This is utterly insane. What is going on here? Truly, this is sounding like Nazi Germany or Cold War Soviet Union. Someone must put a stop to this. There is no excuse for this security overkill. The worst thing about it? Totally ineffective at deterrence. Nothing these robots can do will stop a determined terrorist, and the likelihood of a determined terrorist dropping in on the new LRT in the form of a young rider is so obscure as to create a caricature of these guys, if the whole idea wasn't so dangerous to the preservation of Constitutional freedoms.
Ms. Palandri, I can only assume your skin resembles that of the Indian sub-continent. - or of any number of Arabic nations. I would be willing to bet that this guy was checking the tickets only of people with skin betraying origins other than Northern European. This is racist harassment at its worse and most blatant, all by way of degrading people of color in front of white folks and causing undue divisions among diverse communities - for no real reason whatsoever. No excuses, no lies. Just racism and harassment. Disgusting...and time for action - now. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul -- on 8/8/04 9:26 PM, Gina Palandri wrote:> > > After all my issues with the continual parking saga I decided to ride > the train downtown. On the way back I made a strange observation and I > just want to know if I am the only one that thinks its weird. On the > way back a very heavily armed militia-like metro transit cop came thru > the train. Not just your average metro transit cop; but armed with > several weapons. Like full riot gear. A bright yellow Tazzer gun ( who > thinks of these weapons?), and all the other possible extras. Things I > would of liked my GI-Joes to have when I was growing up in the 60's. As > I was shocked at the militia feel of all of this; he asked to see our > tickets. Not everyone just a few people. Now granted we want the > trains safe. But if hes checking peoples tickets isn't that a waste of > all this gear. I mean the double-duty of guarding and checking tickets > seems so odd to me. And the full riot gear seems a bit over the edge of > the Hiawatha Line. I was just sort of miffed by the whole visual. I > mean would you think a ticket guy might just check tickets and a big > guard armed guy, should be I guess guarding the LRT?? > Gina Palandri > Standish REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
