Subject
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Scientology cult harassing MTA subway customers
Discussion Thread
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Response (Melissa Glasgow) - 03/14/2005 11:14 AM
This is in response to your recent e-mail message to MTA New York City Transit reporting
scientologist followers harassing passengers in the tunnel walkway of the 42nd Street-Grand
Central Station leading to the 42nd Street Shuttle.

We truly regret if you experienced difficulty while using our subway system. As
indicated in our previous response to you (Ref# 050118-000000), New York City Transit
and the Transit Bureau of the New York City Police Department are continuing to
work together in an effort to prohibit panhandling in the subway system. The Transit
Bureau is vigilant in thwarting illegal activity and enforcing subway rules, with
uniform and undercover police officers patrolling the system at all times. NYC Transit
has an extensive public awareness campaign to educate our customers that soliciting
for charities is not legal on our trains and in our stations. This campaign includes
vividly displayed signs in train cars pertaining to rules of conduct with respect
to a wide range of customer behavior.

Therefore, supervision in our Department of Subways and the New York City Police
Department’s Transit Bureau has again been alerted to the conditions you reported
at the 42nd Street-Grand Central Station, and will take steps to deploy their officers
accordingly. In addition, personnel in our Division of Station Operations will monitor
the location in question and any illegal activity observed will be reported immediately
to field supervision and the Station Command Center via the Emergency Booth Communication
System and/or the booth telephone for appropriate action. If you have any further
questions or concerns, you may contact our Division of Stations at (718) 243-3222,
24 hours a day, seven days a week, or write to the Division of Stations at 370 Jay
Street, Room 427, Brooklyn, NY
11201.

If you wish to report a crime, vandalism or harassment in the subway system, please
note that you may report it to an MTA employee, police officer or contact the Transit
Bureau directly at (718) 243-3441. Otherwise, you may call the MTA Police at (888)
MTA-911PD (888-682-9117).

We take the concerns of our customers very seriously and thank you for bringing
this matter to our attention.

Customer - 03/12/2005 03:24 AM
Sir or Madam:

If possible, I was hoping to alert you to Scientology cult members harassing MTA
subway customers on the evening of March 10. The location was the Shuttle passage
going between the 4, 5, 6 trains to the Shuttle at the 42nd St/Grand Central station.
Several cult members were shouting and yelling at people, as well as standing in
front of people trying to pressure them into taking a cult "Stress Test".
Many MTA customers were being harassed even when they said "no" to the
cult members. At times, the cult members were yelling at the top of their lungs.
The presence of Scientology cult members harassing MTA customers in an enclosed
space presents a very difficult and high stress enviornment. The subways were built

to transport people, not to provide an enclosed space for the
Scientology cult to engage in high pressure and harassing recruiting.

Please note that Scientology harassment violates the following NY State Criminal
Laws:
- Section 240.25 - Harassment in the First Degree
- Section 240.26 - Harassment in the Second Degree
- Section 240.30 - Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree
- Section 240.45 - Criminal Nuisance in the Second Degree
- Section 120.45 - Stalking in the Fourth Degree
- Section 120.50 - Stalking in the Third Degree
- Section 135.60 - Coercion in the Second Degree
- Section 105.00 - Conspiracy in the Sixth Degree

Regards,

Question Reference #050312-000002
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MTA Service: NYCT Subway
Category: Complaint
Date Created: 03/12/2005 03:24 AM
Last Updated: 03/14/2005 11:14 AM
Status: Closed
Date/Time of Event: 03/10/2005 09:00 AM

Location of Event