Here's what happened (quoted from Twitter):
about 8:30 Bag screening at porter mbta. I got pulled. Taking taxi instead @universalhub
about 8:40 No taxis at Porter cab stand. Tried to catch bus, but two plainclothes MBTA police stopped me bc I refused bag screening. Ok. @universalhub
about 8:50 Finally found taxi at Harvard Sq; shouldn't be too late for work.
"Saul", on UH's website (link above) and on Twitter, asked for more detail about being stopped by the MBTA police. I just left the following comment on UH, which I think is being screened (ha!) by the UH moderator: (edit: it's posted now)
So, here's how the encounter with the cops went, and here's my concern about monitoring after I leave the train station.
I was asked to submit to bag screening at Porter MBTA train station, and declined. I left the station and walked off MBTA property: to the taxi stand in the Porter Square shopping center. I looked around and there were no taxis, and I didn't see any coming. I walked to the opposite side of the shopping center from the Porter MBTA station (Elm St, Somerville) and there still weren't any taxis in sight, but the 87 Bus was pulling up.
The bus stopped, people queued up to get in, and I happened to be last in line. Two people coming up the street started calling out "sir, sir!".
I didn't know what they wanted or who they were, so I didn't assume they were talking to me until they were pretty close. One said "can we talk to you, sir?" and I said "I need to catch this bus". They addressed the driver and said "he's all set" and sent the bus away. At which point they asked if I understood the security program. I said I did understand it, but I didn't agree with it, so I preferred not to participate. They said that I could do that, but that this meant I was not allowed on any of the MBTA system. I told them OK, and walked away.
I did not get names. I was thrown because this is the second time I've been followed out of the station for refusing the bag screening. Actually, the last time was almost exactly a year ago (Feb 23, 2010):
http://www.unopposablethumb.com/2010/02/adventures-in-security-theatre.html
When I was followed in 2010, they stopped me on the sidewalk at the subway station, arguably still on MBTA property. This time, they followed me off the property -- not far, but I find it a concern. At any rate, I'm wondering how far off MBTA property they feel they have a right to follow me. Is it until I get to work?
Did they announce themselves as cops?
ReplyDeleteI just posted this to UHub --
They can follow you all they want, but you're under no obligation to talk to them or even acknowledge their presence. They can briefly detain you for questioning if they suspect that you have just committed, or are about to commit, a crime. But again, you're under no obligation to talk to them, answer their questions, and engage them in small talk about the Constitution.
:( It makes me sad to see this still going on. I kind of had hoped they'd stopped since I hadn't seen you post about it in a while.
ReplyDeleteGo you for standing up for your rights!