The Travels: The City of Holidays

Saturday, February 05, 2005

The City of Holidays

I have been in healthcare since 1971 (you do the math). In all of those years I waited from New Year's Day to Memorial Day for an extra day off: a 5 month gap. I thought this was normal. After all, I spent the first 16 years in the hotbed of unionism - Pittsburgh. If any place in the country would reward its workers with more time off it would be Pittsburgh, right?

Then I moved to Harrisburg. Another 15 years with 2 area employers - Same number of holidays as Pittsburgh.

Now I have a hospital client in Manhattan. Since New Year's this client has shut down for 2 additional holidays: Martin Luther King Day, and today Presidents' Day. I learned of this after I bought my train ticket and made my travel plans. My co-worker is flying in from St. Paul. He already bought an air ticket at discount - nonrefundable. I write this as I ride the train into New York.

It's always an afterthought as in "You mean you didn't know we closed for (fill-in-the-blank)? No one will be here Monday." They appear shocked that the rest of the country doesn't close for every federal holiday. I'm almost afraid to ask what other days they celebrate. One VP told me the number of annual holidays was 12. When I replied that most places had 7 or 8 including personal days, she responded that the 12 didn't include 4 "personal days". We're not talking vacation. This is holiday time: 16 days. This particular VP also gets 5 weeks of vacation.

I'm thinking of taking a cab when I get into Manhattan instead of the subway. Friday I learned that the subway will be on a "weekend schedule". I have no idea what that means.

What rubes we were in Pittsburgh.

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