that I'm not a terrorist! Got flagged down at the 53rd & Lex subway station while heading home today to have my bag checked. Actually, it would've surprised me if they DIDN'T check me cause my computer bag was bursting at the seams, about 6 inches deeper than it normally is cause I had crammed my new Canon Digital Rebel XT box (more about this later ;-) into the bag and was in the process of smuggling it home.
So there was basically 3 police officers hanging around a little to the side of the turnstiles. One (the checker) was standing behind a small table while the other 2 (the herders) stood about equidistant on either side, funneling people to the checker. Above them hung a sign saying that they were doing random bag checks. Of course when I came into view, the herder closest to me immediately said, "Check this guy." Was pretty much a quick and painless process. The checker really went out of his way to be friendly. Just asked that I set my bag down on the table and open it. Upon seeing the camera box, asked that I lift it out so he could see what was under it. And that was it. Less than a minute and the guy was quite cordial all the way through.
They were also checking bags down at the World Trade Center PATH station but they didn't bother stopping me then. Probably cause I slipped past on the extreme right side while the checkers were stationed more towards the middle of the rather expansive middle area between the two turnstile rows. Anyhoo, glad to see that the system works. Sorta. ;-p
