Quote from: Rebis on May 12, 2009, 07:27:21 PM
He's alive. He's got a smashed wrist.

He got a lawyer today or last night. 

If I was him, I'd go to the hearing and let them yell at me.  May as well just get it all over with.

There have been a lot of probably too young people hired for the same job.  They are looking into that.

You are correct, I read one report that said the driver was killed but must of been wrong. So much for truth in the news.

Gee, I don't recall any reporters digging into the fellows history (to see if he was TS) out in L.A., Calif. last year that had piloted the head-on crash between his commuter train and the freight train......................while TEXTING! More sensationalistic B/S for the media. Sad for the friends and family at the loss of life at the hands of a moron. Sad for us as a community. Cause that's really all that anyone is going to remember about this incident later on.


Dawn

Tap Tap, Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap....Duh...Whooops!!!

Montana had more wrecks when the Fed's lowered the speed limit to 55 then they did with the higher limits. It seems it used to be a six pack between towns then at 55 it took a case.  If people have time to text they are not driving fast enough. It is hard to put on makeup at 100 mph.

Ya know somethin', yer right. Driving drunk and putting make up on at 100 miles per hour and texting is a bitch 

Gee, I don't recall any reporters digging into the fellows history (to see if he was TS) out in L.A., Calif.

They dug enough to know he was gay, and had just lost his BF, and maybe he was lonely which is why he was texting trainspotters. 

Just because you didn't read it, does not mean it wasn't covered.  And, for the record, there is a lot more interest, not in the sex change, but the name change and how that might have covered up the driving record.  At least in the Boston papers.

And, FTR, you have to be 25 to drive for MUNI or GGT, or BART, and your driving record better be close to perfect.  This person would have never been hired here, based on driving record alone.

Patrick calls for review of T hiring
Cites use of young drivers after crash

By Noah Bierman
Globe Staff / May 13, 2009

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/05/13/patrick_calls_for_review_of_t_hiring/

"I have had 18-year-olds," he told reporters, referring to his two daughters, now 19 and 23. "And even my very responsible young ladies, I'm not sure if I would want to necessarily have them driving a trolley car."

Aiden Quinn, the 24-year-old trolley operator who told authorities that he was sending a text message to his girlfriend as he rear-ended another trolley, said in a statement released yesterday by his lawyer that he is "extremely remorseful" and "remains in substantial pain" from the injuries he suffered in the crash.

and

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=7568777&page=1

At least no one was hurt, that's really the important part of all this. Learn from our mistakes, all of us, not just the driver, and move on...

Quote from: WhyAreWeHere on May 13, 2009, 09:59:36 AM
At least no one was hurt, that's really the important part of all this. Learn from our mistakes, all of us, not just the driver, and move on...

No one was killed. 50 or so went to the hospital, some admitted. O, I think people were definitely hurt and when the lawsuits are completed I imagine more than a few taxpayers will be "hurt" as well.

I have been perplexed only about one thing in this: why ABC found it newsworthy that he was FTM rather than just another of those 10 drivers who were discovered to have been texting while driving? And why his age and driving record were not the "leads" they pursued. (Better "hook" I will presume.)

People were hurt, those injured in the crash, the taxpayers of Boston where the bill is already about $9-10 million (Hey, can you take that out of your check a bit every week till it's paid off?) and the lawsuits which will come raining down.  Bet me the total cost of this accident is going to be over $30 million dollars.  But I'm sure what is going to really suck is that they are going to slow that line down again, and it's already famous for being so slow you can get there walking faster than taking the line.

why ABC found it newsworthy that he was FTM rather than just another of those 10 drivers who were discovered to have been texting while driving?
I'm just guessing here, but because they didn't rear-end another trolley, and the name change goes along with the driving record.  I haven't watched ABC in like, well, forever, but most of the straight news coverage seems to focus on age and driving record, and the affirmative action stuff, which is where the FtM comes into play.

Report: Boston Trolley Driver Was Hired With Transgender Minority Status

Tuesday, May 12, 2009
MyFOXBoston.com

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519940,00.html

May 8, 2009: Dozens were injured Friday when two Boston trolleys collided.

The 24-year-old Boston trolley driver who allegedly was texting his girlfriend when he slammed into another trolley last week was hired as a minority because of his transgender status, according to a state transportation official.

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority spokesman Joe Pesaturo told ABC News that there was "nothing unusual" in the hiring of Alden Quinn, and that he was picked out of a hiring lottery in 2004.

Another MBTA source said, "Quinn was initially hired as a minority and used her transgender status," ABC News reported.

The driver, originally known as Georgia Quinn, underwent a female-to-male sex change and switched the sexual designation on his driver's license, FOX News has confirmed.

I swear I caught a quote on the radio today where Aiden's boss said if he doesn't show up for his next scheduled shift, that they will consider firing him. He can't drive, so I think they just want to talk to him because he didn't show up for the hearing or probe or whatever.

I may have heard wrong, though.

The radio voices that I hear in my head when I'm riding to and from Andover thru boston haven't said anything about transgender status.  I'm sure someone out there in some local station or cable access station are talking about it, but most people don't seem to care.

I was in a room with 5 men and it came up, but there were no jokes or slurs.

QuoteThe MBTA also released a statement yesterday rebutting an ABC News
report that said Quinn received preference in obtaining his job
because of his transgender status. The T said Quinn was hired through
the normal job lottery process, which is designed to avoid
discriminatory hiring.

Quote from: ZoeB on May 14, 2009, 05:46:11 AM

QuoteThe MBTA also released a statement yesterday rebutting an ABC News
report that said Quinn received preference in obtaining his job
because of his transgender status. The T said Quinn was hired through
the normal job lottery process, which is designed to avoid
discriminatory hiring.

Alas, the Right Wing Authoritarians have taken possession of the field and are controlling the message.

=K

Quote from: Karen on May 14, 2009, 09:44:50 PM


Alas, the Right Wing Authoritarians have taken possession of the field and are controlling the message.

=K

Karen, the Right Wing Authoritarians own the media. Of course they are gonna be controlling the message.