CTA Bag Screenings

[sw4400]

I'm just wondering with this new screening program the CTA and CPD are implementing at CTA 'L' Stations. I think it's a great idea. It might add a few minutes to travel times for passengers with luggage/bags, but it might make our public transit a bit safer. What do you all think?

[BusHunter]

Terrible idea, if they can't stop vandals from vandalizing cars in broad daylight in the rush hour how can stop a terrorist. This is an invasion of our privacy. They should up the security way tighter at these yards, it's very lax and embarrassing what did happen there.Next we'll have security screeners at the subway entrance. I'm starting to wonder what's up with all this security all of a sudden. Did someone threaten us? Voted the third one, but I'll continue to ride the system unless my rights are violated.

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

I'm stuck between the second and third vote, but I have a glass half full attitude, so I put in the second entry.

Since I usually don't board at a station in the city limits, I wonder how this will work out. Also there are times when I have up to three bags with me, and I usually had two bags with me when I commuted home from UIC.

[TripleTransit1]

Hmm...I read sw4400's reason for this (safety), and then I read BusHunter's reason for not wanting this (invasion of privacy). I'm leaning more toward Option #2, but I want to see what anyone else thinks before I vote.

EDIT: It stinks. I voted no.

[west towns]

Total joke, dog and pony show useless, the circus is in town early however you want to describe it bottom line all for show. I agree if grafetti vandalism and pety crime pan handling still is around the inmates are still in charge of the asylum. Graffiti is happening in 'secure' areas and on the row. Also the panhandling is getting out of hand not only on cta put around metra stations down town esp union with the taxi helpers. If they cant catch these people how neck they going get bad guys. Again good sound bites and or get tough on crime pr.

[Chicagos_D]

I personally feel and agree with BusHunter, this can cross into an invasion of privacy without public knowledge, if the city of Chicago and public transportation has been threatened or not. I would more than likely understand the new procedure better if it was known that our city and mass public transportation is under threat. But without that you are saying that if you don't comply you will be deny your right of way to "public" transportation. Also, they will pick a random number, so if the threat passes by without being picked then that threat is on the 'el' now. But last time I checked the cameras don't produce live feed (correct if I'm wrong please) so then what?

[west towns]

still won't stop a thug from packing a gun or knife on his person. Bad guys can get around this too. Bad guy one goes to station carrying nothing if screening calls texts bad guy two hey use different station wait till I ck it out . One can get around this dog and pony show. It will only make the out of towners from Nebraska feel as if they are part of the 'big' city. Or damn just get on a bus if your a bad guy no one stopping you there

[BusHunter]

If they want to search you and you deny it will you be subject to arrest?. If just denied service what keeps you from leaving the scene and boarding somewhere else. Totally Ineffective. If this is only done for bags in the loop, I hardly ever have a bag downtown. So maybe it will be alright. But does anyone wonder if this will effect the economy downtown? I'd rather buy my stuff where it's safer.

[west towns]

Yeah so people going to ohare and midway can get robbed and panhandlers can hit them up on their ride out of downtown by folks who board outside of the loop. Hello taxis and Go airport shuttles no hassles here great business for them

Or maybe this is a ploy to get business travelers off the CTA and back into taxis?

[west towns]

The bosos. Will probably also set up at ohare to check all those bags fresh off the security lines while they let the bums walk rigjt on by to panhandle. And use the trains as their toilet. Mmmm welcome to chicago

[west towns]

Unless they clean up the bums panhandlers grafetti and stop thr vandalism this is all for show

[Busjack]

The reason is probably all the lone wolf ISIL supporters, like who shot at the Mountie in Ottawa and took out a hatchet on the NY policeman.

It isn't an invasion of privacy any more than an airport search is. or having to stand in the long security line even though you were involuntarily summoned to jury duty (and I bet all of you living in Cook County have been).

However, I doubt that any passenger is going to bomb CTA. If a Tsarnaev boards, nobody is going to notice.

