Poverty, crowds, dirt and noise – it was clear to me that a metropolis brings such inconveniences with it. But New York competes with many other big cities when it comes to these and completely different things.
Knee-deep flooded streets and torrents in the subway stations when it rains, the air conditioning always on maximum level in summer, car horns around the clock, streets littered with rubbish (rats and cockroaches say hello), too few green spaces, no public toilets, let alone water dispensers – All of this is as safe in New York as the amen in church or cocaine in a club.
The list of annoying big city features can be continued indefinitely. What worries me most, however, is the poverty and the gap between rich and poor, which cannot be overlooked. Every time I see our Chinese neighbor pushing her oversized shopping trolley around filled with PET bottles, I think I’m in a third world country. How much do you think she makes by picking up other people’s garbage? Probably more than the elderly who put shopping bags in the supermarkets and only receive small change for it.
A common sight: garbage everywhere – just not where it belongs.
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Trust is good, control is better
What bothers me about New York are (still) completely different things. Anyone who has lived here for a long time will no longer be amazed that anything is going to work here. The work ethic (not to say competence) – or the lack of it – keeps me stunned, even after almost two years.
The neighbor hunts down PET bottles, I “hunt” my salary. I can hardly count on one hand how many times an employer has sent me too little money. A «fault in the system», a misunderstanding … whatever the reason, I don’t trust anyone anymore. Even when the taxes were refunded, the city did not transfer enough to me, and aid organizations also tended to debit too much from my credit card. I thought to myself that everything would not run as smoothly as in Switzerland. But I did not expect that it would be so amateurish.
Speaking of money, my first experience with US banks was when I opened an account. That went smoothly – at least that’s what I thought, until my credit card was sent to me. My surname was emblazoned on it in beautiful silver script: “Zmmerman”. I’ve got used to the fact that the Americans think I’m Jewish and therefore only write an “n” at the end. But to forget the “i” in “room” you need an extra helping of creativity.
The customer advisors’ approach to solving the problem was also creative. I was told on the phone that I had to go to the bank branch. Once there, they told me in turn that I had to call customer service. After a couple of loops like this that didn’t lead to anything, I finally gave up.
Like money transfers from strangers
Another peculiarity of the Americans when it comes to money is their e-banking or the lack of such a practicable system. If you want to transfer money to someone, you pay a fee for it. So many still throw checks around to make money transactions. And mind you, these checks are not free.
There are good apps like Paypal or Venmo, where money can be transferred with one click, and you only have to know the other person’s email address. These transactions can also be liked and commented on at Venmo – the devil knows why – and they can be displayed either privately or publicly. If you choose the latter option, complete strangers will see my payments and vice versa. An excellent way to stalk ex-partners and potential dates.
Service mentality? – Nothing
But back to the customer advisors and the like. The service mentality in New York reminds me of the one I met on a trip to Cuba in 2010: Really good service is only available for cash. In specially run “Casa Particulares”, the hosts were extremely friendly and the service was top-notch. In state-run hotels or restaurants, however, this left a lot to be desired – which I can understand with a monthly salary of around ten francs and no tip.
The situation is similar in New York: in restaurants and bars, where the employees depend on tips, they are usually very friendly. As soon as you move outside of these locations, the people are grumpy for what they can and they don’t care if they can help you. With hourly salaries of around eleven to fifteen francs, I can’t blame them for that either.
Why do I still live here?
Quite simple: Today a reading by Alec Baldwin (which you can afford), tomorrow a spontaneous concert by Karen Elson for twelve francs and the next day a surprise visit by actor and director John Turturro (“Romance & Cigarettes”) at the free film festival in Park. Fortunately, not only are the subways full to bursting, but also the cultural program in this unique city.
Wander through the mud once and still love? Many New Yorkers have such a relationship with “their” city.
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It can of course also be beautiful: New York from an Aargauer’s point of view
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Here, a souvenir from Knäcks Ferien: 9 types of travelers that we will never want to see again
Video: watson
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