New Search Tools Coming To Subway Stop Near You

Though the the NYCLU lawsuit over the subway bag searches continues (closing arguments are set for December 2) the NYPD seems confident enough in winning that it's just dropped a hefty sum of money into purchasing, and training officers to use, high-tech bomb detectors like the ones you see in airports. Which detectors that you see at airports? The ones with the little swab of cloth that gets rubbed on the handles and zippers and then put into a machine (technically it is programmed to detect "traces of homemade peroxide bombs as well as military-grade explosives.").

Initially the NYPD is only using six of the news detectors. Three of the large fax machine size ones (left), which cost around $50K, and three smaller handheld units which cost about $25K. But if everything goes well then eventually these machines should replace most of the hand searches, though obvs if something is detected then a hand search will follow. And as usual, if you don't consent to being searched you can just leave the station. Anyone object to these new additions?

Photograph from the AP via the NYPost.