On my (temporary) commute from the suburban paradise to the urban hellhole, there's a vibe not entirely unlike the Starship Troopers movie. Citizen security posters--"If you see something, say something," the panopticon photo "We're looking out for you" as well as enlistment and support the troops posters. On the platforms and the trains there are recorded announcements to keep your eyes peeled for suitcase bombs, the "if you see something, say something" thing and the bags are subject to random search thing.
Today, coming out at a major midtown subway connection, a couple of cops were set up to do backpack searches, with a sign saying you couldn't enter the system if you refused the search. Of course, this is a major connection, so there are about half a dozen other entrances to the system within a block. Those I walked by didn't have a search table set up.
Nobody really pays attention.
IAC, here's thread.
