The inane and abusive "random bag searches" in the Washington DC metro, about which I've written before, have prompted a backlash. The Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition is on top of things, as you can see from their report about the Metro Riders Advisory Council meeting that just took place. Many people in attendance nailed their objections with pithy, pointed comments about the worthlessness of these searches, the money being spent on them to the detriment of actual crime-prevention techniques, and the assault on our civil liberties. Martine Zee was especially good. Some info:
- Each hand-held Sabre 4000 trace detection unit used by Metro Police costs $25,000, and a GAO report suggests they have difficulty detecting several types of explosives. (Gee, wonder who's making money on this? Answer: Smiths Detection)
- the Metro PD officers agreed that someone who refused a bag screening at an entrance to a Metro station would not be prevented from boarding a bus with the same bag
- the Metro PD officers implied at one point that those refusing bag screenings in Metro “free areas” would be scrutinized in other, unnamed ways.
- Police chief Michael Taborn and General Manager Sarles approved the new policy on their own authority without seeking WMATA Board approval — after their predecessors were turned down on prior occasions.
A woman named Sommer Gentry wrote a little playlet dramatizing the stupidity of these searches. She also comments frequently at longtime consumer advocate Christopher Elliot's travel blog.
But the TSA and Metro Transit Police propaganda continues apace.
If you ride the DC Metro and come across one of these officious bozos who wants to root around in your bag, refuse. They can't do it if we don't let them. If we do, we have no one to blame but ourselves.