21 replies to this topic

[MrEd]

Dogs are going to be riding Amtrak between Portland and Seattle for the next couple of weeks.

Amtrak officials say dog patrols will be conducted on trains and at the Seattle King Street Station and Portland Union Station through Sept. 10.

Officials say the police canine teams are part of a national effort to increase patrols and handle random passenger bag inspections, but it is not a response to any threat or incident.

According to Amtrak, Portland is the 15th busiest station in the passenger train system, serving over 618,000 passengers last year. Nearly 616,000 passengers passed through the Seattle station.

link

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

Here it comes, if I wanted my bag inspected I would go get groped and barked at, at the airport

[the_traveler]

According to Amtrak, Portland is the 15th busiest station in the passenger train system, serving over 618,000 passengers last year. Nearly 616,000 passengers passed through the Seattle station.

I guess the extra 2K at PDX is me! (I only went to SEA one time!)

[amtrakwolverine]

Looks like it's time to abandon traveling Amtrak like avoiding flying.

Edited by amtrakwolverine, 26 August 2010 - 04:59 AM.

[OTownDog]

Woof!!

[Railroad Bill]

It just means those carrying "suspicious substances" will have to find another means of travel
As for us, as long as he doesnt slobber on my Amtrak hat, I dont mind those canine snoopers

[Ryan]

Uh, no. That's just as backwards and reactionary as "I won't ride Amtrak because of this".

There's certainly a balance between security and privacy/convince, and it certainly lies somewhere between those two positions.

[MattW]

Having the dogs wander by smelling stuff doesn't bother me. What DOES bother me however is when a dog doesn't alert, doesn't alert a second time, but the people (in this specific case, tsa) still poke through someone's belongings on a fishing expedition [hoping] to justify their existence as an agency. But part of it with me and dogs, is there's a 2nd intelligence there. A goofball can't scan with a scanner and say "we got a hit!" then hide the screen and scream the national security "ssi" BS that tsa likes so much if they are using a dog.

[stlouielady]

There were dogs here in St Louis about a month or so ago, doing random baggage checks. They announced at that time that this would be a nationwide effort, rolling across the country. I for one certainly don't think there is any need for a panic, thinking that Amtrak will soon be going the way of the airlines with having major passenger inspections. Very little, if any, disruption of the daily comings and goings of the passengers here.

[amtrakwolverine]

Unless the dogs are poorly trained and starving like what happened to ALC. The dog went after his left over fish N chips.

[me_little_me]

I think cats would do a better job

They do in the Dining car. I heard one person asking for cat soup but I didn't see it on the menu.

[leemell]

Looks like it's time to abandon traveling Amtrak like avoiding flying.

I wouldn't that a cruise ship then either. They have been used dogs on passengers luggage at POEs since the early eighties. I have personally seen twice, the agents make arrests after the inspection at the customs exit.

Edited by leemell, 26 August 2010 - 05:40 PM.

[George]

My guess is the dogs will be sniffing for explosives, not drugs. Maybe they'll catch both, but I think it's an anti-terrorism measure. Nothing wrong with that, IMHO.

[mercedeslove]

dogs are people too you know! Often more behaved than some people on the train.

[VentureForth]

That wouldn't bother my travels at all. They don't seem to be intrusive; you're not waiting in line to get your groin sniffed by a dog.

On the other hand, this press release is like saying, "Attention drug pushers and bombers - we have dogs sniffing the stations, now, so be sure to pack your [name of vice here] in a can of coffee grounds".

[leemell]

That wouldn't bother my travels at all. They don't seem to be intrusive; you're not waiting in line to get your groin sniffed by a dog.

On the other hand, this press release is like saying, "Attention drug pushers and bombers - we have dogs sniffing the stations, now, so be sure to pack your [name of vice here] in a can of coffee grounds".

Here is why you don't want to do that by a K9 handler:

"While inspecting loads of seized marijuana, I always noticed the smugglers wrapped pounds of pot in elaborate mixtures in an attempt to fool the dogs. I have found pot wrapped in plastic, layered next in mustard, followed by a tinfoil layer, smeared with grease, re-wrapped with more plastic and finally blanketed with scented dryer sheets and dropped into coffee grounds! A cop dog can easily separate all these odors with a few sniffs, and is communicating with his “handler” cop at all times. If the dog could talk, it might say, “I smell plastic, mustard, tinfoil, grease, dryer sheets, coffee, and marijuana!” The dog alerts to the marijuana, and that’s when people get busted."