Ausweis, bitte

Okay, I know it's 2004 and we're all supposed to be afraid of the brown people who hate our president and want to kill us all, but I still shake my head at the continuing erosion of civil liberties and the destruction of the nice country I once lived in. The Boston Globe has been reporting this weekend that the MTBA may begin stopping random passengers for ID. Are they going to kick people off the trains who are trying to commute to work because they forgot their wallet?

Why not just cut to the chase and implant microchips so we can track everyone's use of this public utility?

In Hamburg, Germany, I would get asked to routinely provide notice of who I was on the trains. But that was a yearly boarding pass with my photo attached, and I could otherwise just walk straight from street to platform to train car without turnstiles. The ID check was really just verifying that I paid to be there, and people were always caught trying to ride for free.

Side rant: the cliche was true... German public transit ran on time. In Boston, I missed trains because they were early all the time. I often would have to wait at least a half hour for the next one, and almost always then be late for something.

The subtitle on the full article says it all about where this is doomed to go, too: "But raise concerns on racial profiling".

Guh.

Boston.com / News / Local / Mass. / T riders say they'll accept security stops

T riders say they'll accept security stops
But raise concerns on racial profiling
By Peter DeMarco, Globe Correspondent | May 23, 2004

Subway riders interviewed yesterday said they won't mind if MBTA officials conduct random identification checks this summer as long as the increased security measures don't become a substantial inconvenience or raise the specter of racial profiling.

"As long as it's quick and short, it doesn't bother me," said Tom Reardon, an accountant from Dorchester, at the JFK/UMass stop. "But I don't think they should deny anyone a ride. Anyone can forget their license."

Mea Johnson, 26, an African-American student, said she didn't want to be stopped "just because I'm a minority."

"But if there was a situation where it seemed appropriate, if there is a real threat, and not just them asking whenever they want," she said, "then sure."

Just when transit police will begin identification checks, and to what extent they will be asking riders to show driver's licenses or some other form of identification, remains unclear.

MBTA police officers have been training with State Police troopers from Troop F at Logan International Airport, who are experienced in identification checks, officials said. Some riders have reported that they were asked for identification while boarding trains at South Station as part of a training program.

MBTA officials, however, would not comment yesterday on particular facets of any security measures planned this summer.

Instead, in a statement issued yesterday, authority officials said only that transit officers working with State Police are being trained "to detect whether the actions of one or more individuals indicate any level of risk or threat to the transit system and, where necessary, take steps in response to the observed behavoir."

US Representative Stephen F. Lynch, a South Boston Democrat, said, to his knowledge, federal officials have issued only "vague" directives to transit agencies on conducting identification checks.

"I've heard it's one measure they're considering. But it's very general at this point," he said.

On Friday, Lynch filed legislation calling for an additional $4.5 billion to increase rail security nationwide, which he says is woefully inadequate.

He did, however, praise MBTA officials for "being ahead of the curve" in terms of security measures, noting that scores of transit officers are training with the State Police in preparation for this summer's Democratic convention.

Some non-citizens, including Alejandro Alcaras, 20, a Cambridge College student from Mexico, questioned whether they would need to start carrying passports with them on rides.

Other riders, however, said they always carry identification with them anyway and felt that it would be no bother to show it.

"We're over in Iraq now. Who's to say [a terrorist] won't come over here to cause havoc?" asked Bob Fuller, of Stoughton.

"It would be an inconvenience," said Mark Giglio, 16, of Newton. "But maybe a necessary inconvenience."

Posted by rick at May 23, 2004 07:03 PM | More Rantings and Ravings