An outraged /*Eyewitness News*/ viewer caught a booth agent sleeping on the job and pulled out his camera, and we found out, subway snoozes aren't all that uncommon.
Sam Shepherd says he finally got fed up with seeing subway booth agents sleeping on the job. This time, he decided to use his cell phone to document the Rip-Van worker he found in a deep sleep early Friday morning at a subway station on the A line in /*Queens*/
When /*Jim Hoffer*/ asked "So when you saw her sleeping...", and Shepherd said "That's my money going down the drain."
He videotaped her for nearly two minutes before waking her up.
She was not the only one nodding off. After a simple /*YouTube*/ search can find a virtual slumber party of transit booth clerks caught sleeping on the job. The /*MTA*/ should consider free coffee for its workers.
It's unclear what, if any, disciplinary action is taken against MTA workers who loaf on company time.
Back in 2009, an Eyewitness News investigation uncovered a systemic problem with transit workers hanging out in the park, lifting weights, going to the beach, even tending bar instead of inspecting subway tracks for dangerous conditions. Despite video proof and a probe by the Inspector General, none of the workers was fired.
"When you have a job don't take it for granted," adds Shepherd.
One building maintenance worker says he doesn't want the booth agent fired, but thinks she should be disciplined to send a clear message to others.
"Every week, something out of my paycheck to put food on her table, you know, and she's sleeping on the job," adds Shepherd.
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