Hungry, weary New Yorkers with flooded homes and no power for days are begging officials for help as motorists are becoming increasingly desperate for gas -- waiting in line at the pump for hours, and in one case, pulling a gun to get fuel.
With hundreds of thousands in the city still struggling without basic services, Mayor Bloomberg late Friday announced that the New York City marathon was canceled, after mounting criticism that the event would draw precious resources away from the recovery effort.
"The marathon has always brought our city together and inspired us with stories of courage and determination," Bloomberg said in a statement. "We would not want a cloud to hang over the race or its participants, so we have decided to cancel it."
The decision was applauded by storm victims, who have been scrambling to acquire basic supplies to survive and get to work.
With gasoline supplies scarce, many stations in and around the tri-state closed up shop while stations still open drew long lines of cars that spilled out onto roadways.
Cabdriver Harum Prince joined a nearly mile-long line for gasoline Friday in Manhattan after already spending three hours in a similar queue in the Bronx — only to have the station run out of gas when it was almost his turn.
