T riders to face searches during convention
Subway and commuter rail riders will face more random searches as part of Democratic National Convention security measures, and will be discouraged from bringing backpacks and briefcases on board public trains. Is this necessary? Will you comply?
in today's globe: T riders face more random checks
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I am incensed by the heavy-handed measures taken by the MBTA. For the last few months train operators have been making announcements at every other station about unattended bags; nobody listens. The head of the MBTA has been making recorded announcements; he just sounds dumb. MBTA police have been standing around in Park Street station looking hard at passengers and talking among themselves; that makes me feel a lot safer. In my opinion, agencies such as the MBTA have been carried away with a sense of their own importance, encouraged by the Bush administration's Patriot Act and by Republican hostility to the Democratic Convention, and feel themselves empowered to overstep their limits and invade all the protections citizens used to enjoy under the Constitution. Or else they are trying to encourage hostility to the Democrats deliberately. This is no way to run public transport -- step away, MBTA!
martin, watertown
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" - Benjamin Franklin I will not allow an illegal search of my bag or person without probable cause or a warrant and that's all there is to it. To those who are saying "the government is just doing what it thinks is right to protect us"... Would you submit to your home being searched? Your car? Your children? Would you wear an ID in plain sight for the police to see at all times? Or a tattoo perhaps? Would you allow your medical history to be public knowledge? Your work history? How many traffic tickets you have? ...these all would improve public safety, but we would cease to have any freedom or privacy. That is not America and we cannot allow it to get to that point.
Geoff , Arlington
they have been warning us for many, many months now that the dnc will be a big inconvenience. apparently, no one has been paying attention since every time something new developes in regards to the dnc, everyone gets bent out of shape. folks, we know we are to be inconvenienced. lets all agree on that, and move on already you big bunch of whiners. i for one plan to go to work all 4 whole days and will give myself extra time to commute (on the T) and will comply with the security requests in order to do my part to help things run smoothly.
s, somerville
SHAME ON YOU. o.k. So i won't be allowed to bring my bag with me on the T. I won't be allowed to drive anywhere near boston, even if i want to take 93 south from Spot Pond to Somerville. No where near the fleet center. I have to put up with a very thousand spoiled brats running about the city getting free this and free that. I am a liberal, but i hate this convention. Why should people, who make their money off our taxes get free rides? We work hard, and our pay checks go to these people, so we should give them even more. They make more money than alot of us. They don't care one bit about us. If it was the Republican's i would expect it, but not from the peoples party. Not from my representitive. Not in my America.
Matthew , Medford
The terrorists are coming to Boston, except now they're called delegates to the DMC and they were invited here by our mayor at a staggering cost to Boston's residents and businesses.
Paul, Dorchester
