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December 5, 2005
ACLU loses over bag searches
Most of the readers around here are NYC residents and regular subway riders. Therefore, by know you should all be aware of the easily circumvented bag searches that go on in the subway. They check one in five riders, supposedly at random, and if you decline, you can leave no questions asked. Millions of innocent riders give up a bit of dignity and privacy, but a criminal or terrorist merely finds another way to enter the station.
The NY ACLU has been fighting this policy since the NY PD implemented it this summer. They just lost their first round in federal court, and they will be appealing. The judge felt that ""The risk of a terrorist bombing of New York City's subway system is real and substantial,"" that may be so, but this isn't going to do anything to stop that from happening, so why put up with this nonsense?
You can find a helpful guide to refusing searches at Flex Your Rights.
Posted by OneEyedMan at December 5, 2005 9:55 AM
Comments
Man I hate this showboat security stuff. For some reason people feel like having rights taken away increases security ALL BY ITSELF. I don’t really understand this at all, but it seems to be a common mistake.
While its true that often for more security you must give up some rights, and for more rights you must give up some security, it is possible to loose both at the same time. (for instance, if poorDatabaseSecurity.com requires your SSN to register for there newsletter, and prints it on there front page. Now you have lost your right to privacy, and you are less secure from identity theft.
Two related articles can be found here:
http://wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,69712,00.html
http://www.papersplease.org/davis/index.html
Posted by: giblfiz ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.belligerati.net/nav-commenters.gif)
at December 6, 2005 11:50 AM
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