Park Place Shuttle Booth Clerk Refused to Call 911 During Emergency
  • travelriter
    I AM FURIOUS about an incident
    that occurred two nights ago. On Monday, 3/24/2014 just before 11:00pm, I
    approached the Token Booth Clerk at the Park Place Shuttle stop in Crown Heights. I gave him a note explaining that the woman a few feet
    away who had just gotten off the train with me had admitted she was
    going to commit suicide and possibly jump in front of the train. I handed him a note because she did not want me to call the police, and my cell battery had died. He
    began yelling at me that it wasn't his problem. I explained my cell
    battery had died, and I that I didn't want to scare her off before the police could arrive to help calm her down, and possibly keep her from harming herself
    or anyone else.  I asked him quietly if he could call 911. I then verbally explained what I'd written in the note after he threw the note back at me. He still refused to call
    the police, even though I pleaded with him to help, stressing that she had stated she was considering jumping in front of the train or killing herself when she got to her apartment. I asked for his
    name or badge number and he refused to tell me. I asked him how I can
    reach the manager but he refused to give me the information. I sent an email to the main MTA contact but received a form letter response. The woman on the train appeared to be a "normal" person, intelligent, articulate, educated, but she told me she'd
    recently lost her job and was about to be evicted and she felt hopeless.
    She refused $ and a metrocard from me. I really hope someone handles this situation but I'm guessing there will be no consequences for this employees behavior.
  • BrooklynianBrooklynian
    That's sad, but somehow not surprising. Were there any other commuters nearby who could have called 911?
  • travelriter
    I asked one woman who was walking by if she could call 911, but she refused as well. After a few minutes I left and called the police but by the time I got to a phone I'm pretty sure the woman had left. She was upset when the token booth clerk started yelling telling me it wasn't his problem and that I should call the cops myself. She said she was scared that police would commit her to a hospital and she was afraid. I was surprised the other woman refused to call 911 too. I just don't get it. I've lived in NYC over 15 years, but I still don't get it. I'm always amazed when I see people lacking compassion. They didn't need to give her $, they didn't need to give her a place to stay, didn't even need to stay and deal with the police...I was willing to wait for them.
  • newguy88newguy88
    Jesus Christ! That's pretty f*%#ing low! 

    Contact the Gothamist and NY1 one of these two news organizations should take the story. Also contact your representative maybe they can help you out. Some day soon booth agents will be replaced by computers and we'll all be better off for it. MTA employees are simply some of the worst people you will ever meet.  
  • mugofmead111

    I checked the MTA website. It suggests "Be wary of suspicious behavior" and notifying police/station personnel. So, you, travelriter, did the right thing according to MTA's own rules! So much for the MTA's "If you see something, say something" campaign". :( 

    I second the suggestion to e-mail the people at Gothamist. I bet they'd be all over it.
  • nothinlikeabklyngirlnothinlikeabklyngirl
    Even without his name and badge number, the MTA will know who he was as long as you can provide the time, date, and location of the incident. And the Straphangers Campaign has some good advice here about how to make complaints that get noticed, including sending copies to them, the MTA president, and the subway line's general manager: http://www.straphangers.org/complaints.html. I would also add the supervisor in charge of that station, whose name and photo are usually up on a plaque there somewhere. 
  • crownheightster
    Call the MTA at 718-330-3322. My husband and I called after a subway operator repeatedly closed the doors of the train on our baby carriage (NOT during rush hour or a last minute run to the subway!) and were happy with the response we got.
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    I reached out to a friend of mine and learned:

    Anthony Brannock is the manager in charge of the Park Place Shuttle station. He can be reached through the 7th Avenue Field office at 718-243-3903 or 3905
  • travelriter
    Thank you so much. I've been following all of the suggestions I've read here and I will update this post if I get any results. Thank you again.
  • travelriter

    crownheightster said:

    Call the MTA at 718-330-3322. My husband and I called after a subway operator repeatedly closed the doors of the train on our baby carriage (NOT during rush hour or a last minute run to the subway!) and were happy with the response we got.



    That is horrible!! I hope you were able to get some help with this, and that your child wasn't injured!
  • travelriter
    whynot_31 said:

    I reached out to a friend of mine and learned:

    Anthony Brannock is the manager in charge of the Park Place Shuttle station. He can be reached through the 7th Avenue Field office at 718-243-3903 or 3905



    Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I did get a quick response from Anthony Brannock (thank you, WHYNOT) who was extremely upset by my report. He called twice to get details and promised there will be a thorough investigation. He said that although many times employees try to deny when there is misconduct/complaints, if I was willing to testify he intended to def pursue this to make sure nothing like this happens ever again. Of course I agreed. Thanks again everyone. (I love Brooklynian)
  • BrooklynianBrooklynian
    Aw shucks!

    Oh... You mean the site. Hey, me too. :-)
  • travelriter
    lol
    Love my fellow Brooklynians, too
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