Gothamist: LIRR Announces Measures to Prevent Disability Abuse

whitecastlerock

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:36:32 -0500

I agree that anyone who bilked the system should be prosecuted. About 25% of the time, these bloated, lazy conductors don't even check tickets before Jamaica. This means that any ticket not taken can be used at another time— a lost fare for the MTA. Maybe the conductors are mentally disabled and can't work until they are prompted to...

chelseaexile

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:19:06 -0500

What does "virtually most" mean? The story was about nearly all LIRR retirees getting disability pay, too. (just a small critique .. I mostly love this website)

Jen Chung

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:25:55 -0500

@jayclay--that's crazy! And upsetting. I'm surprised that the MTA/LIRR hasn't done more to examine why more employees are retiring and getting disability when they are eligible, especially relative to the rate at Metro-North. I guess the execs weren't paying attention to the retirement rates? The whole situation is very troubling.

jaycjay

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:16:46 -0500

Sloppy self-editing above. That last paragraph should be up above the "hotline" quote.

jaycjay

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:50:16 -0500

"And people keep wondering why fares go up!!!" This has no impact on fares, at least not directly. The pension fund comes from money LIRR employees pay into it, and the federal government... meaning US taxpayers. Indirectly, though, this is a reflection of what appears to be a corporate culture at the LIRR in which employees tend to try anything they can to work less and make more. I ride the Rail Road a few times a week, and whether from hearing two Collectors in conversation or being seated near a group of employees who boarded at the Hillside Facility I've heard some surprisingly open talk about what they can and do get away with. Most recently: about five guys got on at Hillside. They were talking about an ex-employee (now retired) at the yard and his tendency in his last months to steal everything that wasn't nailed down. One guy in this group said that once a week he himself takes off a few feet of heavy copper cable, cutting some off a huge coil where taking that small amount regularly won't be noticed but enough that its scrap value adds up quickly. He said he had a few thousand dollars worth at home so far. "Everybody does it." No one in the group, of course, expressed any objection. This kind of theft from the railroad clearly would affect fares to some extent. "Williams also announced a hotline for employees to report abuse." How about one for non-employees? So pension fraud would seem to be unsurprising; just another way to get something for nothing out of the system you work for.

Mr Mel

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:08:15 -0500

Let's see if anyone besides the taxpayers gets punished.

smokedgouda

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:49:40 -0500

Just a sick disgusting story. Thank you New York Times for uncovering this fleecing of our tax dollars. Ethics training somehow doesn't seem like it will make a difference when you have a culture of fraud. I agree with the poster that all past employees files should be reviewed and scrutinized. Anyone who defrauded taxpayers should forfeit their pensions and have to pay the money back.

cmdrogogov

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:31:45 -0500

As someone who uses LIRR regularly, I'm utterly disgusted. It's by far the slowest and (comparitively) most expensive rail service I've ever had the misfortune of using. It creeps along at an average of 30mph, turning what should be 40 minutes of commute into almost an hour and a half. Recently, they had a survey of sorts and the cards left on all the seats had the gall to say that the government subsidizes half the price of LIRR tickets - obviously now we all know where that money is going - Into the pockets of the fat lardy bastards who spend their entire day walking up and down the train poking holes in bits of carboard, then retiring at 53 whilst still pulling in a fat paycheck. This city needs a TOTAL overhaul of its public transit system if it expects to be competitive throughout the next century.

fugothamist

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:16:36 -0500

what about the assh*les who already abused the system? they should pay back the money forfeit their pensions and yes, probably face jail time and they want to raise fares?!?!??!

EricRoberts

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:00:40 -0500

This is not good enough. Where people were obviously committing fraud, they should forfeit their pensions and go to jail.

Brooklynbobby

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:22:05 -0500

And people keep wondering why fares go up!!!