New York – It’s one of the busiest bridges in the world, bringing thousands of commuters to and from New York City.
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But CBS 2 HD has learned two workers supposed to be protecting the George Washington Bridge have been fired.
New photographs show them asleep on the job — on two separate occasions just in August.
“I ride over the bridge. I come down the path, again I see a guard sleeping in the shack and I thought: This is outrageous! I can’t take this!” Joe Lepore said.
So Lepore, a NYC bike tour guide, went public with the pictures he took Monday morning of a security guard snoozing inside his post on the GWB.
It wasn’t the first time Lepore witnessed a bridge guard sleeping on the job. He took shots of another guard back on Aug. 5.
“Maybe you just nod off at that one moment when somebody decides to sneak by some liquid nitrogen or some explosives and start to do damage,” Lepore said. “And I explained it to one of the guards on the other side. I said look if this bridge blows up, we’re all going, including you.”
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the two guards in the pictures were fired Monday by FJC Security, the private security contractor the men work for.
“I feel bad for them and it’s nothing personal. I didn’t do this with a vendetta or any personal issue with anybody. It’s safety for all of us,” Lepore said.
Local residents said the workers deserved much more than a slap on the wrist.
“It serves them right. I mean they shouldn’t be working. They’re not working really. They’re sleeping on the job. It’s a crime what they were doing,” said Arnie Bauer of Fort Lee, N.J.
“That’s very scary, especially in the time that we’re living right now,” added Holly Herrera of Fort Lee.
Lepore said he couldn’t sit back and watch thousands of people’s lives be put at risk after he lost two friends and a cousin in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
The Port Authority said it has spent more than $4 billion on security since 9/11.
The Port Authority Police Benevolent Association said it believes additional police patrols are needed to properly secure the George Washington Bridge.
Lepore said he doubts more police would make a difference.
“It can’t be easy sitting in a little square box like that so I can understand. It’s early in the morning, you nod off. I can see that. It’s not an excuse for it,” Lepore said.
here comes shapton and obama
To be brutally honest, this whole issue is a very sad joke.
No, this guy shouldn’t be sleeping on the job no matter what job it is.
But looking at the bigger picture here (no pun intended) what exactly IS this guy’s job?
How in the world is he protecting the bridge from terrorists? By sitting there? Are you kidding me?
How can he stop a driving car from blowing itself up in the middle of the bridge – by sitting in his booth? Even if he were to suspect that a vehicle is suspicious looking, how can he stop it from crossing the bridge while he’s sitting up there in no mans land?
This Americana system of security is totally inefficient. The underlying reason for this is because they don’t really begin to understand the threat they’re facing. You can’t explain it to them even after the 9/11 attacks. They just don’t (or are unwilling to) understand what a Arab terrorist is all about. It’s sad. Very sad.
Im hasehm lo yishmor ir shuv shukod shomer…
that’s why the windows are darkened…..so it is difficult to see them snoozing in there
I agree, these workers should not have been fired. How are they supposed to stop a suicide terrorist from blowing up a bridge if they have no police powers???
yep only in new york
I work for FJC they don’t care about security it’s all money to the they hire people that they know they can manipulate becuase they wontbe able to get a better paying job. Do you know that we have no bathroom facilities. That we urinate into the river and defecate in plastic bags and throw it into the Hudson River. Our supervisor know this and refuse to get us the proper bathroom facilities. OSHA does nothing our union does nothing maybe the asshole that got theese guys cited cares enough to do someting!!!