A quick report on the security situation on the Orange Line.

[xiphias]

So, I've now taken the Orange Line -- the line that the MBTA is being hyper-vigilant about -- several times, and I have a few observations.

Number one:

Terry Gilliam called. He wants his costumes from Brazil back.

I mean, seriously. Whose idea was it to dress these people in uniforms that look EXACTLY like the uniform of a fascist police state officer from every single dystopian future science fiction movie I've ever seen?

Other than that. . .
North Station is directly under the Fleet Center, where the DNC is. Because of that, they've totally closed down North Station, which is a Major Pain In The Butt, but, okay, whatever. The train just goes through North Station without stopping.

The station north of it is Community College, south, Haymarket.

On the station before you'd go through North Station, they stop the train for a couple minutes, and one of these black-fatigues-clad MBTA police officers walks through each train car, looking in every bag of significant size.

I've been through this four times now, and was reasonably comfortable with how it was done three of those times -- I held the bag open, the officer glanced in and noticed a significant lack of dynamite, and moved on. One time, however, the officer kind of pawed through it, looking underneath things, which I was under the impression they were not to do.

I am not comfortable with this being done on an ongoing basis, but if it stops after the DNC is over and North Station is re-opened, then I don't see it as unreasonable enough to worry about.

Oh -- also -- let me say for the record that I think that a city may EITHER tell everyone that they are in danger from terrorists who want to blow the city up and institute rather invasive and annoying measures to attempt to combat the putative terrorists OR may have fireworks displays without telling people first, BUT NOT BOTH.

Okay? Just. . . don't. It's not really fair. The first explosion, I was worried. Second, still worried. Third, okay, I figured it was probably not a terrorist attack, because that seemed like a bit more than I thought they could manage, but I did look for a police car, and when I saw that it didn't have its lights on, I figured there wasn't any emergency.

Still. . . fireworks and bomb threats don't mix, m'kay?

Comments

[neven.livejournal.com]

Still. . . fireworks and bomb threats don't mix, m'kay?

Good grief.

[yehoshua.livejournal.com]

One time, however, the officer kind of pawed through it, looking underneath things, which I was under the impression they were not to do.

That might be the only reassuring thing I've heard so far. Every search I've heard about so far had been both a travesty of the 4th amendment and would have easily allowed someone with half a brain and time to spare to carry pretty much whatever sie wanted through the security perimeter.

I mean, come on. If you're going to crap all over the Constitution and turn the country into a police state, for the love of God live up to "your" end of the bargain and make me safer.

[navrins]

Today: I am not comfortable with this being done on an ongoing basis, but if it stops after the DNC is over and North Station is re-opened, then I don't see it as unreasonable enough to worry about.

June 8: This isn't APPROXIMATELY what the Fourth Amendment was designed to prevent. This is SPECIFICALLY what the Fourth Amendment was designed to prevent. If you are talking to someone who thinks this is a good idea, could you ask them what, in their minds, the Fourth Amendment prevents? Because I can't think of anything more blatantly and specifically forbidden than the police randomly stopping people and looking through their stuff. My plan is to be arrested.

What changed your mind?

Or perhaps I should say, "What, in your mind, does the Fourth Amendment prevent?"

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I still think it's wrong and a violation of my rights. But I'm willing to accept that my country will TEMPORARILY go crazy and screw up everything it's supposed to stand for.

I want to see if the problem will heal itself. I'm willing to wait for a bit and see if permanent damage is being done.

[navrins]

Fair enough.

Have you thought about what you do if it doesn't? Or are you (like me, mostly) putting it off as long as possible in the hope you won't have to?

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Well, once I'm reasonably certain we won't starve if I can't bring in money, THAT'S when I go to get arrested. But, yeah, I'm also trying not to think about it.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

The further question on the "arrest" concept. . . I'd really assumed Lis would be working by now. At the moment, I'm our only source of money, and, well, eating is important.

[lidiya6.livejournal.com]

Whose idea was it to dress these people in uniforms that look EXACTLY like the uniform of a fascist police state officer from every single dystopian future science fiction movie I've ever seen?

this is what I was thinking! and I haven't even seen them in person, just on the news.