Gary B. Martin is an illustrator and animator who has lived on the Upper West Side for more than three decades. “A few years ago, a myriad of wheeled vehicles seemed to take over the city,” he emailed West Side Rag, along with the above illustration, created in 2022, but never before published. “I was finding it difficult to walk safely and wanted to express my frustration with the ‘new normal’,” Martin wrote. So, he created a Manhattan version of the classic board game Chutes and Ladders. In the time since he drew it, “My 2 cents are, it’s gotten worse,” he added.
Many readers agree with him, as evidenced by a recent Rag story surveying comments on the topic.
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Fabulous illustration! Says it all.
Perhaps it’s time to dis-invent the wheel!
Oh, God- this is fantastic. Very funny, and all too spot-on.
Where’s the groups of tourists walking six astride on the sidewalk?
Missing are potholes, and now fake license plates
Terrific! Glad the clueless parent was included. How about one on a phone?
I’ve been a big fan of this guy’s work for a long time.
I linked this photo and article (giving credit to the artist and to WSR, of course) to FB so that more folks could see it and subscribe to the WSR!!!!
It’s funny and spot on, but how about not denigrating people who are unsheltered?
100% agree, and it was especially gross to draw bags of garbage next to the homeless person – very behind the times for 2022
You mean deny the reality that they exist and are often interfering with others?
Sigh. Calling the homeless by a new name doesn’t change reality – too many on the streets are mentally ill and dangerous
YES! Brilliant. The game I play every day when I walk out of my bldg!
So nice to see Gary recognized in the Rag! I’ve been following him on Instagram for years and find his take on the current times to be spot-on.
The only things missing in this “board game” are dog doo and Amazon deliveries. Otherwise, I’d say he’s summed up up life as a pedestrian in NYC.
I was just out walking on West End Ave. and had to quickly move around a pile of dog poop. Dog owners please “Curb your Dogs”. I don’t blame the dogs because they can’t read, but I do blame you since you can.
All too accurate!! Love this cartoon!!
Love it!
Few artists better encapsulate the feelings of Upper Westsiders who understand that the east side starts on the far side of Amsterdam than Martin, whose acerbic wit never seems to miss the mark
thank you.
Ok this is hilarious. I couldn’t agree with you more. Especially coming from Riverside Drive, the walk to Columbus is definitely a walk to the “east side,”
Love the illustration!
Love this. Great job Mr Martin. Funny and crabby all at once. Let’s not forget Tourists and people at the subway entrance on their phones…and the list goes on doesn’t it?
He just forgot the clouds of pot smoke that need to be dodged if you don’t want to arrive at your office smelling like a stoner
And the guy standing around outside blasting terrible rap from his boombox
You forgot:
— people who allow their dogs so much leash that I am forced off the sidewalk entirely;
— those who allow their dog to poop and pee in the middle of the walk, rather than taking them to the curb, making me veer into the street to avoid the display and mess (and btw, I like dogs a lot, not their humans);
— drivers who block the intersections and crosswalks;
— and drivers who turn into crosswalks fast and heedlessly, terrifying those of us trying to walk in those crosswalks.
Otherwise, kudos.
Here’s a big one missing: groups of people who choose the narrowest part of the sidewalk to gather and chat.
There’s usually a big swath of sidewalk they could move to nearby where they wouldn’t be blocking other people, but do they stand there? No.
I see this all the time.
It just gets worse and worse. Between the people on wheels going every possible direction, the return of the boom box, the unending helicopter noise and clouds of skunk pot smoke on every corner, New York has become almost unliveable.
And yet, so many stay, and come.
COME ON PEOPLE!! Yes, all of these problems are around, there’s no denying. I’m well into my 80s and understand them well! These all need to be worked on. But if that’s all you’re seeing, then you are doing yourself a grave disservice. Take care of your wellbeing and get active on some of these problems, but also look around for the positive things as well.
I lived here through the seventies and some things were worse, some were better. But I hope the comments on WSR don’t get as whiny as those on Next Door are anymore.
I still love living in New York City on the Upper West Side.
Right on! I’m with you, Ms. Rosamilia!
There’s bears next to no relationship to how I view the neighborhood. Are there really people out there who think this neighborhood is going down the tubes because of “distracted parents”? ?
Sums it all up. Great illustration
Gary is an amazing cartoonist. Can’t wait to see more cartoons. I hope this becomes a regular feature!
What about super entitled dog owners and non existent park Rangers in Riverside park .
This depiction leaves out clueless pedestrians that have airpod max headphones on and head down in their iPhone 14 max whilst feeding their dog all in the cross walk when they don’t have the light.
LOL. This board doesn’t have enough grumpy old men!
