Security scanners to be used at all railroad stations across the United Kingdom checking passengers for those dangerous sharp and pointy things called knives; those evil things that can attack people.
The Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling, said trials in London of metal detectors to detect weapons such as knives had been "extremely successful". He told the BBC's Sunday AM programme that the technology would be employed at stations in other cities including Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Cardiff.
It can then only be assumed that soon travel on the railroads will have the same check-in times as have airports making public transport even less an option for people going about their legitimate business traveling from one part to another in the country.
The trial at Tube and train stations in London, known as Operation Shield, has been running for two months. British Transport Police officers with stop-and-search powers and sniffer dogs use mobile airport-style scanners to check passengers.
The Conservative homeland security spokesman, Patrick Mercer, welcomed the move, but said detecting potential bombers should be a top priority.
What beats me on this is how this is going to solve any problems such as terrorism? When was the last time anyone heard of a train being hijacked with the use of knives? Unless they have scanners able to detect explosives it will be rather difficult to do anything about bombers. Yet another move in the UK to have anyone carrying a knife made into a criminal, basically. I know, there are some police officers in the high ranks who have said that they cannot see a reason for any person to carry a knife on them as there would be no uses for a knife that they could think of.
Maybe someone should educate those morons. A knife is a tool and not a weapon, primarily, and anything can be used as a weapon if one would so desire, even a humble walking stick or a rock. A knife is not a evil instrument, as so often portrayed - in the same way as guns are being portrayed as such - but it is the use handling the knife or the gun who is either good or evil in his or her intent and use of the instrument.
Patrick Mercer, the Conservative homeland security spokesman further stated: "We welcome any attempt to lessen crime on our transport system, but the fact remains that 53 people were killed in the London bombings last year and we currently have no equipment of any sort anywhere in England that can detect explosives," he said.
"There has been one brief trial, on one line, and there are further trials planned, but these are the sort of measures that should have been started in September 2001, not almost six years later."
So, there you have it. We do not even have the technology to sniff out bombs and, if they stop a determined suicide bomber with explosives in a backpack or bag or on his body and he detonates it there and then, what then? Then you still have an incident that potentially could kill and injure tens if not hundreds. The truth is the target is people carrying knives and not bombers and it will be the ordinary person with a knife on them who will fall foul of this operation.
© Veshengro, April 3, 2006
