Little old ladies, babies, orientals, Jews,hispanics, and lilly whites aren't the problem. The clear problem is Muslims. Anyone that looks remotely Muslim needs to be searched vigorously!
What do you guys think about the random searches they are doing on NYC subways now? Do you think they should target a particular group of people, or is just doing it randomly and searching grandmas, people in wheelchairs, just as effective?
Wonder if I'm in NYC and have goldie in my pocketbook ? How embarrassing ! LOL!
That's why NetMichelle says she no longer takes her "equipment" from one site to another.
IMO the random searches as presently being done accomplish very little. The problem is that it's just not practical to search subway passengers the same way airline passengers are searched. Shifting to a random approach does little more than create the random possibility that someone might get caught, while still causing significant delays in a transit system that by its nature is supposed to efficient and quick. Finally, the police are playing this game with both hands tied behind their back. Racial profiling of any kind is apparently off-limits, so the vast majority of random searches are being performed on, say, hot red-haired providers visiting from Buffalo. (Is that a rocket pocket in your pants, ma'am, or are you just glad to see me?).
I commute into NYC by rail daily, and spend much time on the subway - getting to hotels, dungeons and such places. Over the last few weeks I have observed the random bag checkpoints set up by NYPD on the subways and by the MTA police at Penn Station and Grand Central. They are a completely and totally pointless exercise in creating a feelgood sense of false security.
Apart from the absurdity of selecting people for searches randomly, resulting in searches of little old Chinese ladies, the design of the major stations where these searches are done (usually only during rush hours) makes them inherently insecure and unsecurable. There are at least a dozen different ways of walking from point A to Point B, and checkpoints are set up in, at most, 3 or 4 of those passageways.
All that any observent terrorist with a bomb in his bag (or anyone else who has a strong desire not to have his/her bag poked about in) need do is, upon observing the checkpoint, make a slight detour to reach their destination. This diversion will take a minute or less, so the terrorist can still catch the train that he intended to bomb (or other avoiders can make it to the dungeon on time.)
Completely and totally pointless!
-- Modified on 8/10/2005 3:46:34 PM
Little old ladies, babies, orientals, Jews,hispanics, and lilly whites aren't the problem. The clear problem is Muslims. Anyone that looks remotely Muslim needs to be searched vigorously!
(LOL) I think to ADC.
Reminds me when one of my sons was playing hockey at a Niagara Falls rink ( city of Niagara Falls in USA ) ..
There was a man that looked like Osama Bin Laden that walked into the bathroom.. All the hockey players and parents were so freaked . I wasn't. I thought it was a bit sad actually.
I think I skated at that rink. Looking back, it did have an air of terrorist death camp. Guess I should've said something to authorities at the time.
I felt safer on a recent flight when our 8-yo got the cast on his arm swabbed for explosives. He may not look like a terrorist to you, but you haven't seen him destroy a clean family room in 14 seconds like I have.
and let's not forget the Taliban.
So let's stop and search that old chinese lady...
YIPES!!!
The searches on the subway should be directed at a certain type or "profile" of people. However our laws forbid us from doing this, so c'mon grandma let me search your bag and cop a feel.
You see this right here points out our problem as a whole with this "war". We have rules, we have policies, we have ethics. They do not......we are not fighting another government or nation or anyone that can be held accountable for their actions. We are fighting an entire religion and race of people. A religion and race that grows stronger each day we try to defend/defeat them. Our laws and rules tie our hands and forbid us from playing or fighting on a level playing field with them and they know this. They know this and they use it every day against us.....they will continue to sink to levels and tactics they know we could never do. And they will continue to find ways to hurt us, because we allow them to by being civilized.
It is going to get worse, much worse before it ever gets better.
Sorry if this was a rant........Be well, stay well & God Bless us all & God Bless America. Peace
... esp since from what i've heard and seen they're not doing either and if you don't want to be searched you can just go to another station or decline to be searched.
