A New Low for Transit

New York City Transit has a remarkably bad reputation for how it treats its employees - not surprising given the fact that nearly half the work force was served with disciplinary charges last year.

If anyone questions whether this is a bad rap, they might want to consider the case of Lincoln Bernier, a former Traffic Checker at the agency who nine years ago was arrested based on the claim by a supervisor that an expired employee pass he was carrying when stopped by Detectives had been stolen from its rightful owner.

The supervisor, Mike Papagianopoulos, at the time worked for the transit system as an Acting Manager of Administration and used to deal with Mr. Bernier because the latter gentleman was a grievance representative for Transport Workers' Union Local 100. He could have easily ascertained that the person with the card in his possession was the rightful owner when he was contacted by the Detectives. Instead he lied, and as a result, Mr. Bernier was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property.

The case was eventually tossed, but in the meantime Mr. Bernier was unable to apply for a number of law-enforcement jobs which require that candidates have never been arrested. He sued the NYPD over the arrest and received a $15,000 settlement in that case last year; last month a jury deciding his suit against NYC Transit awarded him $12,000.

An NYC Transit spokesman declined comment on the case last week, saying the agency had not decided whether to appeal. While it contemplates, it might also give some consideration to whether Mr. Papagianopoulos deserves continued employment. It's hard to imagine a meaner or more spiteful act than lying when you have ample reason to believe that doing so will result in somebody's arrest.

Such an employee has made a mockery of the term public servant, and has no business drawing a government paycheck.