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Video: Metro North Train Operator Engrossed In Newspaper While Driving Train


By

John Del Signore

Published Jun 7, 2012

Modified Jun 7, 2012


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By

John Del Signore

Published Jun 7, 2012

Modified Jun 7, 2012


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We all lead busy lives, and it can be a challenge to stay on top of current events. Tip: using your commute to catch up on the news can a great way to stay informed—just ask this Metro-North train operator. Don't assume that because he's the one driving that he can't also enjoy his morning paper. Be sure to stay tuned for the 1:25 mark, when, engrossed in his reading, he completely takes his hands off the controls to run his fingers through his thinning hair:

View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.

The video was taken by a Yonkers resident named John Bingham, who boarded the train, bound for Grand Central, in Wakefield on Wednesday around 8:30 a.m. He immediately noticed the engineer multitasking with the newspaper, and documented his conduct with his cell phone. "He only looked up when the bells went off," Bingham told NBC New York, referring to the signal sounds when the train approaches a station. "That made me nervous. What if one of the bells didn't go off and something happened with the train?"

Of course, the big money men who run Metro-North want to keep the working man illiterate and ignorant, an uninformed spectator obediently taking orders on the sidelines of society. The MTA tells us the engineer "was taken out of service this morning when he reported to work pending the investigation." To be fair, if this guy wants to read the paper he should at least get one of his buddies to drive the train.

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metro north

MTA

multitasking

train engineer


John Del Signore

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Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


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