Metal detectors on public transportation

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

A Gallup one day poll shows that in response to the London attacks, 69% of adults favor requiring every American to go through a metal detector when using public transportation.

Holy s*** what is wrong with people?  This is one of the worst ideas I have ever heard.  It would completely debilitate subway systems across the country.  I've ridden the Washington Metro every day for 4+ years, and I can't imagine how much longer it would take if we had to go through metal detectors.   But I've never been worried about a terrorist attack.

Why do people have such totally irrational fears of terrorism?  We haven't had an attack on us in four years!  And more people died of handgun violence in the US yesterday than died in London from terrorism.  Really, people are willing to inconvenience millions of people for hours every day to possibly prevent an attack that might kill a couple hundred people in the far indefinite future?  Get some perspective, please.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

A Gallup one day poll shows that in response to the London attacks, 69% of adults favor requiring every American to go through a metal detector when using public transportation.

Holy s*** what is wrong with people?  This is one of the worst ideas I have ever heard.  It would completely debilitate subway systems across the country.  I've ridden the Washington Metro every day for 4+ years, and I can't imagine how much longer it would take if we had to go through metal detectors.   But I've never been worried about a terrorist attack.

Why do people have such totally irrational fears of terrorism?  We haven't had an attack on us in four years!  And more people died of handgun violence in the US yesterday than died in London from terrorism.  Really, people are willing to inconvenience millions of people for hours every day to possibly prevent an attack that might kill a couple hundred people in the far indefinite future?  Get some perspective, please.

Just think, probably more will die from the increased rate of car crashes due to decreased use of public transportation.

[John Dibble]

Also, considering concealed carry is legal in most states, there would be complications there as there is no law against carrying on public transporation at least that I know of.

[MODU]

It is improbable to have a successful transportation network in which ever single person is screened each time they board.  There will be too many delays and the costs would be too high for the system to remain solvent or practical.

[??????????]

Why do people have such totally irrational fears of terrorism?  We haven't had an attack on us in four years! 

You know who to thank for that now dont you?

[minionofmidas]

Not to mention that there's lots and lots of stuff you might want to carry with you that can't even be used as a weapon that is made of metal.
Who even asks people these sort of sicko questions? Not to mention that most Americans don't use Public Transport Systems anyways.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Why do people have such totally irrational fears of terrorism?  We haven't had an attack on us in four years! 

You know who to thank for that now dont you?

I assume the answer to that rhetorical question is Bush?  The fact that so few people have died from terrorism since 9/11 is a sign that either (a) the administration has done a very good job of stopping terrorism or that (b) terrorism wasn't really that big of a problem to begin with.

We really don't have any evidence of (a)...there haven't been any further major attacks under Bush, but we didn't have any major attacks under Clinton either.  

Honestly, I think the fact that there have been zero subsequent attacks suggests (b).  If we were really facing a constant barrage of terrorism attempts, then at least a few would get through no matter how hard the administration tried to stop them.  Instead, not only have none gotten through, but we don't even hear about about any attacks that were attempted but foiled.  

Before the election, we heard about threats all the time, but the attacks never came.  How many more years without a attack do we have to go before we can admit that domestic terrorism just hasn't turned out to be a major problem?

[Bono]

Why do people have such totally irrational fears of terrorism?  We haven't had an attack on us in four years! 

You know who to thank for that now dont you?

I assume the answer to that rhetorical question is Bush?  The fact that so few people have died from terrorism since 9/11 is a sign that either (a) the administration has done a very good job of stopping terrorism or that (b) terrorism wasn't really that big of a problem to begin with.

We really don't have any evidence of (a)...there haven't been any further major attacks under Bush, but we didn't have any major attacks under Clinton either.   

Honestly, I think the fact that there have been zero subsequent attacks suggests (b).  If we were really facing a constant barrage of terrorism attempts, then at least a few would get through no matter how hard the administration tried to stop them.  Instead, not only have none gotten through, but we don't even hear about about any attacks that were attempted but foiled. 

Before the election, we heard about threats all the time, but the attacks never came.  How many more years without a attack do we have to go before we can admit that domestic terrorism just hasn't turned out to be a major problem?

Clinton hasn't had terrorist problems?
Only in Waco, 75 people died and the woman responsible for that was never faced with the consequences of her actions.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Clinton hasn't had terrorist problems?
Only in Waco, 75 people died and the woman responsible for that was never faced with the consequences of her actions.

There was a cult that set themselves on fire during the Clinton adminstration. Do you have a point?

[??????????]

Clinton hasn't had terrorist problems?
Only in Waco, 75 people died and the woman responsible for that was never faced with the consequences of her actions.

There was a cult that set themselves on fire during the Clinton adminstration. Do you have a point?

Actually the government set that fire.

[12th Doctor]

So, if we just ignore the problem, it will go away, then?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Clinton hasn't had terrorist problems?
Only in Waco, 75 people died and the woman responsible for that was never faced with the consequences of her actions.

There was a cult that set themselves on fire during the Clinton adminstration. Do you have a point?

Actually the government set that fire.

And I get accused of having conspiracy theories.

[12th Doctor]

Clinton hasn't had terrorist problems?
Only in Waco, 75 people died and the woman responsible for that was never faced with the consequences of her actions.

There was a cult that set themselves on fire during the Clinton adminstration. Do you have a point?

Actually the government set that fire.

And I get accused of having conspiracy theories.

You really are an idiot.  A partisan hack who is so desperate to defend his ideology and the peopel that back it, that he will ignore even established fact to try to salvage an argument.

