MIDTOWN — A 70-year-old transgender
telephone repairwoman who works for Verizon at Grand Central Terminal blasted
Metropolitan Transportation Authority police officers yesterday for harassing
her to such a degree that she fears using the public restroom.

Helena Stone, born Henry McGuiness, said
since she began working at Grand Central in August, MTA officers have arrested
her three times and called her the "ugliest woman in the world." Now, afraid to
leave her tiny office near the Metro-North tracks, she uses a cup to relieve
herself.

"Not only pee, everything I do in a cup,"
said Stone, adding that she fears for her safety when using male bathroom
facilities.

Outside Grand Central yesterday, Stone
and her attorney, Michael Silverman, detailed three incidents of alleged
harassment that took place between September 2005 and January. In those
incidents, Stone said, MTA officers demanded to see her identification, barged
into her office and called her a "freak and a weirdo and the ugliest woman in
the world," and finally arrested her when she was walking into the women’s
restroom.

The MTA released a statement yesterday
saying they are conducting an investigation.

Stone and Silverman, of the Transgender
Legal Defense & Education Fund, did not rule out a lawsuit. A complaint has
been filed with the New York City Commission on Human Rights, Silverman said.