(The Canadian Press circulated the following article on February 19.)
EDMONTON — Via Rail officials are red-faced after news got out that one of the company’s employees purchased a train ticket under the name of Osama bin Laden on the second anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Benoit Dulong was disciplined for buying the ticket under the terrorist’s name in 2003, but the story was posted on a union website last week after he grieved his punishment.
His union argued Dulong did it to shock his employer into improving lax ticket security.
“The intent was to create an impact and to alert the employer on the seriousness of the situation,” Canadian Auto Workers national representative Robert Masse said on Friday.
Via Rail spokesman Malcolm Andrews said the passenger rail service has since reviewed and increased security.
“We think we’ve got a very secure system,” Andrews said. “Is it perfect? Probably not.”
Dulong, who was a Montreal shop steward at the time, was concerned about how easy it was for someone to buy a train ticket without having to prove their identity, Masse said.
After his concerns fell on deaf ears, Dulong bought the one-way ticket from Montreal to Ottawa at an automated kiosk in bin Laden’s name and posted a copy of it on a union bulletin board.
He didn’t use it.
Dulong was disciplined by the rail company and given 30 demerit points, about half the amount required for termination.
An arbitrator cut that in half, finding the punishment too extreme.