On The Subject Of “Inconveniences”

Yesterday, during Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Roger Toussaint’s press conference in which he likened his struggle to Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, he attempted to apologize to those affected by the strike:

“To all New Yorkers, I’d like to apologize for the inconvenience and beg our riders and all working people for their patience and forbearance for the inconvenience caused by our strike. There is a higher calling than the law and that’s justice and equality. Had Rosa Parks answered the call of the law instead of the higher call of justice, many of us who are driving buses today would still be in the back of the bus.”

Let’s just get one thing straight here — an “inconvenience” is when the bus is ten minutes late. I think most would agree that this whole shutting down the entire transit system thing seems to go a little beyond mere “inconvenience.” But it also raises a bigger question: What would happen if he really wanted to put us out?