On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 20:32:31 +0000, Alex wrote:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/...642233,00.html

Commuters face airport-style scans

Rail and London Underground passengers could soon face airport-style
scanning techniques under new anti-terror plans, the transport secretary
revealed today.

Alistair Darling pledged to reduce the risk of another terrorist attack
on London but admitted that security systems on rail networks would
never be as stringent as those in airports.

This whole "initiative" is quite bonkers. Utterly unworkable and
establishes all sorts of silly precedents to make rail travel relatively
unattractive. If suicide bombers wish to kill people there are
thousands of ways they can do it far away from the public transport
system.

I don't particularly like the silly immigration and security
arrangements for Eurostar and the enforced 30 minute check in period. I
appreciate the Channel Tunnel is an obvious target but who would use
Eurostar to blow it up? Far easier to use the Shuttle services.

Thousands of trains cross European borders every week and pass through
important strategic tunnels and there is nothing remotely comparable to
Eurostar's arrangements for using those trains.

The new cameras are programmed to look for suspicious behaviour
patterns, such as one person standing in the same place for a
significant length of time,

Perhaps he should use public transport more often...

Well quite. I wonder if you are suspicious if you stand in the same
place every day at the same time? I mean why would anyone do that?
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!