PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Inauguration Security here in Pittsburgh
by Danny P Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2005 at 12:11 PM
dannyp@indypgh.org

Security around the inauguration of George Bush reached all the way to Pittsburgh, where bus riders ended up having to submit to a search of their possessions.

Riders destined for Washington DC from Pittsburgh, PA were forced to consent to a search in order to board they Greyhound bus. A private security company was administering the search, and in one case, the searches led to the bus being delayed over half an hour.

I was on the 5:50am bus out of Pittsburgh, headed for DC. Everyone who got on that bus- including people who were reboarding the bus as they were making a connection in Pittsburgh, had to consent to a screening process in order to get on the bus. The screening process included having to submit to a wand-style metal detector (legs are spread, wand is moved around body) and having all of your bags searched.

The screening process seemed absurd, and one man (who appeared to be Amish) was hassled by the security guards for having a pair of scissors in his possession. Many people were complaining about the unusual security procedures, wondering how it possibly could help make anyone safer.

The procedures ended up delaying the bus over 20 minutes, but the greater inconvienence was to the bus driver. The bus driver was not allowed to leave the bus for a rest stop without having to get everyone off the bus and the bus locked, which she noted was only due to the inauguration. It seemed there was concern that someone would try to smuggle something onto a greyhound bus, and in response greyhound is making their drivers do double duty as some type of security guard.

Anyone preparing to go to Washington, DC via greyhound this week should be aware of these security procedures. Only time will tell who decided that searches like this were necessary, and what their motives truly were.

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