Starting tomorrow, civil liberties are going to be cut back just a little further in New York as mass transit riders will be subject to random bag searches, as a direct result of the second attack on the London underground.
While I agree that such a measure might be prudent, for now, there is the standard objection that I have whenever this country engages in such “stepped up safety measures.” Of course, with any new measure to combat terrorism comes the convenient advantage that law enforcement gains in using their new powers to fight non-terrorism related crimes:
Kelly said passengers selected for searches will be approached by officers, who will ask them what they are carrying, and request them to open their bags. If an officer looking for explosives finds some other form of contraband, police said that person would be subject to arrest.
So if you have ANYTHING in your carryables that you want kept private – the stash of weed, the MP3 player with “illegal” MP3s, the embarrassing spare set of undies that may or may not already be used – you best keep it off the subway, buses or commuter trains from now on.
Seems like the terrorists don’t need to attack the subways here. Law enforcement is encroaching on our way of life just fine, thank you very much.
I wonder how long it will be until mandatory car searches become the norm?