NEWS: Boston: Random Searches of Passengers on Trains

Boston will be the first American city to have their police randomly search passengers on the subways and commuter trains. They will be able to search passengers bags and packages as a means to prevent a Madrid type bombing event. This new campaign will begin July 1st. There is no mention as what would happen should a passenger refuse to surrender his or her bags for a search.



Has the city of Boston fully thought out this questionable plan? Randomly searching passengers on any commuter or subway train can and probably will open door to future lawsuits. While the aim is for random searches, profiling will likely be used to determine who exactly gets searched. The critieria for profiling could lead to racial and religious discrimination.

i'm wondering if without the Patriot Act, this type of activity would be considered "wrong" and perhaps even unconstitutional?

what about other petty crimes? let's say they search your bags and find a small stash of illicit drugs? or a woman carrying mace and a knife in her pocketbook?

Will these non terror related activities get these people charged or prosecuted?

Originally posted by worldwatcher
Has the city of Boston fully thought out this questionable plan? Randomly searching passengers on any commuter or subway train can and probably will open door to future lawsuits. While the aim is for random searches, profiling will likely be used to determine who exactly gets searched. The critieria for profiling could lead to racial and religious discrimination.

I'm sure racial and religious discrimination is the last thing on the city's mind. Only those who are either hiding something or those who can't see the big picture would object.

do remember who enforces these laws and rules, not the city...but the human individuals who work in the task force. Do you think they randomly search the old woman with a clutch purse or they will target the young black male with a backpack?

it scares me, how easily people will give up their rights in so called war against terrorism.

I do hope that they have performed a thorough inspection of the tracks and tunnels under the Boston Harbor. If something was already in place, just a cell phone could be enough to initiate a disaster, especially at rush hour.Anyway, I thought Romney was on the" right track". Hope they keep Kerry off the blue line, I'd like to vote for him?!?!?

Well folks, it's peeking at us now and until we realize the truth, it's the POLICE STATE.

4th Amendment - The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Is this being violated? ABSOLUTELY!

If someone, wants to search me, I speak outloud my constitutionally protected right to be secure in my PERSONS,houses, PAPERS, and EFFECTS! And then tell them, they do not have my consent, and would be violating my 4th Amendment protection if they did. Leaving them liable to lawsuit from me.

Learn your protected rights people, memorize them.

Use them, or lose them.

This is the result of the patriot act......the only ones who have to worry are those involved in terriorist activities and crime.

I live in Boston and ride the Blue Line to work and this is only going to make matters worse, it's bad enough the train system is terrible. If I am stopped I will protest my Fourth Ammendment rights and I bet they'll say by riding the train you give the police the right to search any bag. Okay then if I want to retain my Civil Rights I can't get to work.

Originally posted by ms_Bhavn
This is the result of the patriot act......the only ones who have to worry are those involved in terriorist activities and crime.

while i agree this is a result of the patriot act, I do disagree that only the terrorists and criminals have to be worried.

think about this, you're on your way to a job interview...you're nervous, you're clicking your pen (remember the pen alert), something you do out of habit....along comes this task force...guess what you're getting searched, you're late for your interview and you lost your chance at getting the job.

i realize i can get carried away with these so called situations, but think about this, how exactly do you randomly search people on the trains? There has to be a list of criteria used to justify who is searched and who isn't....remember not every muslim is a terrorist and not every brown skin person is an arab. Profiling will become an issue with this situation, just wait and watch and see.

OK....make me understand from your personal experience what the problem with being searched is. I just don't get it. If there is nothing to find, then why should it bother you? If you have an appointment, such as a job interview, why is it unrealistic to think that you couldn't explain that you were held up a few minutes because of a search on the train? Do you think your potential interviewer isn't going to accept this excuse? Would you really want to work for someone who doesn't understand this? Maybe it's just me...but if I was stopped, I would be more than happy to let them search me and then go on my way. People who disapprove of this type of protection should just wake up and realize that there is NO BOOGEY MAN trying to get them. :shk:

I lived on the North Shore for seven years, and my wife rode the T in to Boston daily. The system was clogged then, it is doubtless more so now. Adding bottlenecks for searches will slow things even further, making what used to be a 45-minute commute into an hour and 15 minutes, maybe longer. The T rails are pretty accessible from outside in the above-ground portions of the system, so if the bad guys wanted to blow up a train, they could easily drop a bomb from a bridge, or crash an explosive-laden vehicle into a Green Line car, bypassing this new search policy. All four lines have extensive above-ground exposure, so there are targets aplenty. Unless they have done an awful lot of repair work, there are also vast areas to hide in underground, as well. In my opinion, this is either window dressing for the convention, or a disguised attempt to ferret out some local drug or gang nasties. Any terrorist could easily avoid a search.

the problem is "why" should I be searched with no valid reason given except "this is a random search"

Why, should I have to give up my right to privacy and allow myself to be searched, when I know for a fact I have nothing to hide. That to me is an invasion of my privacy and rights as an individual. What if I am coming home from my arabic language lesson with my notes, should i have to go thru full interogation for carrying my homework, because terrorists write in arabic?