Thank you Jane. Yes, we we need to rein in all the lawless two wheelers that are taking over the nyc bicycle infrastructure.
The “artist” left out the big bully on the streets of NYC since the model T ruled more than 100 years ago.
https://grist.org/cities/2014-was-the-safest-year-to-walk-in-nyc-since-1910/
I remember walking and cycling in NYC in the 90s. Amsterdam avenue before bike lanes was like a highway when 4+ wheeled vehicles were KILLING 1 pedestrian on average EVERY single Day in NYC.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-03-11/new-york-city-s-decade-long-battle-for-pedestrian-safety
There was more order and less chaos on every level regarding how the city functioned pre-pandemic, but it was also objectively more “dangerous” (before bike lanes) fro everyone including drivers if you count the bodies or the families who lost loved ones to vehicular violence. I think if the WSR was around in the 90s, we would go out of our minds.
3 weekend cyclists were injured by a reckless driver yesterday (Sunday noon’ish) at 72nd and RSD near Eleanor. A 30 year old citibiker was killed on Friday near w50th and 11th avenue. Operators of 4+ wheels are still doing major damage even though WSR is less likely to report it because vehicular violence has long been normalize.
Love this! Gary’s the best!!
This is so great! Although I fear I’m sometimes the clueless parent walking down the street. Love a Martin illustration! We’ve got one that I love hanging in our home.
Something is missing!! Dog poop 💩🫤
This hit it right on the head. What a great way to communicate how UWSers feel. Well done Mr. Martin, WSR, put him on retainer!!!
This rivals the great east coast/west coast New Yorker cartoon!!! Just great – and says it all!!! And YES, it’s only gotten worse!!!
Re: The Game Board: Equating beggars and homeless people with other threats confronting and offending Manhattan strollers is cruel and insensitive to the plight of close to 150,000 homeless New Yorkers. This is not funny!!
Bullseye, Mr. Martin. I wish it wasn’t so true. Love your work on Instagram and hope to see more here.
Love this! Says it all ~ obviously, someone who has served his time on the UWS! I’ve seen his work on Insta ~ def check out his work!
Might help to point out that in Manhattan, 87% of available road space has been given over to cars for driving and parking, in order to subsidize suburban drivers and the 20% of manhattanites who own cars.
So all the obstacles in this drawing is what you get in the remaining space, where peds, micro mobility, sanitation, deliveries etc must fight for scraps.
I don’t see the dog poop box ? You’ll need at least 4. And Amazon trucks unloading…And the Fairway delivery trucks blocking 2 lanes constantly
It’s so interesting how few of these squares contain cars, the biggest danger to pedestrians across the entire city but especially in our neighborhood. Most of these are inconveniences far less dangerous than the massive SUVs on our roadways. But god forbid someone ride a bike! In a lane dedicated to them! Just because people do not consider bikes vehicles and step into the bike lane without looking does not make them dangerous.
The inclusion of “beggar” three times is incredibly offensive. I’m disappointed but not surprised that this would be considered newsworthy by WSR. Most of the commentariat will disagree with me, and cheer the antiquated views that this piece cheers. The fact of the matter is that the city and the world have changed dramatically, and by featuring opinions like this presented in a matter of fact way, the WSR is harming our ability to adapt in a necessary way by calcifying and perpetuating an outdated worldview that is actively holding our city back from moving into the 21st century.
Cycler runs red light, going the wrong way on a one-way street.
This is great, now the artist just needs to add scaffolding on every block.
Great, but add one more square for dog poop (any poop, for that matter). Too prevalent to fall under the general rubric of “garbage.”
Big fan of this illustrator. WSR should use his work regularly.
That illustration is incredible.
thank you.
I would also add the people who park in or block the pedestrian lane and the (for the) handicapped curb cut. Also add the increased sidewalk signage illegally placed, proliferation of illegal and unlicensed street vendors, especially those with trademark infringed illegal goods, scaffolding, and vendors illegally under scaffolding, and food trucks on the sidewalk, e-bikes parked all over the sidewalk, e-bikes and moped driving on the sidewalk, and there is so much this could be expanded to be a large mural. I would definitely contribute to that artistic effort! !!!
With better LEADERSHIP, many of these things would be modified for the better.
Clever cartoon! Spot on.
Very clever and, sadly, all too accurate, particularly with the rise of the ebike. More Martoons, please!
Funny, but 4 skateboards? Idk about that brother.
Great illustration of the frustration of all of us on foot in Manhattan! So many spots to watch for.
Wouldn’t it be great to license, and regulate, while getting these “vehicles” off our sidewalks!
Another great cartoon from Gary Martin! Long time fan– loving seeing his work on WSR!