In last week’s editorial, we criticized stores that opened on Thanksgiving.
We wrote that “we understand the shopping mania that drives people to get out of bed at 3 a.m. on Black Friday to be first in line.
“But we don’t understand why people would let this carve up Thanksgiving. We’d like to see one retail chain find the courage to say, ‘We value our customers, their families and our employees so much that we wouldn’t think of opening on Thanksgiving. If you have to shop on Thanksgiving at our competitors, we understand. But we hope you’ll come back to a store that cares about your family for the rest of the year.’”
And one retailer did just that. In its blog on Thanksgiving, P.C. Richard & Son wrote:
“Happy Thanksgiving! Our 3,112 employees wish you a very healthy, happy Thanksgiving Day; a day for the celebration of families, friends and loved ones.
“Save Thanksgiving Day!
“It is our opinion that retailers who choose to open on Thanksgiving Day show no respect to their employees and families, and are in total disrespect of family values in the United States of America.”
We congratulate the owners and we hope this respect catches on.
Just Say No
At the only hearing in Queens on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s proposal to raise fares, most of the chairs were empty and only a few people spoke. The MTA should not assume that riders are happy with fare increases.
Most riders think the hearings are a show. Few if any are happy with the plan to boost fares no matter which proposed scheme is used.
One of the people who spoke hit the nail on the head again.
Jason Chin-Fatt, of the Straphangers Campaign, blasted the MTA for hiking fares four times in five years. He called on Albany and the city to pump more money into the authority.
Chin-Fatt said 53 percent of the MTA’s operating costs are covered by fares. That’s the highest percentage in the nation.
The state needs to encourage commuters to rely on mass transit. It won’t do that by raising fares again.
