GOP LOCKDOWN LOOMS - NYPD, Secret Service spar on subway closing (Dumb Move Alert!)

NY Daily News ^ | 4/1/04

[areafiftyone]

New York may stop in its tracks the night President Bush accepts his party's nomination in Madison Square Garden.

While Bush is in the convention center Sept. 2, the Secret Service wants all Amtrak, NJTransit and Long Island Rail Road Service to cease, the Daily News has learned.

For now, the six subway lines that run alongside the Garden on Seventh and Eighth Aves. will remain open but won't stop at 34th St., government officials told the News.

There is still debate whether to demand the subway lines also be fully halted when Bush takes the stage that Thursday, the last day of the four-day GOP convention.

The New York Police Department, which is working with the Secret Service, denied any final decisions had been made.

"Obviously, we have added more protection to Penn Station and we are working closely and daily with the Secret Service," said NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne.

"But the station will be open and no major arteries will be closed," said Browne, the department's top spokesman.

"New York City will be open for business," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly told the Daily News.

At City Hall, an aide said of the rail stoppage plan, "We are adamantly opposed to this."

The scrum over New York security emerged as officials in Boston revealed they plan to close two transit hubs for a full week, starting three days before the start of the Democratic Convention on July 23.

The convention is being held in the FleetCenter, which shares a building with North Station.

The worries over the rail lines and convention safety come a few weeks after train bombings in Madrid killed 191 people.

[areafiftyone]

I know people are going to flame me but I think this is a stupid move on the Secret Service's part. This will create a communter nightmare and make many NYers very angry with Bush besides give more fodder to all the protestors who will be there. NYers depends totally on its transit system. To shut it down would be a disaster!

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[oceanview]

what time does he speak? like 9:30 at night?

I thinks its needed for security. commuters can leave the city early.

Bush has no chance to win NY anyway.

[glorgau]

I have to agree that this would be a stupid move. Have George show some guts. If there was a terrorist incident, the righteous fury of Americans would dwarf out present efforts.

[freeperfromnj]

As a commuter into Penn Station, I will agree that this is a dumb move. How are New Jersey Transit, Long Island Railroad, Amtrak and subway riders from 4 different lines supposed to get to work?

[Huck]

He should ride the subway TO the convention! That would be BOFFO!

[Salgak]

So ? New York is solidly Kerry territory anyway. . .

[oceanview]

and I will also add: I was in NJ the night Al Gore had the entire southbound garden state parkway shutdown south of the raritan so he could get to Bon Jovi's house for a fund raiser. I have never seen anything like it. Not a word from the media, and Gore won NJ by a landslide.

[freeperfromnj]

like 9:30 at night?

If that's the case, we can deal with it. If it's during rush hour it will be a nightmare.

[knarf]

And the alternative would be?

[areafiftyone]

The problem is they want to shut down the subway under Penn Station too. That is not good. The NYC subway runs 24 hours and alot of people work different shifts. NYC is a 24 hour city it would still be a diaster.

[JimRed]

If there was a terrorist incident, the righteous fury of Americans would dwarf out present efforts.

Worst case, under what leadership?

[txhurl]

Don't forget that Hillary assured us that 'outside forces' would 'swing the election one way or another'.

[areafiftyone]

If he did that I would make sure I was there to give him a hearty welcome. :-) I would love that but it would never happen.

[LurkedLongEnough]

Or - President Bush could parachute in, landing on top of the Marriott Marquis in Times Square!

[oceanview]

it depends on how long they shut it down, just during the speech? for the whole day?

well in any case, I was one of the people who thought the convention should have been in Orlando.

[Alberta's Child]

It is my intention to be as far away from Manhattan for the duration of the convention -- in fact, I'm preparing to schedule a vacation at that time.

Getting around this city is bad enough on a normal day -- I have no interest in dealing with this sh!t under a lock-down situation.

[CasearianDaoist]

They can block the streets but not the subway. That is an extremely bad move. There will be no way for people to get around. The convention will suck up the cabs, and the fares are so high these days anyway that New Yorkers do not ride them like they used too.

There has got to be a better way.

[oceanview]

good point. even a fake attack would generate chaos, somebody releasing gas or a "white powder" someplace in the penn station complex. there is no way to secure that entire place when its open to the public.

[swarthyguy]

Cancel both the conventions.

Superflous and a waste anyway, voting can be via secure web tools as needed.