Darius McCollum and the Subway
August 1, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
43 year old Darius McCollum was first arrested in 1981 when he steered a subway car laden with passengers to the World Trade Center. This June, he was arrested for the 23rd time for being in a secure area of the Columbus Circle subway station in Manhattan while wearing clothing resembling that of a transit worker’s uniform. Today’s ABC News describes McCollum as having a “transportation fixation” and asked “Can Stealing Buses, Trains Be a Sickness?” It was only when McCollum was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome in 2002 that his mother, Elizabeth, understood what might be going on. Supporters of McCollum argue that a solution would have been for the Manhattan Transportation Authority to hire him. McCollum is now hoping to be certified as a track inspector in the South and work on small railroads; he’s like to stay in New York, but is concerned about his criminal record:
When he was younger, Darius says he didn’t think about how risky it was for him to operate trains without official instruction. But as he’s gotten older, he understands the concern.
“I think about how dangerous it can be now … how more people could be hurt, even though I don’t do anything when I’m down there,” he says about his time spent in the subway recently.
Still, he adds, “I don’t go down there to hurt anybody. I just go down there because I still love the system.”
How many people, really, can say they love to be on the subway no matter how ragingly hot, humid, and odoriferous it gets?
I think of it as trying to remember when WE ALL were children and we still had that innocence in us. Whether it was a fantasy or not in our minds to be superman,miss universe,mighty mouse or cinderella, we can look deep in our hearts and I bet many of us can still feel what we felt when we had those aspirations and that feeling of believing it was or it would be true. If we literally did those things or not, I don’t know, I just know that the sensation of being innocent is something to cherish. And may I remind many of you that there were many children who have lost their lives believing they could fly like superman or spiderman, and they were “normall”, but they were innocent angels who paid the price of innocence with their lives. My condolenses to all parents who have lost their children to the innocence of a childs mind. This man may be an adult like you and like me, but his mind,his heart,his soul is like a child INNOCENT. Today, we live in a world where compassion and understanding has been forgotten. And the pranks we use to do when we were 8,12 or 16 whether it was toilet papering a person’s home, or putting menuor on someone’s front porch…today young children who commit these pranks are being punished worse than ever by being locked in an institution as if they’ve committed a murder. I don’t agree with violence, I myself was an ideal child/teenager who never got in any trouble, but I don’t agree in exageration and that’s what this world has come to EXAGERATION. If we want to make the world a better place everyone must change by starting to care and believe and not jump to conclussions to lock a person up, when the person is a little differrent, but when a person commits MURDER and RAPE they still have a second chance to go out to the communnity. How sicker can we get? Those are Criminals and those should pay the price FOREVER. And that means forever, not just for 20,40 or 75 years in prison, I mean lock it and throw away the key. I know I’m harsh and I feel bad for the families of these criminals, but they should of thought about that before they robbed a person’s life. As a mother of 2 autistic boys and 1 asperger, I understand the innocence of his heart and so should the government. And they should find it in their hearts to understand this person’s mind and not judge him like there’s something wrong with him. Who’s to say we are the ones who are right and not these people.
I think they should have given him a job YEARS ago. Afterall, isn’t that what they do with Aspie hackers? offer them jobs in the industry they exploited with their brilliance.
The Metropolitan subway system could gain a meticulous and interested individual who actually takes pride in his job.
My Auntie’s ex husband was an undiagnosed Aspie who worked as a Mechanic for Qantas for 30 years. He would line up his knife and fork symetrically around his placemat at each meal, and could be a little intense when it came to correcting you on finer points in a conversation.
I think their marriage broke up when he dug up the kitchen tiles one morning and spent the next 6 weeks pouring filler to try and get the surface perfectly level, before replacing the floor.
But if there is anyone I want to have checking underneath my aeroplane before it takes off, it was Ted. (as long as I didn’t have to sit next to him on the long haul flight)
xx
Once again, we need to consider the risks this individual could pose to himself and others. Taking over a train is not a minor “childlike” behavior. Especially since the line ends abruptly on some branches in NYC. The potential for disaster is huge.
As for Aspie hackers — some get jobs and some become serious threats. I’ve known both. I’ve met the hacker with absolutely no empathy, as described in this weeks NYT article on “Trolls” online. Sometimes, I care a lot more about solving a problem than the potential hazards of my actions. Finding and publishing information on security flaws comes to mind… when the “right” action is to tell the company involved that there is a problem and how it might be fixed.
Putting people at risk is never acceptable. I understand making stupid choices, but 23 arrests is beyond any acceptable pattern.
Does anybody have any information where I can contact Darius McCollum?
An email? A phone number?