Septa Strike Having Adverse Affect on Business in City

by KYW's Steve Tawa

Forget window shopping for many who depend on Septa to get around. Center city merchants are getting less floor traffic.

At Totally Kids, the clothing store near 11th and Market streets, manager Lorna Werthernbrn says even the layaway crowd's merchandise is sitting on the shelves:

"People call. Some customers have layaways, and it's inconvenient to come in. Usually, we have lines. Today, we're not making the sales."

At the nearby Stereo Sound electronics store at 10th and Market, Dennis Rosales says many of his clients also take strike-bound Septa buses and the Market-Frankford El:

"It is affecting us badly. Traffic is way down. We have less floor traffic. People are not window shopping."

While she was folding clothes, store worker Denise lamented that the regional rail lines were not an option:

"I had to take a cab to take my daughter to school and come to work. I wasted $20 on that. Usually I use my token, and I get to work."

Manager Mark, at another clothing store on Market, surveyed the aisles:

"Whew. It's a ghost town."