Re: WORTH READING Random baggage searches coming to Maryland commuter trains

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Carl Stork" <carl () ciconiaco com>
Date: November 1, 2009 4:37:00 PM EST
To: <dave () farber net>
Subject: RE: [IP] Re: WORTH READING Random baggage searches coming to  
Maryland commuter trains

I don't understand the premise behind baggage searches on commuter  
trains.

One motivation for airport security is that the 9/11 terrorist attacks
demonstrated that the plane could be used as a missile to cause  
significant
damage to people on the ground, and generally if a terrorist is able to
cause a crash, he can kill a planeload of people.

Trains can't be used in the same way. They really can't be used as a
missile, and it doesn't seem possible to bring something in board to  
cause a
crash. If one wanted to crash a train, it would likely be by damaging  
the
track or switches on the ground.

Bringing something on board would likely be an explosive or poison,  
but why
limit yourself to trains - it could be any bus or building or street  
where
large numbers of people gather.

If the police increase the hassle factor of using transit, will it drive
some percentage of riders to drive instead? Where they are at  
increased risk
of an auto accident and are certainly creating more pollution and  
greenhouse
gases that affect all of us.

Beyond the civil right question of whether using transit should  
subject us
to arbitrary, unexplained search, the consequences and costs of such
searches may be more harmful than the slight risk of a terrorist event.



-----Original Message-----
From: David Farber [mailto:dave () farber net]
Sent: Sunday, November 01, 2009 6:59 AM
To: ip
Subject: [IP] Re: WORTH READING Random baggage searches coming to  
Maryland
commuter trains



Begin forwarded message:

From: Jim Warren <jwarren () well com>
Date: October 30, 2009 4:02:12 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: DJ Foremsky <dforemsky () yahoo com>
Subject: Re: [IP] WORTH READING Random baggage searches coming to
Maryland commuter trains

A more viable URL for this outstanding article is simply
http://www.hlswatch.com/2009/10/15/
 .

--jim


> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: DJ Foremsky <dforemsky () yahoo com>
>
> Date: October 29, 2009 2:57:25 PM EDT
>
> To: dave () farber net
>
> Subject: Re: [IP] Random baggage searches coming to Maryland
> commuter trains
>
>
> In the same vein, via Bruce Schneier's website:
http://www.hlswatch.com/2009/10/15/%E2%80%9Cdo-i-have-the-right-to-refuse-th
is-search%E2%80%9D/
> (there were "smart" quotes in the URL above. If they don't work,
> look at the October 15 entry on the site)
>
> david




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