Tool's Disability Outrage

CBS Evening News has picked up the story as well. It is airing momentarily...

With the MTA Terrorism Boogymen back on Page 1, LIRR Retiree-Boogymen should be out of the news for awhile.

Maybe Tool can enjoy Christmas with his retired friends after all. Hope all our friends here had a nice Thanksgiving. Through all the trials, I am oh so thankful for the Long Island Rail Road Company, who has provided me and my family with a paycheck every week for longer than I can remember and a job I've loved as much as life itself...

Exactly tool, I LOVED working for the RR, as do many of us.
This whole Idea that we where trying to cheat or take advantage of the system is all complete BS.
The RR becomes your life in many instances, you end up spending so much time there, with your co-workers, they become an extended family.
My best friends and people I keep in touch with today are almost all Co-workers.
We go to each others funerals, we are there when one gets sick providing support, we rejoice in the good times.
There was one Conductor who died in 1988..20 years ago.. that I and others still think of often, and miss.
My best friend on the RR was an engineer who died in 2003. I still visit his grave once in awhile.
Eddie Hassett and Rudy Nichols for those who knew them.)
Through all the bad times in my life, death in the family, breaking up with a loved one, 9/11, and other bad times, the RR was the one constant in my life that held things together. ( along with faith in God of Course).
The point I am making is, that for a lot of us, retirement is not an easy thing.
The RR has become such a large part of our lives, for some its hard to let go.
I would probably still be there if my back and knees had not started acting up.
I had the seniority to work any job I wanted, I was # 2 on the conductors roster, and liked to work east end diesel jobs towards the end of my career.
A ride in the country.
Its not a job if you love it.
I am NOT the only one who feels this way.
I used to joke that I would be the Conductor on the first train to Grand Central.
2012? heck I will only be 58
(I REALLY wanted to do that)
I was genuinely sad the day I made the decision I could not do it anymore.
Now these SOB's in the media presume to tell me why I retired?
They can all go to hell.
Again, all the BS about people taking advantage? Many of us would have stayed.
Railroading gets in your blood, and its hard to give up.
Now that I see what is going on with Ms. Williams and others, I am glad I retired.
I can visit the place any time I want, and I get to see my co-workers at various functions throughout the year.
I will even step out and say I GUARENTEE no conductor or engineer will get in trouble because of false disabilities. MRI's and X RAYS dont lie.
Patterson, Cuomo, The IG and others can all... well I am a Christian, I better not say it.

your homework didn't you. Disgraceful.

Here's a link to the CBS "Investigative Report" and it's two minute video.

http://wcbstv.com/national/rail.road.pe ... 76097.html

As with most TV news these days, it's not very informative, nor accurate. And, as uptown stated, they base their opinion of retirees' physical conditions by interviewing a retired LIRR auditor, who, unrevealed in the story, left under a cloud himself and has his own axe to grind.

More of the same stuff.

Here is someting you might wnt to take a look at.

LIRR President's Testimony - U.S. Railroad Disability System
Joint Public Hearing: Office of the New York State Attorney General and Members of Congress 10/27/2008

http://mta.info/lirr/service/HWilliams10-27-2008.htm

Here is a response a Retired engineer sent to CBS news.. I left his name out on purpose.

Dear Ms. Sharyl Attkinsson,

I read the story you filed November 28, 2008 (Pension System A Runaway Train) and after reading this story, I'm left with so many questions......The first question is, where's the balance in your report? I mean, come on, your not doing a story about John Gotti. Your supposed to be doing a story about Hard working Men and Women, who applied for and received an Occupational Disability. Your story makes us out to be a bunch of thieves and I for one, am offended. I also want you to know, that I don't think very much of your professionalism as a reporter! Where's the rest of the story? Or have I confused you with the FOX network? (Fair and Balanced).

