nypd doing search-and-seizure on subway riders

well the new york police department are gonna be conducting random searches of subway riders' bags, purses, backpacks, and briefcases as they enter the system, and even while riding the trains.

donna lieberman, executive directer of the new york civil liberties union, seems to be keeping a more realistic point of view, here. she points out that while the chance of success is very small (think 'needle in a haystack'), the hassle this will cause commuters is going to have much more impact.

i'm just wondering to myself how, if the airport, who scan and search bags, scan passengers (make you take your shoes off?) can consistently miss lighters (which can be illustrated by the number of people in the smoking lounge who possess one), what kind of security do they expect to create by nosing around in someone's purse or backpack. maybe it's just me, but it seems like this isn't gonna do much for catching people, but it's gonna make a pretty big impact on day-to-day life for a _lot_ of people.

what do _you_ think? let's hear it.

--cid

0wn yourself