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more on NYC to search transit riders' bags -- but ... [ as I said often .. Kabuki theater djf
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2005 11:15:28 -0400
Begin forwarded message: From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com> Date: July 23, 2005 10:43:55 AM EDT To: dave () farber net Cc: lauren () vortex com Subject: Re: [IP] more on NYC to search transit riders' bags -- but ... Dave, Reports on the NYC transit system searches are revealing what can best be described as bizarre discrepancies that obviously don't fall within the normal definition even of "random" searches. No standards appear to be in place for search procedures, as per: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/23/nyregion/23york.html?pagewanted=1 Also noted were activities such as: At Sutphin Boulevard-Archer Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, officers were seen asking riders to show a driver's license or other identification and *writing down the personal information* [emphasis added]. Several of the riders - whose bags were searched but who were not detained or told they had done anything wrong - said in interviews that they felt their privacy had been violated. "If you want to check my bag, check my bag, but why do you have to take down my personal details?" Shakeel Ahmed, 35, a dentist from Mineola, N.Y., who was on his way to work in Brooklyn, asked in an interview. "Why do they want to know my ID, my address?" But perhaps most telling was Mayor Bloomberg's quote, which reveals that -- as we suspected -- the authorities know all too well that the entire exercise is largely farcical theater: "Clearly, we'll do it for a little while. It's partially designed to make people feel comfortable . . . and keep the potential threat away," Bloomberg (R) said in his weekly radio show, as reported by the Associated Press. That pretty much says it all. --Lauren-- Lauren Weinstein lauren () pfir org or lauren () vortex com or lauren () eepi org Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 http://www.pfir.org/lauren Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org Co-Founder, EEPI - Electronic Entertainment Policy Initiative - http://www.eepi.org Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as lists-ip () insecure org To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- more on NYC to search transit riders' bags -- but ... [ as I said often .. Kabuki theater djf David Farber (Jul 23)