U-Haul Line Not Sign Of ‘Exodus’ From New York, Despite Tweet Claiming People Have ‘Had Enough’

A tweet about long lines at a UHAUL location in New York indicating that many were planning a mass exodus from the state is getting some critiques online because the author didn’t take into account that the end of the month was approaching.

Greg Kelly, the host of “Greg Kelly Reports” on Newsmax, took to Twitter Saturday with a short video clip of the long line of people waiting to get inside of a UHAUL office in New York City. The undisclosed location appears to be popular, with a line that is socially distanced seeming to spread halfway down the block. Kelly then used the video to state it was proof New Yorkers were fed up with the current quality of life in the city, and that the exodus from the area was clearly beginning.

However, his tweet was quickly slammed, as many pointed out that this time of year is busy in general for UHAULs around the country, as well as in New York.

Others also maintained that, especially in New York, the end of the month is when many people move at any point of the year, which could also account for the lines.

There were also tweets stating that even if the line was long, it likely was because of capacity limits inside the office itself—which doesn’t prove that there’s an exodus, just people waiting for their turn to go inside-- which has been standard practice at all kinds of businesses around the country since the Coronavirus Pandemic began.

However, some did seem to agree with Kelly’s assessment, stating that there have been more people moving out of New York recently, meaning Kelly may not be entirely off with his comment.

While Kelly’s tweet was soundly criticized as not being a good representation of what he was trying to convey, New Yorkers overall haven’t been overly impressed with Mayor Bill de Blasio in recent months. While Governor Andrew Cuomo had a 60% approval rating amongst New Yorkers in an NBC 4 poll in July when it came to how he handled the Coronavirus Pandemic, de Blasio only received a 42% approval ratings, with 44% disapproving.

In addition, de Blasio has faced criticism over the canceling of this year’s 9/11 Tribute in Light show, which the 9/11 Museum and Memorial confirmed it was not putting on for the safety of crew workers due to the pandemic. De Blasio’s vocal support for ongoing Black Lives Matter protests in the city, as well as a decision to still let the MTV Video Music Awards go on, was a part of the criticism that came from that decision.