NY train engineer suspended after video shows him reading

The same thing happen down here on a SEPTA train, and the Enginner was caugt reading the paper while turning the wheels. Watch out for the snitches!!!


http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/ ... -trip?lite

By Katherine Creag and Tracie Strahan, NBCNewYork.com

NEW YORK -- A Metro-North train engineer has been captured on video appearing distracted and engrossed in a newspaper while operating a rush-hour train.

Officials said that the engineer, an agency employee since 1988 and an engineer since 2001, has been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation. The MTA declined to release his name.

The video was brought to Metro-North's attention by NBC 4 New York after a viewer contacted the station expressing concerns about the train engineer.

"He only looked up when the bells went off," John Bingham told NBC 4 New York, referring to the sounds that signal when the train was approaching a station. "That made me nervous. What if one of the bells didn't go off and something happened with the train?"

Bingham said he boarded the 8:34 a.m. Grand Central-bound train at Wakefield on Wednesday when he noticed the engineer reading a newspaper "cover to cover."

Read the original report from NBCNewYork.com

The Yonkers resident has been commuting into Manhattan for two years and says he's concerned about engineers being distracted in light of exposed terror plots targeting commuter trains and of past train derailments attributed to distracted engineers.

He said he planned to file a complaint with Metro-North.

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The MTA said in a statement that "reading anything, texting or using cell phones while operating a train is obviously not acceptable. Metro-North will take action to ensure this does not happen again."

After NBC 4 New York reported the story, Metro-North said it planned to reinstruct its train crews on Thursday that the behavior would not be tolerated.

What's surprising is that the cab-door window shade was apparently in the lowered position, if this was an M-7 train. That's rare on LIRR at least. Even more surprising that a passenger was standing right there, but maybe not unusual on a crowded rush-hour train.

You have to wonder what this engineer was thinking, given all the attention in recent years to the issue of distraction by electronic devices, etc. I suppose (chuckle!) now there will be a new procedure that supervisors have to inspect all engineers' bags when they report for duty to be sure they're not carrying any reading material.

What's worse is that now some engineers with an anti-railfan bias (can you think of anyone on this board?) will have an additional reason why railfans should not be able to see through the cab windows. But you have to question that thinking. Isn't it better that that this rogue was caught before something happened as a result of his inattention to his duties?

Great, another incident that makes engineers look bad. This guy's an idiot for doing that, especially with the cab door window opened. Not that I'm trying to defend this engineer's actions, but it wouldn't surprise me if this passenger texts and reads web content on his iPhone while he drives.

SlackControl wrote:Not that I'm trying to defend this engineer's actions, but it wouldn't surprise me if this passenger texts and reads web content on his iPhone while he drives.

Um? Why do you try to make such a bogus attempt at painting people, and what relevance does it have to this thread if not inciting a flamewar?

From one side it's terrible that he's did what he did, but from the other perspective, the other person just makes it stupider.

Travelsonic wrote:

SlackControl wrote:Not that I'm trying to defend this engineer's actions, but it wouldn't surprise me if this passenger texts and reads web content on his iPhone while he drives.

Um? Why do you try to make such a bogus attempt at painting people, and what relevance does it have to this thread if not inciting a flamewar?

I don't see where he is wrong with his statement in any way. In fact, it seems you're making it a bigger deal than it really is.

lirr415 wrote:

Travelsonic wrote:

SlackControl wrote:Not that I'm trying to defend this engineer's actions, but it wouldn't surprise me if this passenger texts and reads web content on his iPhone while he drives.

Um? Why do you try to make such a bogus attempt at painting people, and what relevance does it have to this thread if not inciting a flamewar?

I don't see where he is wrong with his statement in any way.

Basically, he took a passenger videoing an engineer doing something ,and extrapolated a guess or potential presumption that is patently outlandish - in a manner that seems to make him look bad. Maybe the passenger was acting foolishly, but trying make certain connections - hypothetcally even - that just seem really outlandish [based on nothing more than the situation at hand and nothing more, trying to link somebody's behaviors to something very different, and not relevant to this issue.] just seems like a bad way to try to paint anyone.

SlackControl wrote:especially with the cab door window opened.

The cab window is a solid piece of glass that doesn't open or close.

The only thing that can be done is the cab door be in the position that is closes off the complete width of the head end or it can just close off the cab. Either way someone can still see in.

Well as my Mom used to tell me, "Nobody likes a stool pigeon. Not even the cops."

Seriously though, I've stood at many a front door and never saw any engineer do anything like that. Never! IS that the engineer? The video I saw seemed to show the train stopping and starting without the engineer even moving. How'd he manage that?

Downside - This isn't going to endear camera carriers to railroaders.

The MNRR M7a's do not have the sliding privacy shade that the LIRR M7's do. This employee who has committed the wrong doing faces extreme disciplinary actions up to and including dismissal with fines of FRA rule violations. And yes, almost all employees are very cautious of any and all film footage any rail enthusiast takes with the intent of posting it on YouTube.

Friggin' morons on PIX-11 News showing the footage and talking about the Metro-North CONDUCTOR having been suspended for reading while operating the train. These people call themselves journalists?

On a different note: after the incident in California a few years back wasn't there talk of putting cameras in locomotive cabs? This latest incident may result in renewed calls for such action. And given the evidence, the BLE will have a hard time arguing against it. It is regrettable that many may suffer for the actions of a few bad apples.

Steamboat Willie, there is no window shade on Metro-North's cab sindows on the M-7A's? Hmmm.......I didn't know that. Maybe I'll start riding M-N more often. Not to spy on the engineer, but just to enjoy the view out the front while standing by the first vestibule, away from the cab-door.

ACRE Local 9 represents the engineers here. This made national headlines with what he did. The RR has already taken swift action following these recent events.

truck6018 wrote:

SlackControl wrote:especially with the cab door window opened.

The cab window is a solid piece of glass that doesn't open or close.

The only thing that can be done is the cab door be in the position that is closes off the complete width of the head end or it can just close off the cab. Either way someone can still see in.

As was already pointed out, the MNRR's M7s don't have the same steel privacy blocker that the LIRR's have. Having not been on MNRR in years, I didn't realize that.

On MNCR the front door of train is emergency exit in tunnels, so blocking the window is a no no,
most M-7a's did get polarized glass where you can only see forward, and not see the engineer.
I expect that MNCR will now remove polarized glass and install original glazing.
I also expect a witch hunt on those that block that glass with posters and duct tape.