Write to Kalikow, Subway Bomb Detectors and Subway Footsie

- Last Friday we got a reminder from the Straphangers Campaign to email or fax questions to MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow as he'll be answering questions from the public in the Daily News (email AskKalikow@nydailynews.com or fax 212-643-783). We doubt our suggested question of "Why are you such a terrible leader who demoralizes not just the unions, but riders as well with your poor decisions?" or "Are you deliberately trying to sabotage the MTA's credibility?" will be submitted to him (we probably have to frame the question differently) but maybe you'll have better luck.

- Bless dear ol' Senator Charles Schumer. As Room 8 noted last week, the man has a busy schdule, what with meetings, duties as the Senator in charge of "recruitment and support of new Senate candidates," and various press appearances saying how terrible the feds are to shaft NY. And now, amNew York reports, he is proposing that the MTA install bomb detection systems on subway cars. No matter that the technology hasn't been implemented anywhere yet and his amendment for its research funding was quashed, Schumer loves the idea of bomb detectors that are similar to smoke detectors. We agree the current system of searches isn't working, but we wonder what happens if the devices were sounded - would the train system shut down completely? The next generation of detection equipment - whatever it may be - needs to be swift and at the subway entrances.

- Our readers are debating the ticket given to a subway rider whose foot was propped up on another seat at 4:30AM. All we can think is "ticket quota."

- And right now, authorities are evacuating a train in Queens (Broad Channel at Beach 67th Street - at the end of the A line) that had stalled due to a power outage. We're hearing that the NYPD Aviation team will be asking news choppers to scram because rescue teams can't hear what's going on!

Photograph of subway platform sign from NYCviaRachel on Flickr