Your source for the piece is a Mr. Walter Kueffner, who worked as a manager in the Auditing Department. I'm glad to hear that he is well and physically fit and may he live long and stay physically fit. Ms. Attkisson, Walter worked at a DESK and not on the TRAINS!
I'm not trying to diminish what Mr. Kueffner did for the L.I.R.R. We all had a job that kept the Railroad running, but c'mon Sharyl....you compared us with someone who sits at a desk and does the Railroads paperwork? Are you kidding me? Ok, so you gave him his 15 minutes of fame, but now, lets get back to reality. Working on the Railroad is not as comfortable as Mr. Kueffner's office. Those of us who actually worked on the Trains, had a different reality.
I'm going to ask you to do a little more research, so you will have a better understanding of what it's really like. I'm not going to go into every task, that we in the Operating Department had to do on a daily basis, but if you take me up on my challenge, you'll be a better Investigative Reporter and you will have a better understanding as to what we, who work the Trains, are confronted with. Ok, lets get started....Please go to Penn Station, buy a round trip ticket to Babylon...take the Local Train, (not the Express)....I want you to STAND not Sit, for the entire round trip. During your trip, please look at what the Train person does as he or she collects the fares and checks for tickets.....watch how this person holds on, as the train accelerates and decelerates from station to station. When you get back to Penn Station, stop for a moment and think about how your legs feel. Train service personnel do this for four trains, maybe six trains a day. And do it for five or six days a week. Ask yourself a question...how do you think their legs and lower back feel after 25 or 30 YEARS? Do you think they might have a knee or lower back problem, you know...the kind of problem that will show up on an XRAY or an MRI? I'm going to skip over the STRESS and AGGRAVATION that comes along with that for brevity sake.
Ok, this next one will be much easier...I just want you to THINK about how it might feel....have you ever experienced a prank, where you were about to sit down and someone pulled out the chair from under you and down you went...right on your BUTT? If so, I'm sure you know it hurt! Why do I say this......During my career with the L.I.R.R, I had NINE (9)BACK INJURIES.....I was operating my train and the seat collapsed. A supervisor for the Railroad (a Road Foreman of Engines) wrote a memo to the Railroad, wherein he said, don't buy these seats, buy the better ones. Well, upper management overruled his advise and these were the seats we got for the M-1 cars. And after a while, as the cars got older, the seats failed often. As a result, there were a lot of back injuries sustained by those of us who worked on the trains...especially the ENGINEERS! This can be verified by the L.I.R.R. claims Department, through the FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
Now, I know, the new President of the Railroad...Ms. Helena Williams has said that the Railroad has improved on their employee safety and that work related injuries have been reduced significantly. Well, that's now......not how it was, when I was still at the THROTTLE. It appeared to me and many of my fellow co-workers, that it was just the COST -OF -DOING- BUSINESS. If it cost $50,000 or $500,000 to fix a reported problem...but it wasn't an imminent threat to the riding public...when we get to it...we get to it. Those of us who worked on the trains saw this, FIRST HAND.
There's another part of this report that bother's me.....what is with the 'He took early retirement" Ok, this is simple MATH.....you start working for the Railroad at age 20 and you work there for 30 years......How old are you? The pension on the L.I.R.R. is 50% of salary at 50 years of age with 25 years of service! And for every year after 25 years, you get 1 1/2 % more. Working at this job for 25 or 30 years is a commitment fulfilled!
The Railroad Retirement Board has a criteria which a retiree MUST MEET to qualify for an OCCUPATIONAL DISABILITY...After I retired, I applied for this and had to meet this criteria, I submitted my medical records along with a narrative from the doctor, who had been treating me for my bad back. I made my appointment with the Railroad Retirement Board in Westbury Long Island and the agent and I went over all my papers and I signed them and left. After waiting about 6 weeks, I received a letter from the board, telling me to meet with a doctor the board chose, for an independent medical opinion. I kept this appointment and received a complete physical from this doctor. And then I once again...waited. After a period of time, I received a letter from the Railroad Retirement Board wherein this letter said that the board has reviewed my medical records and the doctors report and therefore I have met the criteria for an Occupational Disability. Oh, there's one more thing I want to share with you, to set the record straight.....The forms (packet) that the Railroad Retirement Board gives to a retiree (application for disability) you cannot get, until you are officially retired. Also, you cannot make the appointment with them, to file for a disability, unless you are officially retired. DID YOU KNOW THAT?

When you get this E-Mail...you'll have my E-Mail address, if you need the real truth and not some Bovine Scatology as the N.Y. Times offered...write to me, sincerely

ahhh.....Once again,this situation is explained ,yet we will have posts,arguing that the media states"this" or that woman says"that"...never listening to the basic truth.It basically comes down to just jelousy,why should you people be entitled to something Im not.regardless if you meet the criteria,have documentation,ect.ect.I've recently retired from the LIRR,I will meet with the RR ret. board In a couple of days.I will present to them my medical records,they will no doubt,thanks to Helena,and Upchuck Shumer,send me to an indepentent doctor to review my case.If they decide I am no longer able to perform my duties as an engineer,I guess I will be considered by the public at large to be one of those "thieves" that used to work for the rail road.keep believing everything you read in Newsday,a wise man once said'"The masses are asses"

Wisest Tool...the television interview was as I recall, and correct me if I am wrong, with a former Auditor whose main job was to ....well, you know....and If I may, kmart you will fare well......the S card says so.....

Retired Conductor: You could not have said things in your post any better! It seems to me that some media like Newsday and now perhaps CBS TV have a grudge against the LIRR. I too dislike one sided points of view....MACTRAXX

[A gentle reminder to keep it civil, please. -omv]

Retired Condr or UNKA ..........
Rudy Nichols a wonderful guy to be with. Eddie Hasset I met him the year after I joined in 88 I met him in 1989.. I remember you working with Rudy out of Penn . I was a collector on one of your trains to Port Washington.. I always got the doors at Murray Hill( Rear 4 cars please) Sorry to go a little off topic here..

Chris yes Rudy was one of the good guys, as are you.

P.S. You easy

!

number one,number two, and number three.