Metro Bag Searches: Waste of Time?

WASHINGTON - Inconvenience or another step towards bolstering security? There's been plenty of debate whether random bag searches on Metro would be worth the time, or a waste of it.

Polly Hanson, Metro's assistant general manager for Safety, Security and Emergency Management, thinks there is merit behind the idea.

"There's a recent study out by the Mineta Institute that suggests that the use of bag searches in transit is a good deployment strategy, a good deterrent," said Hanson. "Certainly that is something that we would be interested in discussing and ready to do if and when the appropriate time comes to do that."

Metro's Board of Directors would have to endorse any plan to enact bag searches, something they have shied away from in the past. Some say it would slow down the subway system with minimal success.

However, there are similar programs in place in both New York City and Boston. Privacy advocates in those cities have been defeated by court cases which say the searches do not violate the U.S. Constitution in any way and are a minimal invasion of privacy.

Hanson says the searches in the D.C. Metro system would take about a minute and probably wouldn't be that big of a change for riders.

"You go to Disney World, you go to Six Flags, you go to Busch Gardens, people have their bags searched if they go to the Verizon Center. People are pretty used to the routine, so it isn't anything that would be different than what people regularly experience."

Metro does have a team that is trained in bag searches. In addition, they have received customer service training to better deal with passengers. But they have not been given the green light to begin the searches.

"We do have a plan, we think it is a good plan and we would be ready to implement that plan," said Hanson.

September is National Preparedness Month, and Metro is encouraging riders to be prepared in the event of an emergency. The threat has intensified in the last few days due to the foiled terror plot in Germany.

"We want riders to be ready. We want them to make choices and we want them to make alternate plans," said Hanson.

For more information on how Metro is participating in National Preparedness Month, click here.

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