A photo by St. George resident and E.R. nurse, Dawn Doccola, during her daily commute to Wyckoff Hospital, Brooklyn, to illustrate her concern of the lack of social distancing on mass transit.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Like countless Staten Islanders on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, St. George resident Dawn Doccola is an E.R. nurse who commutes daily to other boroughs to save lives.

But the fear for her own life and those around her begins not at her job at Wyckoff Hospital in Brooklyn, but on the Staten Island Ferry.

"It's become a nightmare, and our idiot mayor does not care about us at all," said Doccola. "We are packed to the gills on the ferry and on the bus.

"There is absolutely no social distancing at all, and the schedule changes added nearly two hours to my commute."

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To add insult to injury, the bathrooms are also closed on the ferry, according to Doccola.

"This is a big problem for commuters," she added, noting she has Crohn's disease and needs bathrooms to be open and accessible.

"So much for supporting necessary workers. It's not right," she added.

Doccola said she noticed the NYC subways have become filthy, and that there were human feces in the "L" train.

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A photo by St. George resident and E.R. nurse, Dawn Doccola, during her daily commute to Wyckoff Hospital, Brooklyn, to illustrate her concern of the lack of social distancing on mass transit.

Changes in the DOT schedule

On March 20, Mayor Bill de Blasio reduced the Staten Island Ferry service as part of the ongoing battle against the coronavirus outbreak.

Mayor de Blasio said ferry ridership is down 70% when compared to this time last year, and reduced weekday schedules from four to three boats during rush hour.

"My shift at Wyckoff is 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and I used to leave my house at 5:15 a.m. to make the 6 a.m. boat, to get to Wyckoff at 7:30 a.m.," said Doccola.

"I used to leave at 6 a.m. to make a 6:20 a.m. boat for same commute."

Despite repeated reminders from the Department of Transportation (DOT), Staten Island Ferry riders are still struggling to maintain a safe social distance during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

"The changes in the schedule add nearly two hours to my daily commute to the hospital, and I'm lucky I can change my work hours but a lot of people can’t," added Doccola.

Since service shifted to hourly, there has been some concern among commuters that the remaining boats are more densely crowded, making it difficult to practice social distancing, particularly during the boarding and unboarding process.

With the new schedule, social distancing does not exist, according to Doccola. "We are packed to the gills and there is no social distancing at all."

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A photo by St. George resident and E.R. nurse, Dawn Doccola, during her daily commute to Wyckoff Hospital, Brooklyn, to illustrate her concern of the lack of social distancing on mass transit.

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A photo by St. George resident and E.R. nurse, Dawn Doccola, during her daily commute to Wyckoff Hospital, Brooklyn, to illustrate her concern of the lack of social distancing on mass transit.

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A photo by St. George resident and E.R. nurse, Dawn Doccola, during her daily commute to Wyckoff Hospital, Brooklyn, to illustrate her concern of the lack of social distancing on mass transit.

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Dawn Doccola, a St. George resident who is a frontline COVID-19 healthcare worker at Wyckoff Hospital in Brooklyn. Courtesy Dawn Doccola

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A photo by St. George resident and E.R. nurse, Dawn Doccola, during her daily commute to Wyckoff Hospital, Brooklyn, to illustrate her concern of the lack of social distancing on mass transit.

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Dawn Doccola, a St. George resident who is a frontline COVID-19 healthcare worker at Wyckoff Hospital in Brooklyn. Courtesy Dawn Doccola

Don't Edit

A photo by St. George resident and E.R. nurse, Dawn Doccola, during her daily commute to Wyckoff Hospital, Brooklyn, to illustrate her concern of the lack of social distancing on mass transit.

Don't Edit

A photo by St. George resident and E.R. nurse, Dawn Doccola, during her daily commute to Wyckoff Hospital, Brooklyn, to illustrate her concern of the lack of bathrooms on the Staten Island Ferry.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

A photo by St. George resident and E.R. nurse, Dawn Doccola, during her daily commute to Wyckoff Hospital, Brooklyn, to illustrate her concern of the lack of social distancing on mass transit.

Don't Edit

A photo by St. George resident and E.R. nurse, Dawn Doccola, during her daily commute to Wyckoff Hospital, Brooklyn, to illustrate her concern of the lack of bathrooms on the Staten Island Ferry.

Don't Edit

A photo by St. George resident and E.R. nurse, Dawn Doccola, during her daily commute to Wyckoff Hospital, Brooklyn, to illustrate her concern of the lack of social distancing on mass transit.

Don't Edit

A photo by St. George resident and E.R. nurse, Dawn Doccola, during her daily commute to Wyckoff Hospital, Brooklyn, to illustrate her concern of the lack of social distancing on mass transit.

Don't Edit

A photo by St. George resident and E.R. nurse, Dawn Doccola, during her daily commute to Wyckoff Hospital, Brooklyn, to illustrate her concern of the lack of social distancing on mass transit.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

A photo by St. George resident and E.R. nurse, Dawn Doccola, during her daily commute to Wyckoff Hospital, Brooklyn, to illustrate her concern of the lack of social distancing on mass transit.