In dismissing a lawsuit by a rape victim, Judge Kevin Kerrigan may have been technically correct in finding that transit workers did not violate procedures. But this does not negate that flawed procedures allowed this crime to take place.
In 2005, a 25-year-old graduate student was raped at the 21st Street Station of the G line in Hunters Point, Queens. She screamed for help as her attacker dragged her to a lower platform. Two transit workers saw the assault unfold but did not intervene. One clerk remained in his booth while a conductor remained in his train.
The woman sued the workers and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Kerrigan ruled on Tuesday that the workers were properly following procedures. Maybe so, but then the procedures are horribly flawed.
Lawyers for the workers reportedly said that their clients did not know whether the rapist was armed. Both workers had alerted superiors about the attack. But this was of no comfort to the victim. And this is no comfort to transit riders.
There are indeed safety concerns for transit workers. But the bureaucratic steps and delays highlighted by this tragedy are unacceptable. For example, the problem with the use of an emergency button inside the booth is that it connects to a manager who then decides whether to contact police. The MTA must cut out the middleman.
The Transport Workers Union, Local 100, the union that represents transit workers, also calls for the use of dedicated police patrols and surveillance cameras.
The MTA points out that crime in the transit system is at a historic low. What it doesn’t mention is that the perpetrator of the rape remains on the loose. We urge the MTA and police department to develop a rapid response tactic for transit workers that will stop a crime before it ruins lives.
In dismissing a lawsuit by a rape victim, Judge Kevin Kerrigan may have been technically correct in finding that transit workers did not violate procedures. But this does not negate that flawed procedures allowed this crime to take place.
In 2005, a 25-year-old graduate student was raped at the 21st Street Station of the G line in Hunters Point, Queens. She screamed for help as her attacker dragged her to a lower platform. Two transit workers saw the assault unfold but did not intervene. One clerk remained in his booth while a conductor remained in his train.
The woman sued the workers and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Kerrigan ruled on Tuesday that the workers were properly following procedures. Maybe so, but then the procedures are horribly flawed.
Lawyers for the workers reportedly said that their clients did not know whether the rapist was armed. Both workers had alerted superiors about the attack. But this was of no comfort to the victim. And this is no comfort to transit riders.
There are indeed safety concerns for transit workers. But the bureaucratic steps and delays highlighted by this tragedy are unacceptable. For example, the problem with the use of an emergency button inside the booth is that it connects to a manager who then decides whether to contact police. The MTA must cut out the middleman.
The Transport Workers Union, Local 100, the union that represents transit workers, also calls for the use of dedicated police patrols and surveillance cameras.
