65 year old Abdul Basher of Queens was fired on the spot after a Port Authority official took a picture with his smart phone of him reclining in his chair, apparently sleeping, at 2:45 a.m.
Basher told the New York Post he was not sleeping, but "exercising" his eyes.
He said he suffers from a nerve condition that prevents him from opening his left eye and limits the vision of his right eye.
The Durst Organization, which employed the guard, said in a statement, ""Mr. Basher was terminated on the spot when found sleeping on the job. We take security at One World Trade Center very seriously, and are working with our partners at the Port Authority and NYPD to improve coordination and site security."
