EXCLUSIVE: THE MTA SLEEPING ON THE JOB

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is considering dramatic transit cuts and another increase in bus and subway fares, complaining they're running out of money. Year after year, they bellyache over huge deficits and year after year, they seem to find millions of dollars stuffed in the sofa of some corporate suite, after raising fares and cutting service.

We keep paying and riding, yet the MTA whines it just doesn't have the money. The federal, state and city governments, they say, have cut back funding of the transit agency.



Hmmmmmm. Maybe that's because some of its workers are SLEEPING ON THE JOB. (click to enlarge to see the sleeping men) Take for instance, the 3-man crew sleeping inside the cab of this odd looking utility vehicle parked in front of the Angry Wade's bar on Smith Street in Cobble hill........for FIVE hours. I know this because I walked by the bar earlier in the day, then spent a few hours hanging out at Wades a few hours later and still, the crew was sleeping.



Just before 1:00AM, as I was snapping pictures of the truck, I noticed one of the workers was missing from the cab. Before he realized what I was doing, he asked me what time it was. I told him 1:00am. He said and I quote, "too early." He continued walking up Smith street. On his return and caught off guard, I hear a voice behind me yelling, "what are you doing, " as I continued snapping pictures of the lazy crew and their idle truck. I quickly stashed by cell phone camera and darted back into the bar, telling the bouncer that a big burly MTA worker may come running into the place. He didn't. Instead, we watch through the windows, as the truck quickly pulls away from the spot where it sat for FIVE hours, doing nothing.