Gun-toting toll collectors have been stripped of their sidearms by Mass Pike brass after secretly carrying them for decades without formal training, the Herald has learned.
“I didn’t want to have a wild west show out there,” said Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Executive Director Alan LeBovidge, who ordered the practice stopped. “I could find nothing to show that the employees had state police training that would make them qualified to carry guns.”
And as we've seen time and again, "The Only Ones" are...uh...the only ones "qualified to carry guns."
Welcome to the club, folks. I'd feel more sympathy, but it looks like the exclusivity you've been exploiting all these years finally caught up with you.
Now feel my pain.
[Via Mack]
7 comments:
So, they have been carrying for decades without any "wild west" shootouts, but now will be disarmed to prevent what never happened anyway? Yeah, that makes sense. Morons.
This might be a more interesting situation than one for a quick, derisive comment.
Headlines aside, the 16 gun carriers were toll collections couriers, not the regular toll collectors. The couriers would collect the (considerable) cash from the toll booths, and take it to operations hdqtrs. Like armor truck services, without the armor.
Here is the most important point. They all had only the regular Massachusetts License To Carry. LTCs are issued by discretion of local police. I have one because my town's Chief is not anti-gun. Some towns issue them, some don't.
The Pike couriers have carried for decades without incident. They had no arrest power. They carried, like you and me, only to protect their life if threatened by an armed robber.
The guns were taken because our governor, Deval Patrick (close buddy of Obama), recently appointed a new (anti-gun) head of the Turnpike authority. The "lack of training" issue is the usual excuse used to take anyone's gun.
It's true that "required for job" on the LTC application will get an LTC approval even in anti-gun-chief towns, but it goes for security companies too.
I don't think this is actually an "only ones" issue.
"Only Ones," as I've explained before, aren't limited to LEOs. They are anyone who through employment/association with government at any level are afforded privileges and immunities not generally available to any other member of the public.
I reject the notion that contents of courier bags are worth more than my life and the lives of my loved ones. You said yourself not all MA residents get to carry since the police chief has discretion--unless you can demonstrate all 16 couriers got their LTCs from a "friendly" chief who affords equality to all, this would still appear to be an example of "Only Oneism."
what a ^&%^&%^ POS article! I'm gettign really fed up with the mentality that "authorized or approved" ANYTHING, in this case state police training means jack squat. Where did the idea come from? Is this something that the cult has gradually put out via propaganda? Honestly, where in Gods name did this retarded idea come from? How many years did this country managed to get by without "state approved" everything.
Turn in their firearms? Are they furnished by the state? If so, it would seem that the state once again has failed to live up to it's DUTY as part of the social contract, let alone the employment contract they have with these people.
Also, can anyone receive "state police training"? Is it something that joe average can walk in and ask for? Somehow I doubt it.
I find the "poll" they ran comical, only open one day...AND the results...doomed are we when the sheeple run things.
Should toll collectors be armed?
31% - Yes, but only with proper training.
42% - No. Police should transport the money.
24% - Yes. The system in place worked.
3% - Not sure.
Poll Closed: 2008-02-27
Total Votes: 1,626
So now, in our "free" society POLICE who already can;t manage to protect OR serve are to be expected to do yet another job in place of their primary responsibility. Look at how the poll is built to be skewed, the question asked and the options given. This has nothing with the man in the booth, but the hysteric headline gives those not reading past it the point of view the writer and his puppeteer want to present.
Goebbels at his best.
Didn't take the libtard very long to trot out a "Wild West" PSH reference. It was nearly the first thing out of his mouth.
I know a truck driver who ran the Mass Pike all the time on his runs to the New England States.
This truckdriver SAW said employees "picking up" the loot AND their weapons.
This Truckdriver always smiled when he saw this, for they were not the only citizens carrying on that road. Regardless of the draconic laws of the State...
The cash couriers can set this right. Make their nightly pickups of the cash, drop it immediately into an appropriately sized USPS mailing container, weigh it on a postal scale at the point of pickup, apply the proper postage and take it immediately to a postal drop box and mail it to headquarters.
That way they have avoided prolonged exposure to the risk of carrying large amounts of money, Le Bovidge would not have to worry about his employees getting into running gunfights while not state trained and the best part, the post office would be responsible for the safe delivery of the money.
Everybody's problems are now solved. If the money is delivered properly, no problem. If it disappears between the drop box and the Mass Tpk Authority counting room that would constitute a federal crime. Being a federal crime, the FBI and possibly the Treasury Agents would then be responsible for recovery of the monies and capture of the criminals. That again satisfies Le Bovidge's concerns that those responsible for the safe transport of those monies be state trained in the use of firearms. Hell, they would be federally trained, so for those agents of either dept. who moved from state or municipal agencies to the federal agencies would be doubly trained. Problem solved.
Or Le Bovine himself could pick up the monies personally and while unarmed deliver them. Somehow, I think his outlook would change if it was his ass on the line.
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