Interesting People mailing list archives
Re: WORTH READING Random baggage searches coming to Maryland commuter trains
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 20:51:18 -0500
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 attacksdemonstrated 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 amissile, 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 drivesome 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: ipSubject: [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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- Re: WORTH READING Random baggage searches coming to Maryland commuter trains David Farber (Nov 01)
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- Re: WORTH READING Random baggage searches coming to Maryland commuter trains David Farber (Nov 01)