A secret 'man cave' was discovered under the tracks at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, New York, the city's Metropolitan Transportation Authority has revealed.
According to investigators, three MTA workers allegedly boozed, napped and watched TV in a hidden man cave, which had been made in a disused locksmith shop below Track 114 in the station's lower level.
MTA's internal watchdog said the specially-made lounge contained everything from a futon, flat-screen TV, microwave and refrigerator, giving it all the home comforts you'd need to kick back and relax.
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MTA Inspector General Carolyn Pokorny said in a statement: "Many a New Yorker has fantasised about kicking back with a cold beer in a prime piece of Manhattan real estate - especially one this close to good transportation.
"But few would have the chutzpah to commandeer a secret room beneath Grand Central Terminal & make it their very own man-cave, sustained with MTA resources, and maintained at our riders' expense."
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The three Metro-North employees have not been named due to ongoing disciplinary proceedings.
They have denied ever having been in the underground hangout, but Pokorny's office said the trio had left their fingerprints behind.
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According to the New York Post, investigators initially visited the unused shop on 8 August 2019, after concluding that Metro-North officials had failed to investigate two previous complaints about workers using the space to 'hang out and get drunk and party'.
Pokorny's office said there was 'overwhelming' evidence that suggested the workers had used the room, including a receipt with one of their names printed on it, which had been found inside an air mattress box inside the room.
Investigators found wooden cabinets that were believed to have been specially made to conceal the TV and futon, while a half-empty beer was discovered in the fridge.
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There was also an Amazon streaming device attached to the TV, which not only had one of the workers' mobile hotspot on its list of available WiFi networks, but was also registered to another of the three employees under investigation.
Railroad president railroad president Cathy Rinaldi said in a statement that the secret social spot 'outrageously inappropriate', adding that it is 'not consistent with Metro-North's values'.
Rinaldi said all three workers, who deny the allegations, have been suspended without pay and potentially face the sack.
Featured Image Credit: MTA Office of the Inspector General