Amtrak is armed
Not exactly. A lot has been said the last couple days about the potential of Amtrak allowing unloaded guns to be securely carried in checked baggage -- I want to emphasize the importance of the baggage not being accessible during the trip. Appealing to those passengers who desire to travel with their firearm(s), while not risking the safety of the crew or other passengers, would do well to increase ridership.
The last train robbery in the United States was The Great Dinky Robbery of 1963. During that heist, the guns were loaded with blanks (not that it would matter if someone was pointing what appeared to be a loaded gun at you) and the only property taken was 4 young women as dates for the bandits. The last real train robbery was out in Oregon in 1923. The point of this is that firearms have not been a problem on trains for a very long time. However a post 9/11 world raises it's concerns.
Trains are arguably the safest form of travel not only for passengers, but also for their belongings, securely stowed firearms included. Trains are also not as susceptible to being taken over by a passenger, since trains are on tracks and with PTC (positive train control) due to be in place by 12/31/2015. The airlines are necessarily sensitive and our nation's roads are the site of roughly 34,000 automobile deaths a year, while train passengers are typically insulated from bad drivers, Mother Nature's wrath and other dangers facing our roads and skies.
Allowing unloaded guns in securely checked baggage will not make Amtrak any less safe.
The last train robbery in the United States was The Great Dinky Robbery of 1963. During that heist, the guns were loaded with blanks (not that it would matter if someone was pointing what appeared to be a loaded gun at you) and the only property taken was 4 young women as dates for the bandits. The last real train robbery was out in Oregon in 1923. The point of this is that firearms have not been a problem on trains for a very long time. However a post 9/11 world raises it's concerns.
Trains are arguably the safest form of travel not only for passengers, but also for their belongings, securely stowed firearms included. Trains are also not as susceptible to being taken over by a passenger, since trains are on tracks and with PTC (positive train control) due to be in place by 12/31/2015. The airlines are necessarily sensitive and our nation's roads are the site of roughly 34,000 automobile deaths a year, while train passengers are typically insulated from bad drivers, Mother Nature's wrath and other dangers facing our roads and skies.
Allowing unloaded guns in securely checked baggage will not make Amtrak any less safe.
posted by Peter Gariepy at 11:11 AM
1 Comments:
You are correct, of course, as far as the weapons issue goes. The real purpose for this amendment has nothing to do with perceived constitutional issues, but with the company itself.
Note that the Wicker amendment is an "unfunded mandate" that seeks to force the company to comply with the new rules by 6 months after final passage.
Should Amtrak, whose capital and operating grants are being cut in the same bill, be unable to comply with the mandate, all further federal subsidies will cease.
Given what Congress is doing, this will, undoubtedly, occur.
Which is exactly as the sponsor intended.
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