[jajuan]

Total waste of time, and it's all for show. Why now? We're now 13 years after and gone into our 14th year since the attacks of September 11, 2001 and Chicago has rarely been subjected to a credible threat that we've been made aware of during this age of being on heightened alert when necessary and even then this wasn't the response. So what's the motivation behind this foolishness now? If safety were such a concern this would have been the part of Chicago and CTA's response long before now. And I wonder if Emanuel actually thinks this is going to help in the next citywide elections a little less than four months from now. That's right folks we may be in midterm election season, but the aldermen, mayor and other city offices are up for election February 24, 2015.

[4CottageGrove95th]

Total waste of time, and it's all for show. Why now? We're now 13 years after and gone into our 14th year since the attacks of September 11, 2001 and Chicago has rarely been subjected to a credible threat that we've been made aware of during this age of being on heightened alert when necessary and even then this wasn't the response. So what's the motivation behind this foolishness now? If safety were such a concern this would have been the part of Chicago and CTA's response long before now. And I wonder if Emanuel actually thinks this is going to help in the next citywide elections a little less than four months from now. That's right folks we may be in midterm election season, but the aldermen, mayor and other city offices are up for election February 24, 2015.

I know it's just for show. In fact, it's really just plain pathetic. But, I just have to sit back and laugh because Chicago politics has not changed.

[rvwnsd]

Hmm...ISIL (or whatever they call themselves this week) are calling for their members to carry out random acts in their home cities and the consensus is that Chicago faces no threat. Think about the havoc (not to mention the loss of life) blowing up a subway train would cause, particularly if it occurred while crossing under the Chicago River. Chicago is a major financial and transportation center. It is small wonder why it hasn't been targeted yet.

PS: New York City has done random bag screenings for years. Always wondered why Chicago didn't do the same.

[west towns]

The press released mentioned federal funds for this circus act. Another act of safety in the interest of security is when one of the tsa. Viper teams set up in savanna ga amtrak to screen passengers ARRIVING. I read the amtrak police chewed them a new one for showing up with their dog and pony show unannounced. Since then they seem to have been corralled by amtrak police

[west towns]

Another thing they are screening downtown stations and posting they are going to search. So bad guys can just go out to non loop stations and get on or heck ride the bus. In looking back Madrid London have all been in morning with bad people getting on at outlying stations.

[west towns]

We need to protect the system but this is taking a lot of patrols off the system for not any return as bad guys even just the hoodlums will find a way around into the system so what did it prove?

[busfan2847]

Another thing they are screening downtown stations and posting they are going to search. So bad guys can just go out to non loop stations and get on or heck ride the bus. In looking back Madrid London have all been in morning with bad people getting on at outlying stations.

In London they got on the Underground at Kings Cross - a major Main line train station and as close to the center of London you can get by main line train.

[i8itall4u]

Fear and stupidity reighn. It is unlawful to search you without probable cause. We're trying to prevent what could happen. More steaming hot you-know-what from the overlords that gave us duct tape as a defense against attack.

[Busjack]

Fear and stupidity reighn. It is unlawful to search you without probable cause. We're trying to prevent what could happen. More steaming hot you-know-what from the overlords that gave us duct tape as a defense against attack.

This isn't a search. Nobody is opening the bags (if it is merely the sniff, and the sniff may provide probable cause to go further).

And if you are such an authority on Fourth Amendment law, you explain the airport and jury duty searches I mentioned above. Be sure to cite authority.

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

Emanuel defends the bag swabbing, according to the Chicago Tribune.

[Guest]

Chicago politics at its absolute worst!!!

[i8itall4u]

This isn't a search. Nobody is opening the bags (if it is merely the sniff, and the sniff may provide probable cause to go further).

And if you are such an authority on Fourth Amendment law, you explain the airport and jury duty searches I mentioned above. Be sure to cite authority.

Sniff is looking-looking is searching. Who claimed to be an authority on law? It's an opinion Buskack. What's the matter with you?

[Busjack]

Sniff is looking-looking is searching. Who claimed to be an authority on law? It's an opinion Buskack. What's the matter with you?

As you can ask others, don't make a conclusion of law if you don't have the background to do it.

You could have said IMO. You did not. And while there is no such thing as a wrong opinion, per se, one that far from reality as yours isn't worth much credit.

So, what's the matter with you?