They proved that the tear gas canisters that they used did, in fact, start the fire at Waco.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Clinton hasn't had terrorist problems?
Only in Waco, 75 people died and the woman responsible for that was never faced with the consequences of her actions.

There was a cult that set themselves on fire during the Clinton adminstration. Do you have a point?

Actually the government set that fire.

And I get accused of having conspiracy theories.

You really are an idiot.  A partisan hack who is so desperate to defend his ideology and the peopel that back it, that he will ignore even established fact to try to salvage an argument.

They proved that the tear gas canisters that they used did, in fact, start the fire at Waco.

Instead of midnless insulting, how about a link, huh, Keystone Phil?

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

So, if we just ignore the problem, it will go away, then?

I never suggested we ignore the problem.  I fully support fighting the terrorists on their own turf.   I supported the war in Afghanistan and in Iraq.  And I support the efforts to democratize the region, and fight poverty to eliminate the conditions that allow terrorists to recruit.

What I don't support is implementing draconian security measures that are vastly disproportionate to the threat.   Causing inconvenience and fear among the American public doesn't help us beat the terrorists...it is exactly what the terrorists want.  All these security measures give the terrorists credit for being much stronger than they deserve.

[12th Doctor]

So, if we just ignore the problem, it will go away, then?

I never suggested we ignore the problem.  I fully support fighting the terrorists on their own turf.   I supported the war in Afghanistan and in Iraq.  And I support the efforts to democratize the region, and fight poverty to eliminate the conditions that allow terrorists to recruit.

What I don't support is implementing draconian security measures that are vastly disproportionate to the threat.   Causing inconvenience and fear among the American public doesn't help us beat the terrorists...it is exactly what the terrorists want.  All these security measures give the terrorists credit for being much stronger than they deserve.

But you did just state that terrorism might not be a threat

[12th Doctor]

So, if we just ignore the problem, it will go away, then?

I never suggested we ignore the problem.  I fully support fighting the terrorists on their own turf.   I supported the war in Afghanistan and in Iraq.  And I support the efforts to democratize the region, and fight poverty to eliminate the conditions that allow terrorists to recruit.

What I don't support is implementing draconian security measures that are vastly disproportionate to the threat.   Causing inconvenience and fear among the American public doesn't help us beat the terrorists...it is exactly what the terrorists want.  All these security measures give the terrorists credit for being much stronger than they deserve.

But you did just state that terrorism might not be a threat

I appologize.  I just reread your initial post, and I seem to have misunderstood you.  Sorry about that.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Why do people have such totally irrational fears of terrorism?  We haven't had an attack on us in four years! 

You know who to thank for that now dont you?

My record collection. I must have gotten a record that protects against terrorist attacks. Kind of like the rock I have in my apartment that prevents tiger attacks. Haven't had a single tiger attack since I moved in.

[John Dibble]

Why do people have such totally irrational fears of terrorism?  We haven't had an attack on us in four years! 

You know who to thank for that now dont you?

My record collection. I must have gotten a record that protects against terrorist attacks. Kind of like the rock I have in my apartment that prevents tiger attacks. Haven't had a single tiger attack since I moved in.

*note to self - find BRTD's apartment, find tiger, combine the two*

[Bono]

Clinton hasn't had terrorist problems?
Only in Waco, 75 people died and the woman responsible for that was never faced with the consequences of her actions.

There was a cult that set themselves on fire during the Clinton adminstration. Do you have a point?

Actually the government set that fire.

And I get accused of having conspiracy theories.

You really are an idiot.  A partisan hack who is so desperate to defend his ideology and the peopel that back it, that he will ignore even established fact to try to salvage an argument.

They proved that the tear gas canisters that they used did, in fact, start the fire at Waco.

Instead of midnless insulting, how about a link, huh, Keystone Phil?

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=1254

[bgwah]

Hahahahahaha!

Apparently 69% of the American public has never ridden public transportation to begin with.

[Storebought]

Hahahahahaha!

Apparently 69% of the American public has never ridden public transportation to begin with.

And they aren't missing much...

But I can't think of a faster way of depopulating mass transit systems than metal detectors. Just think of it:

The bus pulls up to pick up an arthritic grandma with lots of groceries. Not only does the driver have to physically assist grandma onto the bus, her coin purse, and all of her groceries, will have to be checked through the X-ray machine.

A short seven minute trip by car becomes a 20 minute ordeal on a bus, if even *one* grandma should board it.

[J. J.]

Two points:

1.  Most explosives are not made of metal.

2.  I wear a back brace with two medal stays in it, an inch wide, a quarter in thick and at least 18 inches long.  It sets off metal detectors.  I also use a 36 inch metal cane.  Thousands of of other people that use masss transit do the same thing.

[Gabu]

I'm curious regarding what the people in London who actually went through this ordeal think of this idea.

[12th Doctor]

Clinton hasn't had terrorist problems?
Only in Waco, 75 people died and the woman responsible for that was never faced with the consequences of her actions.

There was a cult that set themselves on fire during the Clinton adminstration. Do you have a point?

Actually the government set that fire.

And I get accused of having conspiracy theories.

You really are an idiot.  A partisan hack who is so desperate to defend his ideology and the peopel that back it, that he will ignore even established fact to try to salvage an argument.

They proved that the tear gas canisters that they used did, in fact, start the fire at Waco.

Instead of midnless insulting, how about a link, huh, Keystone Phil?

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=1254

I found several such websites, but it is pointless to argue, because the government changed their offcial story so many times, from one extreme to the other, that there is nothing that I can find that would not be contradicted by something else that the Reno (in)Justice Department said.

P.S. Notice, I did not blame Clinton.