Ch-7 News (WABC) 11pm May 13th

Everyone be sure to watch the Ch-7 (WABC-New York) 11PM news on May 13th. i heard on the radio that they are doing a special on how unsecure the LIRR is. more specifically how easy it is to get secure keys. or something like that. the lead was "exposing the LIRR". i was like "oh this doesn't sound like it will be good".

I guess i'll watch it since I'm bored today, but leave it up to the news to act like private investigators. They usually of course are way off and have little knowledge on how things work. When ever I need to get dream keys, I go up to the customer service counter, but the guy always asks for my ID. All other keys are unatainable without first getting in contact with a manager. Now if the key is in the panel and left there, well than thats just ignorance on the crew member, but we are human and we sometimes forget. I've done it before when I have my head up my rear end. We all have days like that. Now if keys fall from our key chain, well those things do happen, and we shouldn't freak out about it so much. You'd be surprised at how many things are left on the train that go completely ignored by passengers and may be found days later when either a crew member finds it, or a car cleaner finds it. Of course, leave it up to the news to amplify sensitive information to the world so that terrorist can get more ideas. They don't have to do their homework, all they have to do is turn on the TV and let all the stupid news reporters tell them where are all of our weaknesses are. I never knew that freedom of the press translates to freedom of stupidity!

I will watch it tonight. HOWEVER, I can only see one reason why this story is being aired: RATINGS! I would be very skeptical of the slant placed on this story.

If would be sad, but worth it if somthing of minor problems IE. group of teens playing with the doors or gaining acess to the cab. after the NEWS reports this. I would like too see how LIRR/MTA is going to punish the news for releasing such plain sight information to a public that is scard shit since 9-11. a public that call the cops when you step on a train with a camera on your belt. and a public that don't know the diffrence between a skeliton key and a LIRR key.

I really hope that the NEWS catches hell for this and maby looses there right to take footage of the trains. maby freedom of the press is a bigger risk then people taking personal photos? well ill be watching. popcorn, soround sound and all . (just joking about the popcorn lol)

Watching it now.

The issue that the story covers is the failure of the Authority's Rail Road to recover ALL keys upon employees leaving the railroad. This does seem to pose a problem if they end up with the wrong personnel.

yes and no it can pose a threat.

but now they will probly put more MTA police at yards and so on to prevent such simple unprotected entries.

Long Island 7285 wrote:yes and no it can pose a threat.

but now they will probly put more MTA police at yards and so on to prevent such simple unprotected entries.

At some NYCT yards, there is an electronic gate controlling entry. Will this become SOP in the railroad divisions of the Authority?

maby barbed wire gates, with eletronic ID card swiping sensors to allow for employee access only.

This was yet another issue that has also been a problem at other companies such as UPS. I use to work for them, but i wasn't asked to turn in my uniform when I left, and even funnier is that I still have the ID card to get in the buildings. Imagine what companies would have to go through to get everyone to return all of their company property? The RR would ask you to return their keys, the uniform, the hat with the badge, and so on.... Yet it won't stop people from putting it on ebay like I have seen a few times where someone was selling a legitimate Conductor's hat with badge! The problem with the key is, that we sometimes lose keys or they might break, so what's going to stop an employee from obtaining more keys. I have quite a few set of keys on me, and I have asked for a few more in the past so that I would have sufficient keys on me just in case I forget one at home, or lose one during the course of the day. Most people who would even cross a key wouldn't know what to do with them anyway unless they really have studied what it is that we do on our jobs, so I'm not too worried about it. Listen, if people ask me "which direction is the train going?" while stopped at Port Washington next to the bumper block, I'm sure that those same folks would not know how or what to do with a RR key if they got their hands on it, and for those of you who might not be aware, these intellegent people make up the bulk of LIRR commuters.

Deleted

"people ask me "which direction is the train going?" while stopped at Port Washington next to the bumper block"

Don't you just love it when people do that?

The news program featured a disgruntled ex-employee who seemed like he wanted to sink the railroad. Dream keys are a dime a dozen and I know that the LIRR is in the process of putting together a system in which the keys are given out. More to follow. As info, switch keys and high security keys are numbered and are only given out by the Rules Dept, who I believe, are also in the process of tightening up security of the keys.

What's a "dream key?"

-otto-

WNBC News is slamming the RR as well...
Big Brother is watching....


Monday @ 5 & 11 p.m.: Metro-North Railroad workers are secretly videotaped with surprising results.

Otto,

A "Dream Key" is the key used to open the doors from the Conductor's panels, or to open a crew door.
(Many of the interior access panels in the M-7 also require a door key, or "Dream Key".)

The old time nickname supposedly came from someone who was going up on a car to take a nap.

Door keys are a dime a dozen here. I have about 14 of them. I can go right to the storeroom and get one, without giving name or IBM number. Controller keys ("M-1 keys") and high security keys are more difficult to get.

When a person retires from M of E, the company does ask for the more expensive tools back. Meters, impact guns, etc., you must give back. Supposedly, some pay or benefit is withheld if you do not. It would be easy to issue keys with numbers, and require return of them as company property upon retirement or separation from service. Only difficulty is dealing with lost or "lost" keys. Unfortunately, they'd have to take a punitive stance for losing keys. Just what we need, more trials!

Tom

P.S. The controller keys we were given when we graduated the apprenticeship are all stamped with numbers.