This is my morning routine during the workweek.
I hop off the Jersey Transit bus at Port Authority, where it's always better to get a little backed up in the bus traffic so that we get let off closer to 9th Ave than 8th Ave. I speedwalk through the terminal against the flow of people moving towards 8th, zigzagging through crowds so that I can reach the 9th Ave exit.
It really doesn't matter which Avenue I choose, my building stands between 8th and 9th, but there is a vast difference between the two: trees instead of stripshows, sweet cafes instead of jampacked souvenir and electronic stores, little schoolkids and locals walking their dogs instead of random sketchballs and clueless clumps of tourists.
On 9th Ave, I feel like I'm in a neighbourhood where people get to know each other. The same panhandler jingling his cup with a smile. The man with the silver greyhounds. The traffic cop on 48th, waving at the schoolkids and talking to the doulble amputee in his motorized cart. Everyday, there they are.
The line forming outside Amy's bread, with its amazing selection of scones and pastries. And then, a block later, the Starbucks where they know my drink before I even order it. And then I say good morning to the old man at his usual table near the exit, and he waves with a smile as I head to work.
It's a fabulous morning routine, a great way to wake up and kick off the day.
My New Year's resolution this year, one of them, was to start living the Vancouver routine in the Big Apple by carrying a mug with me. A venti paper cup everyday. Every single day. That's easy to fix.
It takes a pretty big effort to be eco-friendly in New York. Certainly, we all take public transit and walk a lot, so this is one good step. But recycling is essentially non-existent. Bins around town? I've only seen some near Union Square. Bins in the workplace? There's one (one!?) for cans and bottles in the cafeteria and one for paper near the printer (though it's often contaminated with food) - - which means when I see the custodian push his trash cart past my door at night, it's overflowing with paper and water bottles and cans, all headed for the landfill.
So I let the paper pile up in my office to carry to the one recycling bin. And I collect bottles and cans in my drawer to either bring down to the caf or carry back to my apartment where I recycle them.
And I now carry a reusable mug.
Except that this is what happens now when I order my morning drink: I hand the mug to the cashier who calls the order to the barista who then takes a brand new paper cup and marks my drink order on it and sticks it into the reusable mug so that he can keep track of the order.
Seriously.
This is the thing with New York - the name of the game is efficiency of commerce. So if it's more expensive and cumbersome to have to sort recycling bins, the city doesn't do it. And if the barista needs a protocol for remembering drink orders that involves writing the drink order on a paper cup, then that's the protocol - in all cases.
Undeterred, I can be efficient in eco-friendly commerce too - if they won't adapt, then I will. My solution to be implemented: I'm going to bring a post-it note with my order on it and stick it on my mug everyday.
The trees of British Columbia will thank me!