The police can't search your house without a warrant, but if you ride the train, it's okay.....how does that make sense?

and yeah my future employer is gonna love it, that i fit the profile of terrorist and was searched on my way to the interview, you think they will continue to be understanding when I am late every other day because I am profiled?

Originally posted by Big Erle
I lived on the North Shore for seven years, and my wife rode the T in to Boston daily. The system was clogged then, it is doubtless more so now. Adding bottlenecks for searches will slow things even further, making what used to be a 45-minute commute into an hour and 15 minutes, maybe longer. The T rails are pretty accessible from outside in the above-ground portions of the system, so if the bad guys wanted to blow up a train, they could easily drop a bomb from a bridge, or crash an explosive-laden vehicle into a Green Line car, bypassing this new search policy. All four lines have extensive above-ground exposure, so there are targets aplenty. Unless they have done an awful lot of repair work, there are also vast areas to hide in underground, as well. In my opinion, this is either window dressing for the convention, or a disguised attempt to ferret out some local drug or gang nasties. Any terrorist could easily avoid a search.

Maybe you're on to something here......wouldn't it make the whole war on terror even more irritating to the Democrats and Liberals???.....pissing off the voters in that area just enough to win some votes.......UHHHH....clever little bastards, aren't they?

Originally posted by worldwatcher
the problem is "why" should I be searched with no valid reason given except "this is a random search"

BECAUSE YOU ARE AN AMERICAN AND THOSE FREEDOMS YOU SO MUCH ENJOY ARE IN DANGER. THIS GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO PROTECT YOU AND YOU WANT TO MAKE IT RACIAL.........If you are so freakin proud of your heritage and want to learn so much about the Arabic culture, why don't you take a little trip overseas and see it first hand? It sounds to me that you like to use your color as a political wedge. POOR ME>>>>POOOR MEEEEE....always getting picked on because of the color of my skin !!! Give me a break

[Edited on 6/8/2004 by Venus]- forgot this isn't the pit

[Edited on 6/8/2004 by Venus]

Yeah, I'm always one of the first to chime in on this - heh, oh well.

More rights removed, you can 'leave the city' and escape this, or you can stay for 'protection' and sacrifice. Exactly what he said...

Then we've got the fact that Israel's going nuts and we're slowly turning on them. Looks remarkably like John Titor may be righto.

Worldwatcher....... I understand what you are saying, and I sympathize. Racial profiling happens. What is the answer to this problem.??? I dont have the answer. I also wouldn't care to be searched ....BUT... if this is the only way to keep transportation and people safe, then be it. Remember we are all passengers at one time or another.

What worries me about racial profiling is not all terriorist are dark skinned

oh whatever venus, you don't need to yell, i might think you have a problem with me and not my opinion on this story.

you may disagree with me and I with you, but I don't see the need to defend my opinion against you

you scream "poor me", well i don't know where you are getting this from, but me speaking my opinion is not a plea about "poor me". You seem to be the one who wants to blow this racial profiling thing out of proportion by not accepting the fact that it happens.

as for me seeing the arabic culture, I have. I have seen both the good and bad, and I understand that this situation is far more complex than most americans can even begin to comprehend. Americans like you only know what is in your face, nothing more, your ignorance of other cultures is exactly what the feeds the fear that this government needs to continue this "war on terror" and unfortunately people like you will blindly accept and follow what they say, without thinking for yourselves.

i am done replying to you in this thread, you may reply and i will read what you have to say, but I am sure you won't be changing my opinion and I know I cannot change yours, so follow your path and i will follow mines.

msbhavn, i don't have the answer....see my signature

but random searches without a warrant on public transportation is not the solution.

this govt continues to implement all these nutty laws under the patriot act to protect us. well so far, nothing has happened, with the current efforts by DOD, why does the general public have to give up their rights because of "what if's"

anything can happen at anytime, true terrorists are not going to be hampered by searches on the train. If they really want to attack, they will and they will find ways that catch everyone off guard.

but what are we the public to do? live in fear of the terrorists, give up our rights because of them.....what does that do....nothing...it only proves that this war on terrorism is a farce and that the terrorists have won if we allow our govt to continue to spy, search and threaten us with fear.

Originally posted by worldwatcher
Why, should I have to give up my right to privacy and allow myself to be searched, when I know for a fact I have nothing to hide. That to me is an invasion of my privacy and rights as an individual.

Indeed it is. Please refer to BeingWatchedByThem's post above.

"With the Fourth Amendment gone, eyes are on the First. That's why I'm spittin' cyanide each and every verse."-Paris

(Completely UNRELATED to my previous statements/quote---I've never hit the complaint button before, but I sure am tempted to do so right now. )

[edit on 6/8/2004 by Bangin]

There are 2 MAJOR problems here.

1st is the obvious violation of our 4th ammendment rights. That goes without saying and the reason is self explainable.

the 2nd is the fact that they are warning us (well, those that live in Boston) about the searches, and at the same time that means the people who may be planning something wrong are also being given warning. Now, if someone were planning something on a train during this time, don't you think he/she would now have the knowledge needed to avoid being caught?