Penn DOT workers detain citizens in Ft. Pitt Tunnel - then backed up by state police.

[PITairport]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

I want to know what damage this delay did to anyone. Granted the one guy did not get his chipped ham in a timely fashion, but unless someone lost a job (shame on the employer once they found out why they were late), someone died (no reports of that yet) then there is no need to blow this out of proportion. People make mistakes such as driving through red lights, and detaining people for an hour when they don't have the authority to do so.

It is absolutely no one's business to judge what that lost 1 1/2 hours has or has not cost individuals.

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

Still, there's no way this will result in charges of false detention. Nor should it.

Oh really? How come PennDot and the Asshat officer where so fast to offer an apology? For starters, lets talk about the mere existence of a traffic light on what is supposed to be part of the national interstate highway system. Lawyers will have a field day right there. Haven't even got to the act of unlawfully detaining someone...

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

But since people were put out for an hour it is assumed that you should sue the pants off this person, get them fired, and make sure they never do such a thing.

Absolutely. They had no right to do so whatsoever. Not only were they not doing their job for 1 1/2 hours (which is to maintain the road - taxpayers should probably sue for that reason alone), but they were doing something they had no training for and no jurisdiction over: detaining people. At least get them (or their supervisor) fired to make sure they never do such a thing again.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by Clint.

On a related note, I was at the emergency department of a local hospital earlier today (not as the patient) and was treated like a criminal from the moment I walked in the door and had to be wanded with a metal detector to when I left the exam area for the lobby to buy a cup of coffee and then got the third degree from a thug with a badge about reentering the door from which I exited 2 minutes prior. Has it always been this way?

No it hasn't always been the same, and nowadays it depends on the hospital.

I don't think its much of a threat, but they are trying to prevent gunshot victims being treated from assailants arriving to "finish the job". Since profiling is strictly taboo, the hospitals are required to give elderly WWII widows the same 3rd degree they give young men.

[C_Mendez]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

I'm not sure that would fly. A PennDOT worker has the right to keep traffic from driving through the tunnel while doing maintenance and to direct traffic in such a way as to do their work safely.

He wasn't keeping us from driving thru the tunnel, or directing us in a way so that he could do so, he let every single person go to the very end of the tunnel behind him, and then directed us off to the maintenance road on the right hand side at the very end of the inbound tunnel, and then trapped us on that tiny road by blocking both ends of it with his truck... the Penndot workers then all proceeded to stand around and boss us around, and watch us. No one was cleaning icicles off the ceiling, as they claim. Traffic was steady moving thru the tunnel, the entire time we were detained!!!!

[Velvet Jones]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

No it hasn't always been the same, and nowadays it depends on the hospital.

I don't think its much of a threat, but they are trying to prevent gunshot victims being treated from assailants arriving to "finish the job". Since profiling is strictly taboo, the hospitals are required to give elderly WWII widows the same 3rd degree they give young men.

I think this got worse after Western Pysch shooting, but it is still kind of ridiculous. I've never encountered this type of thing in the suburban hospitals. I know that when I worked at West Penn in the early 90s this sort of BS certainly did not occur. Back then their biggest concern was securing the pharmacy.

[ditchdigger]

Welcome to the Pittsburgh forum.

Originally Posted by C_Mendez

He wasn't keeping us from driving thru the tunnel, or directing us in a way so that he could do so, he let every single person go to the very end of the tunnel behind him, and then directed us off to the maintenance road on the right hand side at the very end of the inbound tunnel, and then trapped us on that tiny road by blocking both ends of it with his truck... the Penndot workers then all proceeded to stand around and boss us around, and watch us. No one was cleaning icicles off the ceiling, as they claim. Traffic was steady moving thru the tunnel, the entire time we were detained!!!!

So, presuming it was you who was quoted in the article, where do you stand on the question of some legal action against PennDOT?

[marktheshark]

I'm wondering how long it will take for this to hit youtube or policestateusa....

[C_Mendez]

Originally Posted by ditchdigger

Welcome to the Pittsburgh forum.



So, presuming it was you who was quoted in the article, where do you stand on the question of some legal action against PennDOT?

I have contacted the ACLU to start a Civil Liberties Suit against PennDot and the Pennsylvania Police. I know the difference between legal and illegal, and this was illegal, and has caused an uproar.. something that has never been addressed and I think it needs to definitely be addressed. I recieved an apology, but I want more... I want PennDot, and the employees on duty to have to pay their consequences for a felonious crime, as well as the Pennsylvania State Police. If anyone involved wants to also file suit please email me. You all should have my email!

[10-23]

Originally Posted by C_Mendez

I have contacted the ACLU to start a Civil Liberties Suit against PennDot and the Pennsylvania Police. I know the difference between legal and illegal, and this was illegal

I'm not a regular to the Pittsburgh forum, but this thread caught my attention.

I have not gone through all five pages discussing the incident, but I did read the newspaper account and I have to agree that this was an illegal detention, that it is probably actionable as a tort lawsuit against the Penn Dot employee and the deeper pockets of Penn Dot (for failure to train, failure to supervise, etc.).

The Penn Dot employee exceeded his authority by ordering the cars to pull over and then ordering them to remain there until the state police responded. I'm no lawyer, but I think it is reasonable for an ordinary citizen to believe that a Penn Dot employee did have the authority to detain them. Above all, you don't detain a motorist for such an extended period of time over an alleged traffic infraction.

This is going to cost the state money. I doubt that anybody suing is going to come away with big bucks, but it'll cost the state $$$ to defend it.

[gg]

Originally Posted by C_Mendez

I have contacted the ACLU to start a Civil Liberties Suit against PennDot and the Pennsylvania Police. I know the difference between legal and illegal, and this was illegal, and has caused an uproar.. something that has never been addressed and I think it needs to definitely be addressed. I recieved an apology, but I want more... I want PennDot, and the employees on duty to have to pay their consequences for a felonious crime, as well as the Pennsylvania State Police. If anyone involved wants to also file suit please email me. You all should have my email!

Thank you for doing what you are doing. I am getting tired of the chest pounding idiots overstepping their bounds. Citizens have rights and since 9/11 it has been a field day on people in the US and it is getting more than old. Please let us know how things go. I hope there is a price to pay for these idiot's mistakes and it send a message to the morons at PennDot and to be honest the police for somehow just taking the word of some lowly overpaid PennDot employee. Enough is enough! Go get them!