Rail Screening presentation
 

Thought you might like to look at this:TSA
Sorry Gradgirl :(

TSA Office of Chief Counsel has concluded, in light of the
threat, that mandatory screening is acceptable
�� Office of Chief Counsel considered 4th amendment implications;
and
�� Office of Chief Counsel obtained an opinion from the
Department of Justice.
�� Implications of mandatory screening:
�� Passenger participation is estimated to be greatly reduced if
screening is NOT mandatory.
�� Availability of National Screening Force means staffing strength
sufficient to handle mandatory screening.
�� Procedures are in place to allow passengers to bypass screening if
screening would prevent passenger from catching train.

What a disgrace! :td:

Screening passengers for a train is NOT acceptable!

A few thoughts:

I wonder if (hope that) deployment of mandatory "checkpoints" at rail stations will help force courts to address the "right to travel arguments" that are now deflected by claiming "air travel is special." That seemed to be the basis of all the 1970s cases that upheld airport screening. It's one thing to say implied consent to search is a pre-req for air travel alone, but when it gets spread to all means of transportation maybe some people will wake up. When the airports, train stations, and bus depots have been militarized and subjected to "implied consent" and blacklists with no means of recourse, maybe some in government will wake up and realize our rights are being infringed on when the 4th amendment goes out the door every time we step out of our front door. (i.e., travel)

Very interesting that TSA was willing to accept not screening passengers if the lines got too long etc, recognizing that the risk of any individual pax being a "bad guy" is extremely low. This is common sense approach to risk managment instead of risk avoidance is something we need to see more of. At airports, TSA evacuates a terminal if one pax is not screened or SSSS's all pax if they have hand-written BPs not run through the no-fly list.

Interesting stats on the GE Entryscan WT-ETD machine in the slides.

I agree but wonder what they meant by this. I think LEOs need to be present to protect pax from overzealous screeners and screeners from psycho pax. I fear TSA admin wants LEOs present to intimidate pax into accepting screening.

I like the line about:

Consider ways to maintain effectiveness while increasing public acceptance.

No way anyone who cherishes his/her liberty is going to accept these policies.

Hi eyecue,

This is seriously old news. They did an inconsequential test at one or two rail stations just to flex the old authoritarian muscles. Rail screening will never happen, never, because it would waste a large fraction of our GDP. Right now airports swallow 90% of the TSA's budget, but there are 45,000 railway stations against only 429 airports, and that neglects much local rail and light rail. Where do you think they're going to get the money to multiply TSA's allotment by 100?!

The TSA is a big hit to the bottom line in this country already. This money loser agency can't even afford to screen air cargo or to hire enough women to have females patdown females. There is not a snowball's chance in Haiti that we'll see rail screening happen.

Rail screening is completely impractical. There are WAY too many stations; there's no way they could deploy TSA or other security staff to all of them.

Furthermore, it does nothing to address the largest hole in rail security - unsecured tracks. This would be a giant waste of time and money, not to mention the gigantic cost it would have on the economy.

I guess we could wreck our economy through all of this "security" nonsense, then become like the Chinese - and invent ever more fake security jobs to keep people employed.

We could invite the Chinese to provide our security! They could send over 300 million people so each of us could have his or her own "security" companion. When we become weak enough, they could just take over the country!

Bruce

On my periodic trips to Hartford (which cost $30 in AMTRAK fare, and something like $50 in government subsidies, apparently), we stop at New Rochelle, Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven, Wallingford, Meriden, and Berlin.

How on earth would TSA staff all of these stations at any kind of reasonable cost? The federal cost burden for AMTRAK would easily double or more. Plus commuter rail, plus subways, etc.

Take Wallingford: the 19th-century station is boarded up. People just get on the train wherever a traincar happens to stop. Would TSA renovate all of the closed stations up and down the line in order to house screeners and screenees?

What would you do with eight-car trains? Only open one door? That would be problematic at busy stations. Passengers exiting would likely open the doors with the emergency override.

The really scary prospect is that the government would forbid all rail travel on the grounds that passengers can't be screened. This one might actually happen: they'd just outlaw passenger trains. It's no stupider than any of the other boneheaded moves the TSA has made lately.

Quote from a train hijacker:

No kidding. it took a law school grad to figure this out?
Because like those that fly one-way, only passengers that arrive early/on time for their train are a threat.

Hey, I bet these folks would be happy to see old stations in CT renovated!:

http://www.cttrust.org/index.cgi/122

pryorPM.pdf
 

pryorPM.pdf

Written by Robert Pryor.

Surely this is a pen name of Richard Pryor?

Wow. Just flipped through the pdf file.

I am speechless.

Has anyone at the TSA got a clue?

Have they actually talked to Amtrak or did they hold a budgetary gun to their head?

Have they asked the folks in Spain or France as to how they have handled the threat to rail (Madrid was not the first train bomb folks!)

But the on-board inspection on the Shoreline East train is a joke!

First, let me say that I am glad to see the Piece Of S*** "SPV2000" getting renovated. Notice that these "self-propelled diesel" cars are still being pulled by a locomotive. They never ever really worked as promised.

Notice that ConnDOT has no proper shop to renovate and install the equipment. Using a fork-lift. What a sad state.

Next, I love the railings. God help the passengers and screeners in an emergency stop. The rest of the train should be fine, but they will be seriously injured by the blunt surfaces, if not impaled. How did the FRA sign off on those?

I'd also like to see what these sniffer and x-ray machines will look like when the train stops and they keep going. Look at page 50; are the sniffers just sitting there relying on their rubber feet alone to avoid slipping away?? It says that the tables are bolted, but are the machines bolted to the tables and can they hold to the floor in a stop at such a height? I don't want to see the poor soul who will end up in between the machines and the vestibule wall.

And then are we going to have one of these cars on every train? Most trains are just 5-6 cars to start. Gonna add an extra car, which may mean the need for an extra loco, and all that TSA staff to every intercity and commuter train that operates in America?

I'm always glad to see some machinists and welders getting some work, but did anyone at the top think this one through??

And finally, is there really only so few suppliers of the required equipment? What fun those bidding sessions must be!

Hey GG,

Any way to "borrow" those pictures of the on-board silliness and post them at www.dontgrope.us?