Search for Safety

NEW YORK (AP) -- Alarmed by a new round of mass transit attacks in London, police in New York began random searches of bags and packages brought into the city's vast subway system.

The inspections started on a small scale Thursday in Manhattan and were expanded during Friday morning's rush hour _ a development welcomed by some commuters.

..."We just live in a world where, sadly, these kinds of security measures are necessary," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "Are they intrusive? Yes, a little bit. But we are trying to find that right balance."

The New York Civil Liberties Union warned that the new measures violate basic rights and could invite racial or religious profiling.

"The plan is not workable and will not make New Yorkers more secure but will inconvenience them as police go about finding a needle in a haystack," NYCLU executive director Donna Lieberman said.

...Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said passengers selected for searches will be approached by officers, who will ask them what they're carrying and request that they open their bags. Those who decline "can't enter the system," he said.

I've had my bag searched when attending a concert or a sporting event at a stadium.

I didn't care. I didn't consider it an inconvenience. It gave me peace of mind to know that security is heightened to keep me safe. I didn't start whining about my rights being violated.

I would consider it a violation of my rights if a terrorist enabled by lax security threatened my life.

This is common sense.

If it's ninety degrees and some guy wearing a thick coat is about to board a train, it would be negligent to let the guy get on without searching him.

If someone is carrying a large bag, I see no problem with authorities examining it.

Such measures help to ensure everyone's safety.

How ridiculous that the NYCLU and others are freaked out about inviting profiling!

Would they prefer that bombers be invited on to the trains?