“‘Those People’ should be made to work!”: NYC Man in the Street Says

New York City (WPI) - New York City, which has long prided itself as the greatest metropolis on earth, today finds itself embroiled in a nasty backlash some have labeled “racist.”

The war of words over the transit strike took an ugly turn after Mayor Michael Bloomberg described union heads as ''thuggish,'' a remark some said was racist in the context of a predominantly black union.

During a briefing on the strike at City Hall on Tuesday, Bloomberg kvetched that union leaders had ''thuggishly turned their backs on New York City and disgraced the noble concept of public service.''

Later, some City Council members and black leaders charged that Bloomberg's comment was racist because it was directed at leaders of a union that is more than 70 per cent minority.

''We resent the idea that you would characterize a predominantly black and Latino union as a bunch of thugs,'' said City Councilman Charles Barron.

World Press International took to the streets Wednesday to learn what the average New York citizen thought about the issue of race in the transit strike. For a city which has long proclaimed itself as the American icon of the “Melting Pot,” the replies were unsettling.

“Ze colored peoples are lazy and shiftless wherever one travels in ze world. New York ees no different!” snipped Rudie McFrogger, Maitre De at an exclusive Manhattan restaurant. “Wee, wee!” added his petite companion, Frenchie McFlamer.

“Good for me! Oh, yes, very good. Good for me. Thank you, Sir!” sing-songed an enthusiastic Stinkie McArab, a city cab driver.



“This strike is costing me a fortune! Those people should be grateful they have jobs at all!” whined Chyster McSheeny, an investment banker.




“Put ‘em all on a friggin’ boat and send ‘em back to Africa or Latinland, whatever!” Oozed Greassie McWoppo, a waste disposal consultant.



>“It’s hurting my head!” burbled Mick O’ Drunkie, bartender and part time wall paperer.

“Fire the lot of them! Pension indeed!” snipped Cheapie McScottish, a fabric importer.

“The Mayor should crush this strike immediately. Use the police, that’s vat they’re for!” shot Dexterminate McNazi, a pipe fitter.


“ No time, no time, no opinion. Too blizzy,” scoffed Zhmartr Zhen Zhou McChinky, a computer programmer from MIT.



“No good for blizzness, no good!” barked Charlie McSloopy Kim, elderly owner of a pet shop and Sushi Bar.




“The dark man was meant for a life of servitude!” sneered Toothy McLimey, a retired regimental commander in the British Army.

Despite living in the shadow of the great Statue of Liberty, New Yorkers are not quite as committed to diversity as they imagine themselves to be. At least not when a bunch of “coloreds” inconvenience them.

Contributing to this report: Smugger Mc Waspy, Holly R. Thanthou, Snowe T. Upstatter