Alright, let's talk about public trust. Or, rather, the absolute joke of it. Because every time you think you've seen the bottom of the barrel when it comes to government agencies and the people they employ, someone comes along with a shovel and digs a little deeper. This time, it's the Long Island Rail Road, folks, and their latest "bombshell" investigation into employee fraud. Bombshell? Give me a break. It's more like a leaky faucet that's been dripping for years, and now they're finally pretending to notice the flood.
We're talking about dozens of LIRR employees, including a 20-year veteran, Richard Bovell, getting caught red-handed in a scheme that's as dumb as it is infuriating. "Cloned" ID cards. Seriously? It sounds like something out of a bad spy movie, except the spies are just trying to swipe in their buddies so they can skip work and grab an extra-long lunch. And where do they get these high-tech tools of deception? Amazon. For forty bucks! I mean, you gotta laugh, right? Or maybe weep for the state of affairs.
So, here's the deal: back during the COVID-19 panic, LIRR — in its infinite wisdom, no doubt — decided fingerprint scans were too risky. Too many germs, I guess. So they switched to ID card swipes. And what happened? Predictably, a whole bunch of folks decided it was open season for fraud. It’s like leaving the cookie jar on the floor with a sign saying "Don't touch" and then being shocked when the dog eats all the cookies. Did anyone in charge actually think this wouldn't happen? Were they living under a rock, or just too busy admiring their own brilliance? I'd love to know what the internal debates were like leading up to that decision, assuming there even were any. My bet? Probably a five-minute meeting, a nod, and then a quick "let's break for lunch."
Richard Bovell, our man of the hour, a road car inspector since '05, apparently became a regular digital wingman. Swiping in absent coworkers up to three times a week for one guy, once or twice a month for another. He even admitted to buying a cloned card. And, of course, he was getting swiped in himself, probably while enjoying one of his legendary 1.5 to 2-hour off-property meal breaks. Three days a week, mind you. That ain't a meal break, that's a part-time job. It's like these guys were running a secret society of absenteeism, and the only initiation fee was a fake ID and a total disregard for the taxpayer footing the bill.
MTA Inspector General Daniel Cort, bless his heart, took to X to declare Bovell "repeatedly breached the public trust" and that "this type of misconduct will not be tolerated." LIRR President Rob Free echoed the sentiment, saying employees who steal from taxpayers forfeit their right to public jobs. And yeah, Bovell got fired. Others resigned, 28 are facing discipline. Sounds tough, right? But here's where my cynicism really kicks in: Bovell, in true fashion, tells Newsday he didn't get the "same leniency as others." He denied using a cloned card to cheat but admitted owning one and said they were "widely used." See? He's practically saying, "I just got caught doing what everyone else was doing, and I'm the fall guy." And honestly, knowing how these systems actually work, I kinda believe him. This isn't just a few bad apples; it's the whole damn orchard, and the rot goes way deeper than anyone wants to admit. How many more are still doing this, just smarter about it? We'll never know, will we?
While the LIRR is busy putting out its self-ignited dumpster fire of fraud, you've got real-world problems happening, like the railroad tie fire in Kansas City, Missouri. KCFD crews out there at 1:10 a.m., hauling in water because there are no hydrants in this hard-to-reach area near I-435. Six power outages. No injuries, thankfully, but it's a mess, and it's gonna be active for a while.
That's a real problem. Burning `railroad ties` and `railroad tracks` that need actual, physical intervention. Firefighters busting their butts, dealing with smoke and heat. That's a problem that impacts actual infrastructure and power grids, not just some abstract "public trust" that's already been eroded to dust. It's a stark contrast, isn't it? On one side, you have people actively trying to cheat a system designed to keep things running, for personal gain. On the other, you have people actively trying to fix a physical disaster, for public safety. One is a symptom of systemic rot; the other is just... a fire. Which one feels more urgent to you? Which one feels like it's getting the real attention it deserves? I'm telling you, sometimes it feels like we're so focused on the minor league scams, we miss the whole damn stadium burning down.
Look, I'm not saying Bovell is innocent. He clearly gamed the system. But when an entire policy change practically invites fraud, and `railroad jobs` become a playground for those looking to collect a paycheck without actually showing up, you have to ask yourself: who's really to blame? The guy who bought a cheap cloned ID card off Amazon, or the geniuses who thought replacing fingerprint scans with easily duped plastic was a brilliant idea? It's like blaming the fish for taking the bait when you threw a whole bucket of worms into the water. The LIRR, and the MTA, for all their tough talk, created the perfect conditions for this scam to flourish. And until they fix the system that enables it, not just fire a few scapegoats, this whole "public trust" thing is just going to remain a punchline.
