Posted on 07/08/2005 5:39:47 AM PDT by NathanBookman
Many of us climb onto the train each morning ready to catch a nap, sip coffee or read the paper.
We program ourselves not to look at our neighbors, unless they're gabbing on a cell phone or infringing on our space.
Now, in the wake of Thursday's deadly London train bombings, the CTA is asking us to be aware.
At a news conference Thursday, CTA President Frank Kruesi said the agency was making announcements on trains and buses urging riders to report suspicious activities or abandoned packages by calling 911 or pushing emergency call buttons.
Is this too much to ask of the average rider?
Concern can make a difference. No matter how small we feel as individuals, if everyone took time to look around , it would be worth it.
What if the crew and passengers onboard a Paris-to-Miami flight had ignored Richard Reid? Instead, a group of flight attendants and passengers sprung to action, subduing Reid before he could detonate explosives in his shoe. Thanks to their efforts, the plane wasn't damaged, and Reid is now behind bars.
Would you keep walking if you saw a suspicious box under a bus seat because you were late for a meeting?
What if you later found out the box was a bomb or the suspicious person was a criminal? What if you found out that people were hurt or killed because you were too uninterested to notify authorities?
Would you really be able to live with a "what if" that big?
I wouldn't.
(edited down)
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Make sure that you do not racially profile though. That would be totally uncalled for and make you out as a racist. (sarcasm)
Well, I don't know about the rest of the country, but it is my impression since 9/11 that already vigilant NYers have gotten more so. I'm not sure about NJ, but it may be so. I don't think there are too many people who fail to realize the danger we remain in around here every single day. I am certainly on the lookout for terrorists at all times and have called the FBI on several occaisions.
I hope nobody will be offended, but I'm going to be paying a little extra attention to an arabs I see in such circumstances.
And if you are offended - T.S.
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