a serious accident there. I remember a woman leaving school to head home. I warned her to avoid the Deegan and to avoid the Fordham road area of the Deegan. Rather than heed my advice she went with the Deegan and ended up in the hospital. Luckinly she survived and recovered. The Deegan is a death trap.
n2ize
10-19-2012, 06:47 PM
Your dad knew Franz Liebkind?
Not sure. But in those days a lot of people kept pigeon coops on Bronx roofs. It was a way of life back then. many of the guys who kept pigeons on roofs back then were gangsters from the 20's and 30's.. Many of them were once in jail so they used to stay on the roofs so as not to be seen on the streets. They used pigeons to pass messages. Others kept pigeons for sport or just for fun. There was a lot of competition among pigeon keepers in those days. My Dad lived through that era and he could explain it far better than I can.
n2ize
10-19-2012, 07:03 PM
I remember Fred Feldman & Helicopter Seven-Ten. Isn't he credited with coining the term "rubbernecking delays"?
Fred Feldman aka "Fearless Fred" was a fixture in the NY Metro area during the 60's and 70's. I remember as a kid being thrilled when we saw him and his helicopter circling over Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn one morning while we were on our way to school. I think he did coin that term
Do you by chance remember the day that the relief pilot was filling in for him & crashed?
Yes. I remember that well. The pilots name was "Frank McDermott", he used to fill in for Fred. He experienced a tail rotor malfunction under very windy conditions and crashed into a building. I remember Fred was devastated when he heard the sad news. Fred continued to fly. Contrary to many rumors Fred did not die in a helicopter crash. He died from complications related to heart troubles. He retired from flying because of his health.
kb2vxa
10-20-2012, 02:02 PM
Re: Hide and seek repeater on the Gee Dub:
"Is it written up anywhere?"
Not that I know of.
"If not, don't suppose you'd like to regale us with it, one day?"
A long time ago on a repeater far away (on Long Island) it's from a discussion about fox hunting. I don't recall details but basically it was a long disused repeater after the owner died and left no clues about it. The controller crapped out and for years it would periodically transmit dead air and the transmitter developed spurs that caused interference, it was tracked down to the bridge but with all the spaghetti inside and access doors locked it was impossible to find with normal means. One day techs connected to LIMARC working in an equipment room trying to resolve interference issues stumbled upon it and investigation by other club members nailed it down. The repeater was removed, problem solved, never did find out if a high iron monkey removed the antenna or not.
"Certainly better than the "pink" repeater in Butler PA."
Oh DO tell, were there several species of small furry animals grooving with a Pict on it? Never! Never shall ye get me alive ye rotten hound of the burnie crew!
Re: Hide and seek repeater on the Gee Dub:
"Is it written up anywhere?"
Not that I know of.
"If not, don't suppose you'd like to regale us with it, one day?"
A long time ago on a repeater far away (on Long Island) it's from a discussion about fox hunting. I don't recall details but basically it was a long disused repeater after the owner died and left no clues about it. The controller crapped out and for years it would periodically transmit dead air and the transmitter developed spurs that caused interference, it was tracked down to the bridge but with all the spaghetti inside and access doors locked it was impossible to find with normal means. One day techs connected to LIMARC working in an equipment room trying to resolve interference issues stumbled upon it and investigation by other club members nailed it down. The repeater was removed, problem solved, never did find out if a high iron monkey removed the antenna or not.
"Certainly better than the "pink" repeater in Butler PA."
Oh DO tell, were there several species of small furry animals grooving with a Pict on it? Never! Never shall ye get me alive ye rotten hound of the burnie crew!
