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A Rider Off the Rails

A Rider Off the Rails

1 The Long Island Rail Road’s etiquette    hell.”
 bully has walked - again. John5    It is true that many people have
 Clifford, notorious for loudly and forgotten how to interact respectfully
 aggressively harassing fellow riders to with strangers and carry their self-
 make them behave better, was absorbed behavior into public places.
 acquitted of assault, disorderly On commuter trains, where random
 conduct and other charges. Judge strangers are forced to tolerate one
 Larry Stephen of Manhattan Criminal another in close quarters for long
 Court said most of the witnesses had stretches, cellphone jabberers are a
 “an axe to grind,” and threw the case particularly obnoxious life-form. None
 out. of this excuses Mr Clifford’s behavior.
2    And so Mr Clifford - despite years6    The railroad has many problems,
 of complaints, arrests and summonses, including keeping its trains running
 none of which have stuck - is free to and helping riders hurdle the gap
 keep doing what he does: abusing between cars and platforms. It needs to
 fellow commuters in the name of do a lot more to instill a culture of
 peace, quiet and civility. decency and respect on board.
3    “Do I admit to being Whether this means adding “quiet
 domineering?” he said in court. “Yeah.” cars,” where cellphones are forbidden,
 Actually, he admits a lot worse: or enforcing existing rules about loud
 pouring coffee on people, cursing and conversations, feet on the seats and
 berating them, slapping them for eating, it is important.
 talking too loudly on cellphones and7    The judicial system also needs to
 other sins. recognize that harassing and
4    He is a large (6-foot-4) former threatening behavior like that
 police officer, so it is easy to see why repeatedly displayed by Mr Clifford is
 someone might be frightened when he not only wrong, it could be downright
 comes after them, especially when he dangerous. That isn’t an axe to grind;
 says - as he did to Donna DeCurtis - it is just common sense.
 that he knows their names and where 
 they live, and that “I can make your life The New York Times, 2008