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In the wake of the London blasts, Mayor Bloomberg took the subway after arriving from Singapore, in an effort to show New Yorkers that mass transit was safe. Today, there is supposedly at least one police officer on each train (no word on whether they can pass between cars), as security overall has been stepped up all over the region and country. Helicopters are flying above, bomb-sniffing dogs are on patrol and machines guns are being toted around. The NYPD and MTA are reminding people to say something if they see something - suspicious packages and the like. How was your commute last night and this morning?
Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton are taking the chance to draw attention to the lack of funding for non-airline transportation security. City Councilman John Liu, who heads the council's transportation committee, is criticizing the MTA's lack of progress in upgrading security. Newsday wonders if a London-style attack could happen. The truth is that ever since the Madrid train bombings and even the sarin gas bombings in Tokyo, it's pretty clear that these attacks can happen.
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I didn't see a single cop on the F train yesterday from 2nd Avenue to Rock Center. Nowhere on the platforms, nowhere on the trains. Not even at 34th. This was at noon. Ridiculous.
I didn't see a single cop on the F train yesterday from 2nd Avenue to Rock Center. Nowhere on the platforms, nowhere on the trains. Not even at 34th. This was at noon. Ridiculous.
Bowling Green in the AM.
Was greeted with dogs, submachine guns, flack jackets, more cops and the press.
Ironically later that evening it seemed they were all down town, near wall street to 'assist' with a Denzel Washington movie.
Go figure.
There was definitely tension this morning. I go between spring and 28th on the 6, which isn't really a high-risk stretch, and a lot of people spent the ride looking around uncomfortably and suspiciously. The spring st. station had 2 cops. I didn't see any when I exited at 28th.
I didn't notice any extra security on the 4/5 or in the station this morning. Maybe I'm just so used to seeing cops in the subways that they're blending into the background, like the musicians and the homeless. I didn't even think about precautions once I got on the train. I listened to music and wrote e-mails on my Blackberry like I usually do. I guess that makes me a bad citizen.
Do we want cops and bomb sniffing dogs everywhere? Is this not heading towards a police state? I know we must heighten security, but is there another way to do this?
How Opportune for the republicans! ever notice how all the bad terrorist things (i.e anthrax) happen at times when support for the war is flagging? why didn't they bomb during the republican convention when Bush was saying how safe it was during his administration? NO sirree, they bomb when G8 leaders are posturing to give aid to the poor in africa? when tony blair is allegedly pumping up the aid to 50 billion dollars while the rest of the g8 leaders are against it. As a political move for Al Queda it is so dumb. iT'S LIKE BEATING UP LITTLE KIDS. HOW DOES THIS GARNER SYMPATHY? IT DOESN'T MAKE PEOPLE AFRAID OF TERRORIST JUST MORE DEPENDENT ON THE GOVERNMENT. PRETTY CONVENENENT BOMBING eh! makes you wonder. THINK ABOUT WHO THIS BENEFITS. IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T BENEFIT AL QUEDA.
Evan, I'm pretty sure they were at Bowling Green for a previously-scheduled terror drill. I think I read that in the NYT.
Denzel Washington, huh? So that's what all the production crew was down there for.
This morning I saw plenty of police presence along the G and A/C lines.. cops on platforms and in trains.
Definately a lot of cops around, I sat next to one on the 1 this morning. He was wearing a bright blue vest that said "POLICE" on it, so that was a bit of a tip-off.
The 1 was packed with cops going uptown from Times Square. There were riding in every car and there were 3-4 of them on each platform as we rode by.
The 1 was packed with cops going uptown from Times Square at around 7:50 this morning. They were riding in every car and there were 3-4 of them on each platform as we rode by.
Funny that "lynn" and "janice" both said exactly the same thing.
I haven't heard htis mentioned anywhere yet and pending findings about how the bombs went off time will tell but... I saw mention that people in the Tube were able to use their cell phones, which might mean there is a network set up underground there for them (anyone?). This is not true of NY. If I remember right it was cell phones that were used on the Spain trains and may have been here in London as well. Seems like another (besides relative annoyances) why cellpnone networks in the NY subways are a bad idea.
Can you imagine if a bomb went off on a subway car and the doors at either end were locked because of the new MTA rules? If the subway was stopped between stations, it would be a massacre. If anything could get the MTA to change this stupid rule, it should be this.
There was at least one undercover cop on the NRW line yesterday, he was plainclothed but greeted uniformed officers after getting out and had a radio.
They are suggesting bombs may have used timers, which would be a lot easier than setting off via cellphone.
Actually, someone said that the bombs couldn't have been triggered by cell phone, since the Tube doesn't have cell phone coverage.
The MTA isn't locking end doors, they're just proposing a rule which would fine you for using them without a good excuse. This wouldn't be enforced anyway, it would probably just be used as a defense in a lawsuit if someone gets injured/killed passing between cars: "Look, we have a rule against it!"
Didn't notice any cops on my 1 train from 72nd to 181st yesterday or today. But there were two officers outside the 72nd St. entrance (south side of the street) standing around chatting and half-blocking the only open doorway into the station.
Incidentally, the description in the first paragraph (helicopters, machine guns, "see something, say something") feels a lot like when I lived in London in the 90s.
What do you know... Mikey's wearing his shirt in this photo op, too. Don't the boy ever loosen up?
"I go between spring and 28th on the 6, which isn't really a high-risk stretch, and a lot of people spent the ride looking around uncomfortably and suspiciously."
As opposed to the other times on the NYC Subway where everyone is carefree and happy?
Not to disparage fears, but let's just realize that riding the Subway has never been comepletely tension free. Weirdos. iPod zombies. Weridos who want the iPod zombies iPod.
I hope nothing happens here in NYC, but I think there is a greater chance of getting hit by a car than ending up in the middle of a Subway terrorist attack.
It's a day late, doncha think?
If AQ had assets in place to bomb the NYC transit, doncha think that would have coordinated with yesterday's bombing?
Jack: What I meant is that in the AM people are usually engrossed in their books/papers/music, or zoned out because they haven't woken up yet....not actually paying attention to what's going on around them, which I noticed this morning.
Rest assured i did not mean that people on my route are usually chatting it up and doing cartwheels down the aisles.
"It's a day late, doncha think?
If AQ had assets in place to bomb the NYC transit, doncha think that would have coordinated with yesterday's bombing?"
I wish people wouldn't shoot their mouths off like this. You're clueless. Police officers were deployed and placed on high alert the minute the NYPD command center knew what had happened in London. Officers were dispatched to subway stations and were performing extended duty to patrol stations and trains. This was on Thursday. On Friday, obviously, things were stepped up even more.
So there wasn't anything "late" about it. The response was adequate and well prepared.