If there were a list entitled, “What are New Yorkers talking about this week,” I would be shocked if the increased police presence on the subway was not the leading entry. Maybe its because I’ve never seen police officers underground during the day until this week, or maybe its because the station I take home from work has a police-staffed table set up with an ominous warning – MY BAG could be searched. In any case, I don’t like it.

Furthermore, it seems useless. My bag has never been searched – and I have a Strand bag! One of those $5.95 ones that you could stuff anything into; bodies chopped to bits, semiautomatic weapons, pipe bombs …. Is it because I’m the wrong kind of brown person? I’m the wrong shade, hailing from the wrong continent?

This may be the first time in my life that I can actually exploit my race to get out of lines faster, avoid the police and generally create mischief made all the more mischevious because I don’t fit the profile of a perp!

…

What’s the IRA up to these days?