The honor system

New Yorkers have a reputation for being a tad brusque and perhaps even shady, but it's really not the case.

Usually, the brusqueness is from the hillbillies visiting town and being annoying.

Sadly, I've only been able to use the classic old joke once.

Yokel: Can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?
Me: Practice, practice, practice.

Good times.

And today, I saw how honest most people really are.

I had to go to my dentist, who is on Central Park South, right at the corner, diagonally across from the Time Warner Center and Central Park West. I was running late and used mass transit, so I took the crosstown bus to CPW and then hopped on the C train.

While on the bus, at the Madison Ave. stop, a woman in a wheelchair got on. It was one of those older buses, where the wheelchair elevator is at the rear door, so the driver had to get up and go operate it and make sure the wheelchair was properly secured.

But he was a trusting sort and left the front door open for the other passengers at the stop to get in while he was at the back taking care of the wheelchair. There were about 10 of them, and every single one dipped their Metrocard in. One guy even dropped in cash.

Now maybe the driver was counting the little beeps the Metrocards make and would have been able to tell if someone got on without paying, but he was really occupied with the wheelchair, so I don't think so.

If this had been a bunch of Red State Bushies, though, I suspect many would have scammed on without paying, with that feeling of entitlement the right-wingers have. Bastards.