Some Problems Solve Themselves

Chuckles Schumer demands a “Do Not Ride” list for Amtrak

Sen. Charles Schumer is calling for better rail security now that the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound has turned up plans to attack trains in the U.S.

“Anyone, even a member of al-Qaida could purchase a train ticket and board an Amtrak train without so much as a question asked,” Schumer said. “So that’s why I’m calling for the creation of an Amtrak no ride list. That would take the secure flight program and apply it to Amtrak trains.”

Of course, except for the tiny fragment of America living in the congested mid-Atlantic strip, Amtrak is largely on Amerca’s “do not ride” list.  Amtrak is an epic money pit.

In vast swathes of the US, terrorists would be the only person on an Amtrak train.

This should really help!

10 thoughts on “Some Problems Solve Themselves

  1. When I saw Schmucky’s request I had the same reaction, Amtrak has been on my own personnel “Do Not Ride List” for years.

  2. Pingback: Schumer demands “Do Not Ride” list for Amtrak after OBL intel « Hot Air

  3. Chuckles needs to realize that you don’t have to be on the train to crash the train (rails are the exposure.)

  4. Pingback: Senator Proposes “No-Ride” List For Rail

  5. Question: If an Amtrak train were blown up by terrorists, would it still be late?

  6. Schumer is a typical Democrat who applies two-dimensional thinking to every issue. A terrorist doesn’t even have to be on the train to blow it up. Trains ride on these things called “tracks” which stretch out across long distances. One well placed charge and the job is done. Just ask the French resistance in WWII.

    We are being led by morons and buffoons.

  7. I know some hard-core rail supporters (I am a somewhat luke warm one…and getting less so all the time) and they are all hard core left. They were also into weird conspiracy theories about President Bush and the “nazi police state” he formed while President.

    Can’t wait to ask them about Chuckie Schumers proposal. A no-ride list for Amtrak? Why, that is just like Hitler did!! (mocking their words about anything President Bush did)

  8. Also shows how ignorant Chuck is. He has no idea that trains exist east of NYC-DC.

    A no-fly list checked at every station? As someone who has ridden out of the Twin Cities on several occasions, most of the riders are old folks, college kids, and Amish. (we won’t talk about the Chicago drug dealers running drugs from Chicago to Winona, Red Wing and St Paul).

    So when the train stops at Tomah, and the Amish get on…Sir, you say your name is “Hans Hochstedler”, but you do not have a valid drivers license, so I cannot let you on.

  9. As usual, I’m puzzled. If a “no-ride” list is appropriate for Amtrak — and, just for the sake of argument, I’ll take Schumer’s word that it is, for the next few seconds — wouldn’t it also be an equally good idea for a heavily-used heavy rail system, like the NYC subway? I can’t see how putting all passengers through airport-style screening at every subway entrance to check IDs and grope for weapons would inconvenience anybody…

    … who never uses the NYC subway system.

  10. This reminds me of a story a former colleague told me – In November 2001, as the country ‘got back to normal’ a month or so after 9/11, my colleague, who was a regional trouble shooter for the company based in Atlanta, was asked by his boss why he hadn’t been traveling by air very much lately. When my colleague responded that he was concerned about the new hassles of flying and terrorism, but mostly the terrorism, his boss replied “Geez, Bill, you have nothing to worry about. You fly Air Tran (the former Valu-Jet). Even the terrorists are afraid to fly them”. I don’t think Schumer is concerned that terrorists will kill people. He’s worried about terrorists killing the wrong kind of people.

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