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Cellphone Pictures Lead To An Arrest

Posted by
on November 24th, 2008 at 12:21 am

Early Friday evening Christine Hauser of the New York Times broke a story about how cell phone pictures led to an arrest of a 18 year old male. The 18 year old was photographed on an Astoria-Ditmars Blvd N Train train engaging in “scratchitti”. Scratchitti is a form of graffiti that’s made by etching and carving your tag on an object instead of using tools like marker ink or spray paint. Here is Christine’s report:

It was a crime in progress. A young man in a hooded sweatshirt and jeans sat on a gleaming subway seat, his face focused on the train window as he scratched something into the glass.

On Monday at 1 p.m. on a northbound N train, near the subway station at 30th Avenue in Astoria, Queens, an alert rider took out a cellphone and snapped a photograph of the young man, along with another image of him sitting slightly forward in his seat, the police said.

The commuter turned over the photos to the Crime Stoppers hot line, a relatively new innovation in reporting crime.

The images were scrutinized by the Police Department’s vandalism task force, which managed to identify the young man as Andrew Morello, 18, who officials said was already known to investigators as a “tagger.” He had been arrested in March on a graffiti charge after spray-painting the word “Shelly” on a parked commercial vehicle in Queens, according to court records.

On Friday, officers went to his house at 48-04 20th Avenue in East Elmhurst, and arrested him. (He struggled while he was being handcuffed, and one of the arresting officers was treated at a hospital for a wrist injury, the police said.)

Mr. Morello faces charges of criminal mischief, making graffiti, resisting arrest and possession of graffiti instruments, the police said.

Click here for the complete report.

The responses to this article has been a mix bag. Some are complaining about the “photographer” having no life & reporting the crime. Others took the opportunity to say this was the right thing to do as it costs the MTA money. This line of thinking led to a debate over the MTA’s finances. One last comment I observed was one that compared this story to the one of a 13 year old who died after being run over by a Long Island Rail Road train while he was spray painting with friends.

As far as I am concerned, I am glad the person took the time to report this crime. Forget the cost to the MTA in terms of having the scratchitti removed. I want to focus on why people feel the need to destroy the train cars millions depend on to get from point A to point B? Are people that bored in life that they have to do something destructive to property? I don’t think sending this person to jail will accomplish much but he should be responsible to pay for any damage he caused. I also feel he should have to do some sort of community service in which he would have to clean MTA property whether it be buses, train cars, stations, etc….

xoxo Transit Blogger

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2

Service Diversions 11/21

Posted by
on November 21st, 2008 at 8:53 pm

I have just updated the service diversions page with the latest scheduled diversions for this weekend & next week (and beyond in some cases). Don’t forget to check in for any changes to the page. I also suggest printing out a copy of the page to use while riding the system. Have a safe & wonderful weekend!

P.S. Stay warm!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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LIRR To Provide Extra Trains For Thanksgiving Holiday

Posted by
on November 21st, 2008 at 4:10 pm

I apologize for not posting this but I have been extremely busy today. The Long Island Rail Road sent out a press release via e-mail to announce that they will be providing extra trains for the Thanksgiving Holiday period. Here are the complete details:

The MTA Long Island Rail Road is an economical and convenient alternative to car travel this Thanksgiving, with extra train service on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, November 26, and Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 27 and off peak fares in effect for the entire 4-day holiday weekend. On the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 28, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, off-peak fares will be in effect all day, including the special Family Fare discount, while a full weekday schedule will be in effect. Under the Family Fare program, up to four children ages 5-11 can ride off-peak trains for the advance purchase fare of 75 cents each when accompanied by fare-paying parent or guardian. Weekly and monthly ticket holders just pay for the kids. Children under 5 ride free.

The schedule on Thanksgiving eve, Wednesday, November 26 includes nine extra trains departing Penn Station between 2:09 PM and 4:01 PM for customers leaving work early. Three trains will operate on the Babylon Branch, three on the Port Jefferson Branch (one to Hicksville, two to Huntington), one on the Port Washington Branch to Great Neck, one to Far Rockaway and one to Montauk.

The holiday schedule on Thanksgiving Day will include 16 extra trains for travelers attending the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Holiday travelers are urged to purchase round-trip tickets in advance to avoid paying the higher on-board fare.

Wednesday, November 26:

The extra afternoon service from Penn Station includes:

Port Jefferson Branch to Hicksville/Huntington:

• 2:09 PM stopping at Jamaica, Carle Place, then all stops to Huntington

• 2:25 PM stopping at Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Jamaica, New Hyde Park, then all stops to Huntington

• 3:24 PM stopping at Jamaica, Mineola, Westbury and Hicksville

Babylon Branch:

• 2:22 PM express to Lynbrook, then all stops to Babylon

• 3:00 PM stopping at Jamaica, Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon

• 3:31PM express to Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon

Port Washington Branch to Great Neck:

• 3:40 PM stopping at Woodside, Flushing, then all stops to Great Neck

Far Rockaway Branch:

• 3:48 PM express to Locust Manor, then all stops to Far Rockaway

Montauk Branch:

• 4:06 PM train from Hunterspoint Avenue to Montauk (4:01 PM train from Penn Station connects with this train at Jamaica)

Note: Alcoholic beverages will not be allowed on LIRR trains, stations and platforms from 8:00 PM on Wednesday, November 26 (Thanksgiving Eve) to 8:00 AM on Thursday, November 27, (Thanksgiving morning). MTA Police will enforce this restriction.

