Washington metro on high alert after latest wave of bomb attacks

It appears that everything goes on as normal as usual on Washington's metro system.

Without visible police presence, passengers at the Courthouse metro station were doing what they are used to do-- reading books or newspapers, listening to MP3 with earphones, or chattering withfriends.

No one seemed to be nervous, although the media kept telling horrifying stories of the bomb attacks.

"I am not scared. I have faith in the authorities' ability to secure the transit system," George, a thirty-something government employee said.

However, the young man, who refused to give his first name, disclosed his real thoughts as the conversation went on.

"This (the bombing) is one of the things you can't foresee or prevent. If it does happen, that is the destiny. But after all, we need to do what we should do as usual," said George, who is among the over-700,000 commuters taking the metro every workday.

On the metro train, a loudspeaker reminded everybody that if anyone spotted an unattended bag or package, he or she should report to the authorities immediately.

Passengers reacted indifferently to the warning. However, newspaper reports revealed the tension behind the seemingly calmness.

On Friday, a schoolbag left by a careless child on one of the Washington metro trains alerted the passengers immediately. The train was cleared and the bag was checked by security officers.

A local newspaper said that the incident showed the Washington commuters are in fact vigilant.

But this kind of vigilance is hardly visible on the metro system. Even at the Metro Center station, where three metro lines meet and key government offices sit nearby, there is no unusual safeguarding in sight.

Only two policemen were found standing beside an elevator, closely watching the flow of passengers and occasionally talking through earphones.

They said what they know is to secure this area, nothing else to tell.

The reason for no visible extra security measures, is because that they are "beyond the sight," hinted the policemen.

Not surprisingly, Kym MacMillan, a housewife, also said she wasnot so much worried about possible attacks.

"You know, this is Washington, where security is most tightened. But you can never see them (the measures)," she said.

In fact, as media reports showed, security enhancement for metro has already been in process in an almost unseen way.

The entire metro transit police force of Washington, with assistance from several federal security agencies, has "combed" the whole metro system including trains, rails, tunnels and ventilation outlets throughout Thursday night, according to Saturday's The Washington Post

The operation found nothing dangerous, the report said.

Metro transit police chief Polly Hanson said she is consideringfollowing New York in the idea of selectively checking bags of passengers.

The capital's metro authority is also seeking a 100-million-US dollar budget from the federal government to make comprehensive improvement of the metro security system.

Source: Xinhua