D.C. Metro Police to search bags at stations
The Washington subway system will conduct random searches of passengers' bags and other carry-on items in order to increase security, the Metro Transit Police said today.
The Metro police said the program, under which it will inspect bags at station entrances, is based on programs now in effect in New York and Boston. According to the police, the inspections -- conducted in conjunction with the Trransportation Security Administration, are designed to minimize intrusiveness by using ionization technology and explosives-sniffing dogs.
Nevertheless, the police said the inspections are mandatory for those who are selected and who want to ride the subway. They said Metro customers who refuse the inspection will not be allowed to bring their carry-on items into the station. They said passengers who see a bagage checkpoint at a station entrance and do not want to submit to inspection can leave without entering.
The police said they usually will not conduct a physical inspection of an item unless a less intrusive test shows a need for greater scrutiny.
Comments
Where do I begin to enumerate the idiocy of this decision? Unless you are going to do checks at every station, why bother at all -- since some stations are within walking distance of each other, what's to stop the bad guys from using another station? And I can't wait to see Union Station overwhelmed when a couple or three crowded trains arrive - both entrances can barely contain the crowds now when that happens. The list goes on. This is security theater on the grandest (and knowing the WMATA probably most expensive) of scales.
Follow the money. WMATA is always crying about their money woes, and they can't even keep escalators and elevators repaired (among other things). Now all of a sudden they have money for expensive machines (and the staff to run them)? I'd love to know where these machines are coming from and if there is any connections to WMATA board members or others associated with mass transit in the Capital area.
Posted by: Bill | December 16, 2010 8:24 PM
just another example of security theater
Posted by: cb | December 16, 2010 8:55 PM