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The Future of New York Transit

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Tue Aug 23, 2005 at 02:47:16 PM EST
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New York City has just signed a $212 million security contract has just been signed with Lockheed Martin. 1,000 cameras, 3,000 motion detectors will be installed on subways and other forms of mass transit. The intent is:

to stop attacks before they happen by spotting unattended packages that may contain bombs and alerting its employees to unauthorized intruders in its tunnels and other sensitive areas.

Of course, it won't spot explosives or biological agents. I guess hand searches of your bags will do that.

Get your TalkLeft Fourth Amendment subway tote and confront the searchers with those hallowed words every time you're on the subway. It may not make a difference, but it will make you feel good.

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    • The Future of New York Transit | 6 comments (6 topical)
    Re: The Future of New York Transit (none / 0) (#1)
    by cpinva on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:38 PM EST
    ok, so what about the authorized intruders? also, what if those unattended packages don't move?

    Re: The Future of New York Transit (none / 0) (#2)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:39 PM EST
    Looks like the transit fare is going up to $5. I wonder which set of books the MTA is going to use this time to show us how broke they are. They can not even get the PA system to work properly (35 years of $ trying), and when you can hear the info is wrong. The $212 million may as well disappear in Iraq. In January a fire shut down the C train line. The MTA announced that it would take 5 years to fix, longer than it took to build the whole IRT line. At least I feel safer knowing that the money will not go to the defense dept.

    Re: The Future of New York Transit (none / 0) (#3)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:39 PM EST
    I hate state spy cameras, but since this a democracy built on compromise, and many of my fellow citizens are very scared of a possible bombing, I propose that privacy/civil liberties advocates not oppose the camera system in exchange for the state dropping the random search policy.

    Re: The Future of New York Transit (none / 0) (#4)
    by roy on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:39 PM EST
    More expensive feel-good crud. Detecting "unattended packages" and "unauthorized intruders" will not help prevent suicide bombers who blow themselves up in the most crowded place they can reach. The cameras might help identify attackers after the fact, as in London, but that one benefit probably wouldn't persuade the taxpayers.

    Re: The Future of New York Transit (none / 0) (#5)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:40 PM EST
    The MTA is incompetent, The cameras will be a waste of money. Looks like Heimland Sec is running a close second in incompetency if the new employees are appointed according to the Racial Profiling post above.

    Re: The Future of New York Transit (none / 0) (#6)
    by jackl2400 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:41 PM EST
    Maybe we can catch Dionne Warwick trying to board the number 6 train with some joints in her lipstick case! Seriously, though, kdog, I like your suggested compromise.

    The Future of New York Transit | 6 comments (6 topical)