🙄
It may seem hard to believe but people do actually live in America's fifth largest city. While the commuters rot in a crash pad or motel in Tinicum or Chester scouring theHub for flights, trying to get released, we're living normal lives on reserve. We go running in Fairmount Park, or walk around South Street, or meet for lunch or the gym. If this summer is like last summer we'll be 'down the shore' or at Six Flags alot too. The money sucks but most of us have another gig anyway, so 'sitting around' is not that bad when you live there. And no, none of us live with our parents until we are 40 like in the burgh.
I've commuted several times in my career. With a block, OK, still a chore but worth it if your life is elsewhere. On reserve? Stupidity, I wouldn't do it again, at least not long term. I think its so depressing that people have that commuter lifestyle permanently. Its no way for adults to live especially on reserve.
It just seems like alot of Pittsburgh people are in denial and think that the hub and the base (which they consider the same thing- as if airlines design hubs around where its workforce lives) are coming back. Then they come here and bash Philly, OUR home, a major city they have likely never even seen. I mean its great to love your third tier home city but when do you start to realize its a dot on a map to the rest of America and the world. Its just not that important of a place outside of USAir history. Hubs in places like Pittsburgh, St Louis, Raliegh, Colombus, Nashville... they are never coming back, the industry has changed. Charlotte is vulnerable too depending on how the mergers pan out.
My heart goes out to the 55 displacements. I've been there several times, seen almost every current base we have as well as furloughland. So has pretty much everyone else at the airline. Yes, Philly has alot of commuters because the same thing happened to them. Only thier home is 3000 miles away instead of on the other side of the state. Their commute is a five hour flight with limited service as opposed to a thirty minute flight, drivable in a pickle, with tons of service a day on two airlines. Puts it in perspective. And again, as much as it may shock you, 6,188,463 make the Philadelphia metro area thier home, some that are US Airways F/As!