Thanksgiving Day, November 27:

Throughout Thanksgiving Day, a holiday schedule will be in effect. Cars will be added to select trains to accommodate holiday travelers. Extra service for those attending the Parade includes:

Westbound:

Babylon Branch from Wantagh:

7:13 AM and 7:43 AM trains from Wantagh, making all stops to Lynbrook, Jamaica and Penn Station

Montauk Branch:

6:09 AM from Speonk, making all stops to Babylon, Jamaica and Penn Station

Ronkonkoma Branch:

6:29 AM and 7:08 AM trains from Ronkonkoma, making all stops to Hicksville, Mineola, Jamaica and Penn Station

Port Jefferson Branch:

6:39 AM from Port Jefferson making all stops to Huntington, Jamaica and Penn Station

Eastbound:

Between 11:37 AM and 2:03 PM, ten extra trains will depart from Penn Station to accommodate customers returning from the parade. Three of the extra trains will operate on the Babylon Branch, four will operate on the Ronkonkoma Branch, two will operate on the Port Jefferson Branch and one will operate on the Montauk Branch to Speonk. Branch timetables dated November 10-December 14 contain regular eastbound departures from Penn Station, as well as the times of the extra trains.

Friday, November 28:

Although the LIRR will run a normal weekday schedule, off-peak fares will be in effect all day, making it more economical to travel to the city for holiday shopping and events.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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0

Staten Island Railway Earns Another C+

Posted by
on November 21st, 2008 at 3:51 pm

The song remains the same for the Staten Island Railway as it once again earned an overall grade of C+ in this year’s Rider Report Cards. Here is the press release that the MTA sent out via e-mail earlier today:

MTA Staten Island Railway (SIR) customers who responded to the second annual Rider Report Card survey judged the overall score to be the same this year as 2007, holding at a grade of C-plus. However, while the 14.3-mile railway did see improvement in several key areas, management was reminded that there is still work to be done.

Riders graded the line in 21 areas, including “Minimal delays during trips,” “Adequate room on board at rush hour,” “Cleanliness of stations,” “Station Announcements that are easy to hear,” “Lack of scratchitti in subway cars” and “Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines.” This year, 805 riders graded SIR service, with 785 votes tallied by mail and 20 via the Internet; that’s compared with a total of 1,680 responses received in 2007 – 1,413 through the mail and 267 internet responses.

Riders graded “Trains depart and arrive as scheduled” a “B” this year compared to a grade of “B-minus” in 2007. “Adequate room on board at rush hour” improved from a “C-minus” in 2007 to “C” in 2008. “Sense of security in stations” maintained a grade of “C” in 2008, while “Sense of security on trains” also held steady with a grade of “C”. SIR customers graded “Working elevator at St. George” a B-minus in 2008, up from the previous year’s grade of C-plus. “Station announcements that are easy to hear” got a “C” this time around, up from “C-minus,” and “Station announcements that are informative” also went up from a “C-minus” last year to “C” in 2008.

“While the overall grade at the Staten Island Railway maintained a level of C-plus, we are encouraged that customers saw improvement in some areas that we have worked very hard on,” said NYC Transit President Howard H. Roberts, Jr. “Realizing that we have a way to go before we achieve the results that we believe we are capable of, we will continue the effort to boost the grades on SIR.”

SIR riders were also asked to prioritize the improvements they would like to see. As they did in 2007, riders listed “Adequate room on board at rush hour” in the top slot. However, the next two, “Cleanliness of cars” and “Sense of security on trains” rose from the fifth and fourth positions, respectively, last year.

As of this moment the full breakdown of grades has not been posted.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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1

The Rockettes Team Up With The LIRR For 2 Holiday Trains

Posted by
on November 20th, 2008 at 4:52 pm

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) just issued a press release to announce they will team up with The Rockettes for 2 LIRR Holiday Trains. Here are the details:

The MTA Long Island Rail Road wants its customers to kick up their heels this holiday season with the world-famous Radio City Rockettes. This Saturday, November 22, members of the Rockettes will join LIRR customers on two holiday trains. To join the festivities, customers should arrive between 8 AM and 10 AM at either the Babylon or Rockville Centre Stations for the 10:02 AM (from Babylon) or the 10:04 AM (from Rockville Centre) trains. They’ll be greeted at the stations by Rockettes and can participate in a raffle for tickets to the “Radio City Christmas Spectacular” or “Wintuk by Cirque du Soleil®.”

The Rockettes will board the two holiday trains to Penn Station and hand out candy canes to passengers. At Penn Station, already decked out for the holidays, the Rockettes will join Santa Claus from 11 AM to 2 PM at the 34th Street Entrance at Penn Station, customers will also have an opportunity to win prizes in a holiday “Spin & Win” game.

Those unable to take the two holiday trains are welcome to take the LIRR’s other trains to Penn Station. The Railroad’s Travel Information Center is available 24-hours a day in Suffolk County at 631-231-LIRR, in Nassau County at 516-822-LIRR or in New York City at 718-217-LIRR. The Travel Information Center’s TDD telephone number for the hearing impaired is 718-558-3022. Customers may also consult the LIRR’s website at www.mta.info.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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