Warsaw metro to ban Metro
The Warsaw subway operators have announced that all racks that are used to distribute free papers in or near the Metro stations have to be removed soon. The racks are operated by the Polish Metro (Agora) who pays a fee for the racks.
Reason is according to the authorities that the racks could be used for other purposes (terrorist attacks?) and might get in the way if the subway has to be evacuated.
As all newspaper racks are open and accessible and anybody can see what’s in it, they do not seem to be a very obvious place to hide a bomb. In most subway stations racks are not in walking corridors or before doors – but that might be different in Warsaw. The obvious thing would be moving them if they are in the wrong place.
Complaints about free papers in subway or train stations were mostly about waste (London) or even fires and floods (New York) but that they would be removed as a tactical move in the war on terror is probably new.
January 10th, 2008 at 11:36 am
[...] Free newspapers are to disappear from Warsaw’s underground system after transport officials there decided to remove distribution racks for Polish Metro, which is published by Agora. The authorities say the racks pose a safety hazard, writes free newspaper expert Piet Bakker on on his blog, Newspaper Innovation. [...]