Passengers And ACLU Critique Random Baggage Checks

Kathy Wilens/AP

WASHINGTON (WUSA) — There’s more fallout from Metro’s plan to randomly screen passenger’s bags for explosives.

The ACLU calls random screening ineffective and intrusive and is considering legal action if Metro ignores its request to stop.

Lots of riders are skeptical, too. In an unscientific poll, we talked to a whole lot of people getting on and off Metro at Dupont Circle and found very few who thought randomly searching bags was an effective way to fight terrorism.

Metro has a video on its website showing how the process works. It involves a swab and a ionization machine. Only if the scanner and an explosive detection dog alert on your bag will officers go through your belongings.

But the plan is already close to provoking a passenger revolt. “I think it’s ridiculous, all this stuff,” said one rider.

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