LIRR conductors suing transit agency, claiming lack of protection from on-the-job attacks
MINEOLA, Long Island (WABC) -- Seven current or former Long Island Rail Road employees are suing the transit agency, blaming the railroad for not protecting them from attacks by passengers.
The workers say collecting fares on the LIRR has become a dangerous job. On Monday night, their union president said that they are right.
"They don't want to pay the fare and then when the conductor does his job or her job, that's when the confrontation begins," said Anthony Simon of the SMART Transportation Division. "And it unfortunately leads into a physical assault."
Six LIRR conductors have filed lawsuits, along with a station cleaner, alleging that the railroad is not doing enough to protect them.
They say that they are expected not just to collect the fare, but to enforce it, and they claim they were assaulted by riders who refused to pay. Their attorney is Philip Dinhofer.
"We've had some severe injuries," he said. "We have one person who lost his hearing. I had another person who suffered a traumatic brain injury from a blow to the head. And we had two women who've been sexually assaulted."
MTA officials are cracking down on fare evasion on the subways and on the commuter trains. By their own estimates, the agency loses roughly $700 million to fare evasion every year.
But a spokesman says there are "extensive safety protocols" already in place, adding, "If any employee finds themselves in a situation where they feel unsafe, they are encouraged to contact the MTA Police for assistance."
Transit union leaders say assaults against their members have increased in confrontations with riders at end of the line stations.
Myran Pollack was stabbed after he says a rider stormed off his train at Utica Avenue. Last week, Anthony Simon spoke in solidarity at a transit union rally.
"If they want these trains running, if they want this system moving, it is going to be us that moves this system," Simon said. "It is going to be us that tells them what to do."
He says better training will make workers safer.
"We have so many different conductors that did not come here with training on how to de-escalate a situation," Simon said. "So, training is important and training is necessary and we need to move forward on that."
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