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Queens-Midtown Toll Dispute Ends in Toll Taker's Firing
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 20, 2008
Modified Jul 20, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 20, 2008
Modified Jul 20, 2008
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It's one tall toll tale: The Post has a pretty crazy story about a toll worker who ended up pulling his "MTA Bridges and Tunnels-issued Glock 9mm pistol on a driver who handed him a wad of crumpled cash."
The drama happened last year, when a driver hand crumbled bills to Bridge & Tunnels officer Daniel Bell. Bell refused them, saying the driver, FBI agent Wilfred Rattigan, had to straight them himself. Rattigan asked to see a supervisor, so Bell asked for his boss to come. Then the fed "perfectly unfolded the bills to pay the $4.50 toll." Bell claimed he had to wait for the supervisor, and then the incident got ugly. From the Post:
The agent then reached under his seat and pulled a black bag onto his lap. Bell, 38, asked what was inside the bag, and Rattigan responded, "A weapon - and here is my identification," according to hearing documents.
The toll collector then ordered Rattigan to take his hands out of the bag, but Rattigan continued to pull out his ID.
Bell drew his pistol and ordered everyone in the car to place their hands on the dashboard or the seat in front of them.
A number of other officers descended on Rattigan's car with their guns drawn! Rattigan was able to leave when it was confirmed he was an FBI agent, but naturally he filed a complaint with the MTA.
Bell, who had a number of rudeness complaints against him, was ultimately fired. Though a judge found he was justified in drawing his gun, she believed Bell should have accepted his Rattigan's money. Bell is currently appealing the decision. As for Rattigan, the Post reports he sued the FBI in 2004, "claiming that the bureau discriminated against him after he converted to Islam and that it failed to provide him with the resources to investigate terrorism properly after 9/11."
Photograph by Triborough on Flickr
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Bridge & Tunnels
crumbled bills
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toll taker
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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