LIRR uncovers "free riders"

The NY Times has an article today about an alleged deal which allowed employees of Madison Square Garden to ride free on LIRR trains. In return, cooperating train staff were given free admission to Knicks games and other sold out events.

The arrangement is said to have stopped after LIRR became aware of the practice, following a complaint from MSG. Neither management seems to have been aware of the practice, the article says.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/25/nyregion/25lirr.html

No one should be allowed free rides, maybe a discount.

njt/mnrrbuff wrote:No one should be allowed free rides, maybe a discount.

What about MTA employees?

OK since the "MTA" is "BIG MAMMA" any one who "WORKS" for "ANY" MTA AGENCY should be granted a free usage on any of the "MTA" operated services. that is. (Bus's, Subways,LIRR,MN,Ect) the only exception to that is the bridge and tunnles. if any thing they get 1/2 off that. (reason is because its not "public transportation" u use your privite car/truck to utalise the bridges)

If any one else get a free ride that should be the famlies of the employee (employee, spouse, children). also a random person can be taken on for free if the employee is there with them.
in our case. if they allow us to cabride and ride free were just plain lucky b/c they technically dont have to let railfans ride for free. (somthing I really cant argue about)

The Times article seemed to suggest the problem was that individual conductors and trainmen were trading the free rides on their train in return for free concert admissions, boxing matches, etc from MSG employees.

Many conductors apparently did their duty, collected fares, as did some MSG employees.

As one who works in the subway it is my observation that for some peculiar reason LIRR does NOT accept MTA/NYCT employee's passes, but the MetroNorth/New Haven RR does honor the passes. What's the deal-e-o with the LIRR being prudish?

BMT wrote:As one who works in the subway it is my observation that for some peculiar reason LIRR does NOT accept MTA/NYCT employee's passes, but the MetroNorth/New Haven RR does honor the passes. What's the deal-e-o with the LIRR being prudish?

MTA/NYCT passes as well as passes from other MTA agencies such as MetroNorth, Brides and Tunnels,etc are not valid for transportation on the LIRR, and I am pretty sure NYCT passes are not valid on MNRR/NH eithier. It sounds like someone is doing you a favour that could cost them their job, or a least a few days off without pay. The LIRR conductors who do not honor MTA/NYCT passes (and I am one of them) are doing their jobs properly... imagine the nerve!
As far the MSG guys screw them, they are rude, and talk to you like you owe them money and piss and moan if they have to pay. It irks me that some of my brothers and sisters road then in the past. don't thnk they are getting free rides anymore. When I want to see a concert or game at the Garden I buy a ticket, so if they want to ride on my train they have to do the same.

??
Why wouldent NYCTA, MN, Bridge/Tunnle, ect. Employee passes be acceped on the LIRR and whats the deal with the other agencies to be the same way..
If you work for any branch of the Mighty Monster we call the MTA Y arent your MTA employment passes accepted by any of the MTA children, that includes the LIRR, Subways, Buses, MN ect?

or is this just another foolish money making act fome the MTA to just rip off there own employees, because to an out sider, thats clearly what it looks like.

JoeLIRR wrote:??
Why wouldent NYCTA, MN, Bridge/Tunnle, ect. Employee passes be acceped on the LIRR and whats the deal with the other agencies to be the same way..
If you work for any branch of the Mighty Monster we call the MTA Y arent your MTA employment passes accepted by any of the MTA children, that includes the LIRR, Subways, Buses, MN ect?

or is this just another foolish money making act fome the MTA to just rip off there own employees, because to an out sider, thats clearly what it looks like.

Simply put, because those are the rules thats why. The person or persons who make fare policy at the MTA wants it that way. Only passes issued by the LIRR are vaild for transportation on LIRR trains period. Coversely my LIRR will not get me a ride on the subway. If someone decides to extend a courtesy to someone from from another MTA agency thats their perogative, but they are violating the fare policy and they are taking a chance. Personally I could care less, if the MTA suits decide next week that NYCTA passes will be valid on the LIRR thats fine with me,its no skin off my back, but until that time they are no good.

I'll tell you what, I personally never have allowed any of those guys ride free. I think that it's stupid of them to show me their pass like they are someone special, and I personally never heard of any deal going on where if we let them ride for free that they would give us passes to a game, yeah right!! When one of them shows me their ID pass I ask them what's that?? What does that mean? They look at me with a pissed off face afterwards. I actually ssnapped back at one guy who sighed after I told him NO. I told him what makes him think that he's special or something to ride for free? Stop bitching and pay like everyone else does! It's really annoying. All of this of course is courtesey of the media who now wants to nit-pick on the MTA for raising fares, so now they go around looking to see who gets free rides and stuff like that. The only people who ride free are emplyee's and their spouses and children, thats it! And for those who think that we should pay, remember that the train IS our office. You don't get charged to eneter your office, so why should we? Airlines don't charge employees who are dead-heading to work, so why should the LIRR?

...i certainly hope there is nobody from the M.T.A. inspector generals office reading this forum .

remember that the train IS our office. You don't get charged to eneter your office, so why should we? Airlines don't charge employees who are dead-heading to work, so why should the LIRR?

that i agree about.

how ever though the rull is there. still dont see the common sence on the MTA's part in finging practical to charge one of there employees to ride another part of there massive system, if MN/LIRR would merg and become one. would they then be aloud to honor each others passes.
if you work for the MTA. you should be aloud to ride the mta for free. i bet the MTA coorporate personal will ride any branch of there monster for free. so Y not allow the employees to do the same?

i know its the RULE< but it CLEARLY seems like a VERY clevr way for the MTA to make more money off there own people. and im suprised that the news never uncovered this one. caus if they did i bet the MTA wount like it too much.
im not bitching about it, its not my job. if i were to get a free ride (wich has happened) i just thank the crew and thats that. but unless technology takes a crap at the station. i always ride ticked.

if the TVM's fail, there should be some kind of a panic button that can be pressed to have a emergency crew come to repair it, OR the crews should be notified about the failures by there supers and not charge the persons getting on there the onbord fair, its not there problem that cheepnes and technology should cost us more.

I have a friend who works for MNR as a PA operator, and he can get away with any RR that operates in and through NY. He asks a conductor if he can get a ride, and usually they say yes. Amtrak especially favors MNR workers, so does NJT, so they usu. don't give him any problems. LIRR is OK and of course MNR, because he works for it. The only 'hate' is on the Subway. He doesn't bother asking anymore because they are stingy and won't give him a ride. But then again Amtrak doesn't like motormen either, according to him, but it all goes down to the individual. Friends of those in the business (not excluding railfans) are able to ride free as long as your accompanied by the employee, or depending on the conductor, the employee can do favors for his friend. (My friend gave me a ride on NJT when he needed to head home on the LIRR. The conductor was nice and approved.)

I think we're treading in sensative territory here, and I recommend this thread be removed. I dont want anyone losing a job over something they read here.

-otto-