The leaders of a New York City transit workers union could find themselves behind bars Thursday.

A judge has called the union president and other leaders to court Thursday to answer a criminal contempt charge and he says jailing them is a "distinct possibility."

The city's transit strike was in its second day Wednesday.

The Bush administration is urging both sides in the New York City transit strike to "come together" and quickly resolve their differences.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan says the strike is "unfortunate", and has been especially hard on seniors, the disabled and the poor.

McClellan says federal mediators are available to help the parties settle their dispute if they're invited.

However, he says the administration is barred by law from intervening in a transit strike.

One woman in New York says her commute has been a "nightmare" without the usual subways and buses.

Commuters and strikers alike got an early start Wednessday.

One bus driver joining a picket line said, "We have to do what we have to do."

But a lot of New Yorkers are showing no sympathy for the strikers.

A headline in the New York Post refers to them as "rats."