Yeah I am serious. I care less about perceptions than reality, especially those infantile perceptions of Muslim fanatic terrorists that seem to defy commen sense. If this threat is real and time-critical, better to act aggressively to thwart it while advising people of the real possibility that if they come here and use the subway they might be killed, then to say (perhaps falsely) that we'll protect you, don't be worried, we're just posting this elevated warning to protect ourselves from possible recriminations later.
You just don't get it. I'm done.