A New York City subway operator has reportedly been involved in some concerning incidents.
Two videos, circulating on social media, seem to show the same operator letting children operate MTA trains during the day. In one clip, a transit worker can be heard encouraging a young boy on the J-Train at 111th Street, saying, “Go, go, go, go, go, it’s green,” as the child approaches an empty platform.
In another clip, another boy in a safety vest appears to be operating a different train. It’s somewhat alarming, right? The transit worker in this instance seemed preoccupied, on his phone and holding a coffee while the boy was maneuvering the train. Quite a scene.
We’re not sure when these videos were recorded or who initially shared them online. However, Atunyc, the account that distributed them, asserted that the footage is recent.
MTA officials condemned the actions depicted in the videos. They remarked, “What appears in these videos is reckless and unacceptable,” emphasizing that staff allowing unauthorized operation of trains could face serious consequences, including dismissal and legal action.
Additionally, one of the minors seen in the clips had previously been arrested for having taken an empty subway train for a ride.
A couple of teenagers were also arrested in a separate incident after reportedly boarding an empty train in Brooklyn back in February. Law enforcement details that both were taken into custody on outstanding warrants after an altercation on the R train in Sunset Park.
It seems like, unfortunately, there have been a few instances where young individuals have gotten onto empty subway cars for a thrill. Just last January, a group of teenagers managed to hop onto an empty train north of the Forest Hills 71st Street station, spinning it around briefly. It’s all a bit reckless, isn’t it?
