MTA investigating if subway operator allowed minors to illegally operate train.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is currently investigating incidents involving a subway operator who allegedly permitted multiple minors to operate a train, following the circulation of videos on social media. These videos, which surfaced last week, depict a young man at the controls of different R160 subway cars during daylight hours.
In both clips, the same subway operator is visible alongside the minors, providing guidance as they navigate the train. One notable moment features the operator encouraging a young boy as he approaches an empty platform at 111th Street on the J train in Richmond Hill, Queens, instructing him to press a button to honk the horn.
The exact timing of the videos remains unclear, but sources familiar with the investigation suggest that these activities likely took place in the morning hours when trains were not in service and were being repositioned from a yard. Upon being approached for comment, an MTA spokesman confirmed that NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow has acknowledged the existence of the videos and stated that the agency is taking them very seriously.
Crichlow emphasized in a statement that preliminary assessments indicate unauthorized activities that contravene NYC Transit regulations. He clarified that any MTA employees involved would face disciplinary actions that could result in termination.
These incidents are not isolated; they follow a disturbing trend in which a select group of young individuals has engaged in break-ins and unauthorized joyrides involving subway trains. Over the past year, several minors have faced multiple arrests for allegedly breaking into parked subway cars, starting them up, and taking them for unauthorized rides. Reports indicate that these minors often gain access to the trains using keys stolen from transit workers.
In another related case earlier this year, a 15-year-old boy was apprehended after setting off a metal detector at a Bronx high school while carrying a backpack filled with stolen MTA equipment. Authorities believe he was involved in at least eight separate instances of subway-related trespassing.
The MTA’s ongoing inquiry into these recent videos reflects a larger concern regarding safety and illicit activities within the city’s transit system. The agency aims to take firm actions to ensure the safety and integrity of its operations while addressing the surge in unauthorized access to subway trains. Media News Source.
