Well, that clinches it. I will not be able to go to DC again.
I grew up in MD, so trips to The District were regular, and fun. The Monuments, the Smithsonian Museums, Marine Barracks DC (home of the Silent Drill Platoon; amazing show!) etc. I really like visiting DC. But the ONLY way to do it is on the Metro. Driving in DC, muchless parking there, is close enough to impossible to even bother trying.
If I'm gonna get strip searched airport style on the Metro, I'll just add that to the list of places I won't go.
My guess, and it's just that, is that it will be very limited in where and how it is applied around here.
DC is an incredibly large target, and absolutely precautions should be taken to avoid crime and terrorism. However, I imagine that the TSA as an organization isn't stupid when it comes to its own self interest. Everyday various metro stops, including Union Station, see tens of thousands of congressional staffers, federal court staffers, administrative agency staffers, visitors, and tourists who are going to be stopping by their elected official's offices.
While that makes for a huge security issue that needs to be addressed by someone, if the TSA makes everyday travel for those people a hassle then they're running the risk of ticking off a lot of people who can give the TSA headaches they really don't want.
So, while this is just a guess, I'm not sure that the TSA will be bringing airport style security to the metro anytime soon.