I can remember a repeater war that raged for a few years in the NJ/Staten Island area. I had suspicions about it because something about the attitude of the NJ repeater owner reeked. Finally I got a HT that had a spectrum analyzer built in (Alinco made it). I watched for a few weeks and found the problem. The NJ repeater was down in frequency and someone had set it to take the same PL tone as the Staten Island repeater - even though it wasn't supposed to recognize it. This meant that a transmitter on the SI repeater was also keying up the NJ repeater. One night the owner of the NJ repeater was on. I monitored both machines as he complained bitterly. Everyone on the SI repeater was walking on eggshells afraid he'd complain to the FCC about them. I popped in and made small talk with him for a few minutes. Then I casually mentioned that I had a spectrum analyzer and was monitoring both machines. There was a slight pause, he recovered and we chatted for a minute or so more. Then he bid 73. After a minute or so, I watched as he or someone connected with the repeater moved the center frequency back to where it belonged.
There was never a complaint made again. Makes you wonder what the FCC was doing that they didn't pick up on this, but I guess they're very busy. Mind you, a few months after, someone complained about me, I suspect from the club I helped. Must've been a heck of a good complaint because a car with gov't plates came by complete with measuring equipment and an agent. Agent saw me and ran into the car and took off. Nothing found, no pink slip. Small wonder. I hadn't been active for months. Let no good deed go unpunished.
W1GUH
10-22-2012, 11:35 AM
Your dad knew Franz Liebkind?
May have been talking about the guy in Heavy Traffic!
Re: The two Johns' observations of the Deegan....
Thanks, guys, for trying to steer people off of it! Or, either you guys are the must unlucky people in the world, or I'm one of the luckiest. Never, in 40 years, have I seen anything like what you described, and that includes a few years of daily commuting to Yonkers. Worst thing I ever saw was the tie-up at George and Martha; if I've seen a bad smash-up, it must have been a long time ago because I can't bring to mind anything of that magnitude.
And speaking of George and Martha -- in the 70's (maybe earlier), they were referred to as George (top level) and Martha (bottom level). It was commonplace to hear on Shadow Traffic, "George has long delays, you'll be better off on Martha." Wonder who or what was behind banning that particular part of the lexicon?
One thing about George and Martha....if you're traveling north on 95 or east on 80 and need to use that bridge, do not approach the bridge from either of those. That approach can be a nightmare. I always get off, drive through Teaneck, and catch Rte. 4. It's always better.
W1GUH
10-22-2012, 11:58 AM
Can't find the particular post right now, but I've taken the kind request to stop using "GWB" to heart. Hadn't noticed that. After all, we have to deal with how Washington National airport was renamed by the brain-dead for the brain-dead.
Time to "crank up" a heartfelt rendition of "George Washington Bridge", with the oom-pah-pah's and the rusty cranks!
Pity I can't find that version on YouTube. Here's a solo rendition. The version I'm talking about has at least three parts. The bass voice are going "oom-pah-pah", while a middle voices are going "rusty crank crank, rusty crank crane, etc." But I think I've left out a part. Little help from anyone who will actually admit they know the song? Mebbe ya gotta be drunk to even think that song's even worth mentioning?
So here's that great song in a straight ahead setting...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTBePXgL1Ak
W1GUH
10-22-2012, 12:24 PM
And another video of the bridge itself with some nice time-lapse photography. Brings back memories of when I commuted to Yonkers from Teaneck. One thing I learned when I worked in Yonkers -- Westchester County has the highest level of "I know everything and I'm the greatest" conceit I've ever encountered -- even from wannabe B&T people. If I ever take up hot-air ballooning, I'd want one of them along with me -- they're a GREAT emergency source! But I'd have to have along some earplugs.
Oh, yea, back to the video. That guy "cheated". He approached from the Henry Hudson (but that parkway does provide a great view of the bridge, as you'll see) one that's much, much better than the Deegan; soon's I discovered it I never went back to the Deegan. But nowadays, the bridge is EZ-Pass only, so I can't.
Matter of fact, that Marriott that the car pulls into was being built when I lived in Teaneck; the property was just at the end of the road I lived on, Grant Terrace. Ah......life was good back then, pre-AIDS in the mid-70's when everyone was schtooping everyone else, and I mean that quite literally. Made lots of wet spots there! Not to mention the outstanding bar bands that were playing the circuit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3zQ4WDgRGg
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