There’s no job security quite like working for the MTA. Take, for instance, this tale from today’s Daily News. Edward Meehan, an express bus driver on Staten Island who lives in New Jersey, just earned himself his 15th suspension for violating MTA rules. This time, the authority placed on leave without pay when he used his express bus as, in the words of Pete Donohue and Kerry Wills, “as a private lounge to meet a lady friend while on duty.” His previous suspensions were for speeding, running red lights and various other traffic infractions.
Meehan claims nothing illicit happened in the bus. He says he’s happily married and was just meeting his friend to talk. But he isn’t denying that he said his X22 was delayed an hour because of traffic. He also filed for overtime pay for the time he spent sitting in his bus with his lady friend. “He claims they were just talking,” one source said. “He said he was going through a hard time and she’s a friend.” According to a report by Barry Kluger, the MTA Inspector General, Meehan met with this woman in his bus at least three times in April.
The MTA will now try to fire Meehan, but they have gone down this road before. In 2008, after the MTA moved to fire him for “gross negligence” following numerous speeding incidents, an arbitrator reduced the penalty to 25 days without pay. That’s a slap on the wrists, and it certainly makes me think that there’s no job security quite like having a gig with the authority.
18 comments
Absolutely crazy that this DB wasn’t fired years ago.
There is the Mile High Club for planes. Whats the equivalent for buses?
With those high back seat buses (MCIs and whatever “suburban” Orion 5s and RTSes remain), they offer excellent privacy, especially on usually empty express buses.
Why would a bus driver ever speed or run red lights? They’re not hurrying to get anywhere, except maybe to the depot at the end of a shift.
I’d prefer to get the my destination faster, so I encourage speeding and running red lights after stoping and looking for other vehicles. SBS quality service with no taxpayer money. Its great.
If a red light is being run in the city you can be assured it is a bus. Or a guy on a bicycle.
Chris, you’re slayin’ me. You’re telling me you’ve never seen a car in New York City run a red light? I’d invite you to stand at any major intersection for longer than 1 minute. You’ll see plenty.
i went through a yellow light that turned red while i was in the intersection. i know this because i got the picture from the DMV a little while later 🙁
Lesson: don’t do this sort of rendezvous in a residential area, where a bus that doesn’t normally layover will stick out. But I don’t know what to think of the “tipster,” who would watch this bus for 30 minutes a day on at least 3 occasions? Hopefully it is somebody doing some outdoor chores or a routine and not a nosy busybody searching for the next gossip story.
Thank you unions!
i was expecting that.
this guy obv. should have been fired a good while ago. let’s remember what life was like for employees before there were unions: capricious pay, company towns, getting fired for having a wrongly cut jib, getting shot dead by company goons, etc etc. the good old days!
Is there a XXX-69 express bus route the MTA can assign Meehan to?
Also — bus related, but not sex scandal related — General Motors dips an electric toe back into the bus building business. Looks a little bit like the Designline buses. Hopefully it works better under heavy loads and rough street conditions.
They really need a three strikes, you’re out policy. I don’t support such draconian measures when it comes to policing and justice, but it seems fair when you’re spending the public’s money.
I wonder why the driver felt confident enough to rendevous with her in the bus rather than going to a motel after his shift was over. That way, he only has to explain his lateness to his wife, rather than both his wife and the MTA.
Specifically what agency says no, this person must keep their job? The MTA is obviously trying to get him fired, who says it’s OK? I know the courts, but under what measure? I’m so confused, this is so stupidly obvious that he should not have a job with the MTA.
If bus drivers get fired for speeding, then I guess you will need to fire 95% of drivers. Come on, going slighly over the speed limit is not so bad. I feel safer with a driver going 20 MPH over the limit and paying attention than a driver who is going 20 MPH below the limit while texting.
Not even taxi drivers go 20 mph over the speed limit on city streets.
Warning: I’m going to be mean.
He’s obviously lying and she’s obviously a prostitute. Filing for overtime while breaking the law, on duty on what amounts to private property (aside : did she pay the fare before he ‘paid the fare’?) doesn’t surprise me at all. I mean, if he didn’t do it, that would set a bad example for all the other drivers who get away with similar practices but don’t get caught doing it… I mean, then they wouldn’t be able to file for overtime either…
I shudder to think of everything that happens on trains while still in the yards…
[…] the story of Edward Meehan? He’s the bus driver who has been suspended 15 times by the MTA for a series of infractions […]