To Reader Walter:

Dear Wally,

Why don't you answer your email? Dad and I have been trying to reach you. You did cash the check we sent you so you can get your own internet access without having to jump on the neighbors WI-FI signal?

Anyway, Dad and I will be in NYC this weekend and we want to see our little boy and maybe go out to dinner while in town. Besides, I sure you haven't made your bed since the last time we were there. But please kindly pick up those "used socks" left between the sheets. I know boys of your age have certain needs, but it does make me uncomfortable. Your father says its a sign of weakness, but be sure Mommy does understand her little boy no matter how big he gets.

I'm glad you are finally getting some use of your communications degree. Does the Gothamist pay you for your pictures?

With love,

Mom

Mom:

Thanks for the e-mail. When you come to NY, don't forget to bring that mace I sent you. Unfortunately, these days, the people who are supposed to call for help if you get attacked in the subway are usually asleep. Can you believe it? And they don't even feel embarrassed or ashamed that they fall asleep on the job! They think it's their right! And they wonder why everyone hates them.

They'll deny that they fall asleep on the job at every chance. They come up with real bad excuses like " oh, I was just counting money." And when you show them proof that they were sleeping, they try to deflect attention away from themselves by blaming and insulting the person who took the picture or video.

I guess that just goes to show how strong unions are these days...they've been neutered to the point of "Don't make us angry, or we'll...um...Call you names on the Internet!" Hoffa is probably rolling in his makeshift grave.

Anyway, be careful, and I'll hopefully see you soon.

Love, Walter.

I feel for the guy; we don't k ow his situation - he could be sick, or taking care of a sick loved one, or working two or more jobs. People shouldn't be summed up in a snapshot.

Certainly, there folks in the workforce who are lazy and must be rid of. But we should give this gentleman a chance to explain himself. Anyone caught sleeping should be given the opportunity to explain before judgment is made.

Who are these people who have nothing better to do with their lives than take pictures of something so minor and run home and send said pictures to a news agency, teeheeing all the way? (but yet doesn't have the balls to give your full name) Hey Walter, why don't you head to Haiti or Pakistan or some place and take your pictures so we can get some real news. And Gothamist please quit giving the behavior any type of credence.

Everybody complains about "Big Brother" eventhough most of us are doing "Big Brother's" job.

Why not introduce Siestas to the workforce to allow people to legitimately rest while at work. Seriously.

Sorry, TWUers, you can't have it both ways.

You can't scream that Station Agents are too important to lay off because they help protect the system from crime and (wink, wink) terrorism, then say that it's OK that agents rest their eyes every now and then because they're overworked.

Admit that the job isn't really that important after all and that agents in their plexiglass boxes can't really prevent crime or (wink, wink) terrorism, and the "late shift" excuse might be taken more seriously.

I don't envy the TWU leadership. They're trying desperately to fight for their members' jobs by stressing how important they are, but the members keep shooting themselves in the foot.

It's kind of hard to take the TWU and it's supporters seriously (at least the folks here) when they say the reason that these station attendants are sleeping is because they have nothing to do.

Keeping an employee on shift with nothing to do for hours on end is a waste of money. Sure, it employs people, but the MTA's business is not 'employing people'. Its job is to provide public transit to the people of New York. Anything that takes away from their ability to to that (i.e. wasting money) should be investigated and possibly eliminated.

I agree with the folks that say this is shoddy investigation. I'd suggest, in the future, if you want to prove that a station attendant is just sleeping on the job, get evidence on more than one occasion. If you're in the station frequently at night, and this guy is always sleeping, then it can easily be proven that action needs to be taken. Possibly just disciplined or maybe implement a staffing change to make sure he isn't being stretched too thin. Otherwise it may just be a one-time thing and that doesn't need the media's attention.

Again, it comes down to the MTA needing to better manage its resources and staff.

These "gotcha" photos of MTA employees are clearly intended to evoke shallow reactions...ie, those that best serve ad-supported blog sites with comment threads.

"Queens Station Agent: Overworked or Just Sleepy?"

Gee thanks "Reader Walter". He's elderly and working the night shift, I feel bad for him. Would you like it if someone could take pictures of you at your job during a not so productive moment and send it your boss, let alone for everyone on the internet to see?

reader walter, jaya, jake - you're all craven dogs. seriously.

Good job Gothamist! Keep posting pictures of these people wasting tax payer money by sleeping on the job. Graveyard shift or not there's no way they should be sleeping. I work during the day and I get tired but I just can't take a nap at my desk.

I guess you'd get them fired if you caught them reading a math book when they had nothing to do, or doing the crossword. Huh? I guess you think it's possible to stare into space waiting for someone to come ask you a question for hours without falling asleep? And that reading a book would be abusing the job? Get human!

You can't take a nap at your desk because you have stuff to do, don't you? You probably can suft the net, check your email, text a friend now and then. You're telling me you work 100% of the time you're at your desk? What are you, some kind of goody-two-shoes? No, obviously you don't. Nobody does. All those little distractions are what keeps us awake. For that matter, normal jobs won't let you fall asleep because there are people around you, phones ringing, doors opening, messengers and UPS people arriving. These MTA jobs in plastic boxes are tantamount to sensory deprivation. What do these booth workers do when they're not answering your dumb questions? What do they do when assholes aren't abusing them? They have nothing to do! If anyone's to blame for them falling asleep it's the MTA!!! The job is impossible! They're glad to have work, but it's probably physically impossible to stay awake in a subway booth when nothing at all is happening around you for long periods of time.

i completely agree. he is there for a reason. he has a job to do. if your age does not permit you to do your job you shouldn't be there. people saying he's eldery i feel bad for you. are you serious? mta is serious shit. there are station guards for a reason and it's wrong for them to nod off. does it say in their contract feel free to nod off when necessary especially if you are old ... dont worry we wont mind. NO! MTA will soon raise all our fares and i have no sympathy for someone like their failing to complete all the duties of their position.

"I work during the day and I get tired but I just can't take a nap at my desk. "

No, but you can waste time your employer's time and money posting on Gothamist at 3pm in the afternoon, when you should be working. Right? Your hypocrisy is amazing.

I'd much rather see an investigation of what MTA executives do during their day. Anyone who really wants to be considered a journalist, how about some FOIL request and an in depth analysis of what is going on at MTA headquarters and why these "executives" can't manage this system properly.

These "gotcha" photos are somewhat disturbing but since we don't know the context or the conditions they where taken under, they don't prove anything substantial. I can't even tell if his eyes were closed and if they were, how long? A picture may be worth a thousand words but it doesn't really prove anything. If this guy never closed his eyes while on his post it still wouldn't solve the MTA's problems, because the problems come from the top.

I suppose you're right. There IS a problem at the top and the problem is that they haven't done away with station agents (and other redundant jobs)and continually allow for overtime abuse.

One person making $350,000 (Walder) does not have much effect on the overall budget. But, the misuse and over-compensation of 70,000+ employees does. An MTA audit has been long overdue.

Day or night, awake or asleep, they are useless. This has been going on for generations.

Going on for generations, yet NYC has among the cheapest mass transit fares in the world.

Must really annoy you that working people make a decent wage and can close their eyes at the same time.

Yeah it does annoy me-not as much as your inane commentary.