Hyabby,
The searches I found out about was shocking enough. What you state, is even more shocking and scary.
As for profiling
I don't think that appearance/ethnicity should be the DECIDING factor on who gets watched, but should be a CONTRIBUTING factor.
19 out of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 were MUSLIM and ARAB...
4 out of 4 bombers on the London subway were MUSLIM and ARAB...
20 out of 20 chechnyan rebels who blew up that school in russia were MUSLIM and ARAB...
I believe that it WOULD hedge the odds of catching someone, at the very least a little bit. To ignore this would be ignoring well-documented facts.
The problem I do have with this though, is where they would draw the line.
..but do middle eastern muslims look the same as russian muslims?
I don't know..I'm asking.
anyone looking remotely middle eastern needs to get searched. Civil liberties need to take a back seat to safety and PC.
but most people who 'look' muslim probably aren't muslim. they're probably puerto rican or mexican or hindu or sheik or brazillian like that guy in london that got shot in the back 6 times by plain clothes officers in london.
-- Modified on 8/10/2005 7:29:34 AM
I have been to the middle east on occasion. A large percentage of Muslims living there can pass for an average Caucasian. This fact, and it is a fact, is the reason why profiling is futile. Determined killers will just use someone that does not fit the profile that cops are looking for. An even more daunting fact is that Islam covers as many races and ethic groups as Christianity, so there will always be candidates that do not fit a profile. The last fact is depressing, but such is the world that we live in today.
Extension cords, whips, paddles, stainless steel chains, power tools, lube/grease, ropes, probes it was insane. If I got stopped I guess I would say I was going to an orgy. No other way to explain that much gear. It is a good thing I have the dungeon to store it all.
New addition: the brass nipple clamps are here. They are so lovely. C'mere, let me fasten this one on you, oh my....
I am going to start carrying this one around. Just for fun.
However, if a cop wants to search it, I will hand it over before they finish the question.
I don't have a problem being searched. I am willing to sacrifice a little privacy for security. It's the price we have to pay. But I am not willing to sacrifice my right to privacy.
So, if they want to search me, I am happy to be able to choose to consent to the search.
And, if I ever feel like it, I'll be happy to refuse the search as well.
-- Modified on 8/10/2005 7:46:54 AM
are missing a golden opportunity to have your business cards available to be handed out to the search teams. Hey they're not looking to make trouble for you guys and who knows, a nice smile, a wink and a business card could generate new revenue. After all, like we say, your'e just selling time...
Another thought is that it would be a safe bet that the lines that are being checked will most likely be the safe trains/buses to ride. Bombers will probably avoid those lines when possible. The public has no real idea of what else is being done. We're purposely not privvy to that information. We just sometimes think we have a right to know more than we do. Well, when shit happens, things change. Be happy if your'e not a male muslim from a mid east country right now and if you are, sorry. You are still free to leave. We have no internment camps.
Profiling, racial, ehtnic, whatever should be a primary indicator for initial screening and then if other indicators are present as well, check them out. We are at war, like it or not.
Oops, I think maybe this should be on the political board if I continue with my 2 cents.
In closing, George Carlin stated years ago that he was worried about a bomb being on a palne. He checked the statistics and found the odds were one in a million of there being a single bomb on a plane. However the odds of 2 bombs on one plane was like 1 in a billion, so to be safe, he always brought a bomb with him on each flight...
Beats a double iced espresso. Besides, I take notes. Um...you missed a spot. Aren't you going to ask me to SPREAD 'EM? Eh??
A mary poppins carpet bag.. couldnt find one. maybe Gucci makes one LOL!
ANother idea.. Put a note on top of my purse -
CiaraHasFunInNY ©TER
Kinda like a response to my traveling by air thread a long time ago. Cant remember which lady, but she said she left a note for Homeland Security on top of her equipment and stilettos. LOL
...think of it, even though I'm NOT a transit cop, that's STILL who I'm on the lookout for!