Amtrak on Facebook Ask Our Expert: Security Edition In honor of upcoming National Preparedness Month we would like to give you the opportunity to participate in Amtrak’s Ask Our Expert with our Vice President and Chief of Police, John O’Connor. Submit your questions about rail security to our security discussion board for a chance to have your question answered. ------------------------------------------------------------------- First few questions out of the chute are: ------------------------------------------------------------ Marian What is Amtrak doing to secure, check, and reasuure {sic} us, that track, bridges, and stations are being monitored and terrorist proof? Elisa Why is it that there is no baggage check or scanner for people like there is in airports? Anyone could bring ANYTHING on and it's not checked... and neither are the people - I find that a little unsafe that I can get on the train with ANYBODY and they can have pretty much anything they want on them at any given time. ----------------------------------------------------------- Oh, noes! People leave their SHOES on and don't have to throw their WATER BOTTLES into the garbage can with all the other imaginary binary liquid explosives (typing in all caps is cruise control for AWESOME, Elisa). And nothing makes me feel safer than a good ole' TSA Scope N' Grope. More sensible posts follow up, of course.
Dear Elisa, Please try not to think about what the person walking down the sidewalk next to you might be carrying, either. You might be tempted to never leave your house - which, on second thought, might not be a bad idea for a paranoid little sheep like you. G'day.
Elisa, AMTRAK and the TSA heard you. So they're going to subject riders to This deserves it's own thread, posted under "More Screening."
A few days ago, I rode over a thousand miles of track through remote, winding forests which could have concealed attackers at any point, machine gunners, and countless remote road crossing through which someone could drive a truck into the train derailing it. If you're so concerned about a less effective attack from on board, arm a few members of the train crew or perhaps have an Amtrak PD or federal track marshall on board occasionally. Talk about a misplaced sense of safety.
Better yet, send TSA screeners out on patrol using one of these. The physical activity would do a lot of them some good.
