I see nothing

I hope not to simply write about my commute to work everyday, but I take public transportation and it is a constant source of humor, anger, and head-shaking disbelief.

There are many blogs dedicated to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA or the "T" for short) and all of it's short-comings. This hopefully will not be one of them, but this week started off with a new initiative from the MBTA.

I take a bus and then the subway to get to work. This affords me the full experience of mass transit every single day. The sights, the sounds and the smells. I can honestly say that it is not that bad when it works, but when things are screwed up, say when the temperature varies by 1 or 2 degrees in either direction, it is horrible. And just when you thought "America's first Subway" could not get any worse, along come the terrorists.

The MBTA, acting quickly from the events of 9-11, started a new campaign this week to help combat terrorism. This campaign consists of handing out "If you see something, say something" pamphlets that basically say, "You find the bad guys, because we can't." I feel that I have been deputized and asked to thwart terrorism. Here is some further information directly from the T:

"...you may witness something suspicious, such as a passenger behaving oddly."

Describe "oddly."

They also ask you to be on the look out for:

"suspicious clouds, mists, gases, vapors, odors or seeping fluid."

I am pretty sure I have seen all of these things on more than one occasion while riding the subway. So now instead of reading the Metro, I must pull watch over my fellow riders. If that is the case I am turning everyone in. People eating McDonalds, taking up 2 seats, wearing a backpack in a crowded train. They are all getting reported. It may not be terrorism, but these offenses are certainly crimes against humanity. Or I could just mind my own business and go on my way.