Personally I don't care. And I tell you why... I saw what was left of people after 9/11 and if that stupid back pack search will prevent somebody from detonating a pipe bomb on the tracks than I'm all for it. I'm on the brain detail in NYC and I don't feel like pulling bodies from the tracks. I worked few suicides in the tunnels and it wasn't a nice experience. If you tell me that your freedom is more important I will be more than happy to give you rubber gloves, flashlight and send you down trying to match somebody’s arm, to a torso and than account for ten fingers that maybe got mixed up or got partially eaten by rats. A bum with burning shopping cart disabled NYC Subway system for a day and closed part of the line for next 2 years. Imagine what a well placed bomb can do.

Now I also do understand that such search leaves a lot of room for abuse (aka TSA). Also even a silly thing like somebody with a dime bag in his pocket becomes a problem. But from another point of view crime rate will go down. Not everyone is privileged enough to carry a badge that gives you some immunity. But what are you carrying in your backpack that you don’t want to disclose? Terrorists are not going to blow up a 7 am bus in Wisconsin but 7 am bus in Times Sq. Also by buying MTA token for a ride you are technically on their ground therefore you agree to their rules. Again I will repeat that searches leave a lot of room for abuse and on Oprah commercials will run about lawyers being more than happy to handle “if you've been searchw rongfully you have a right to compensation”. Maybe it’s time to do something for the greater good and suffer.

But NYC Transit System is a vulnerable point. It is a miracle that nobody did anything yet.

The thing is that when you face Mrs. Smith to tell her that her boy is dead because somebody’s personal freedom was more important that her son’s life don’t expect her to understand. I learned to value a human life and I do believe that in order to do the right thing you don’t have to save thousands. It all starts with one life. If that search finds one bomb, one handgun that’s at least one life saved and that’s good enough to me.