"How does conducting random searches in the subway help catch any bad guys?"
I'm not for random searches, rather for targeted searches and profiling would help tremendously.
I agree but we both know that grannies and yuppies will end up being the ones searched. I also imagine that this will be used as an excuse to search those who fit a profile of a recreational drug user.
In this case, a guy blowing himself in a crowded subway station can be just as devastating as blowing himself in a subway car. The London bombers haven't killed very many people at all. The bad guys will not be caught or deterred the least bit by the searches.
All this measure does is give the police an excuse to search you. This should be very worrisome to those who love freedom.
The war on drugs has already eroded most of our freedoms - I fear that the war on terrorism will erode the rest.