Police to screen baggage at MARC stations
The Maryland Transit Administration Police will launch a program of random security checks at MARC commuter train stations Friday, using bomb-sniffing dogs to screen passengers' luggage and packages to detect explosives.
The MTA warned riders that delays could occur and urged passengers to allow extra time to board trains on the Penn, Camden and Brunswick lines.
Lt. Col. John E. Gavrilis, chief of the MTA police, said the tighter security is not a response to a specific threat but part of a general effort to "target-harden" Maryland transit facilities. He said the effort will begin at MARC stations but would eventually extend to the Baltimore Metro and light rail stations.
Comments
Wonderful.
Just what is needed to promote train use. Add in a need to worry about an irregular delay of unknowable time that may or may not affect your travel this trip or next or never at all.
Are there any actual adults in charge of anything anywhere?
Posted by: MrRational | October 26, 2009 4:00 PM
This ladies and gentlemen is called security theater.
Hope everyone who is delayed on Friday enjoys the show because it will add exactly ZERO to actual security for MARC.
Posted by: Paul | October 26, 2009 4:54 PM
We've been discussing over on the Inside Charm City Blog (http://insidecharmcity.com/2009/10/26/marc-adding-security-checkpoints/)
Weren't they already supposed to be doing this?
This really is security theater. If you are not going to check every passenger on every train at every station, what is the point? I'd be really surprised if the Brunswick line gets a fraction of the checks that the Penn Line gets.
With the exception of Penn Station and Union Station, almost all the other stations provide almost no physical barriers to keep people from swarming platforms and/or trains.
Commuter trains are supposed to handle lots of passenger movement quickly. Make it a a hassle, and people will either go to a different station, or just go back to driving.
And what are commuters' rights? Can we refuse to be searched and allowed to leave the station? So many questions.
To all interested, their is a meet the MARC Management this Thursday afternoon at Union Station. I plan on being there and asking pointed questions about this plan.
Posted by: Bill | October 26, 2009 10:18 PM
I think about two weeks ago we saw a preview of that at the Halethorpe station on the Penn line.
Posted by: MovingGrounds | October 27, 2009 8:36 AM
Allow extra time?!? I don't have extra time! This is the final insult to long-suffering MARC riders. Absoluitely ridiculous. And, if I remember ConLaw classes correctly, probably illegal. Checkpoints are only legal if you stop everyone. Selective searches are unconstitutional.
Posted by: Roman Totale | October 28, 2009 4:42 PM