Photo by lorigoldberg.

Oh, goody. WTOP’s Adam Tuss got the chance to chat with Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Taborn today. Taborn told Tuss that, in light of the arrest of Farooque Ahmed on terrorism-related charges yesterday, MTP “will definitely look at” conducting random bag checks inside Metrorail stations.

Taborn says he will revisit the idea with the Metro board.

“It could be a quick 15 to 30 second invasion. It doesn’t mean that I am going into your backpack. It could be simply a swab just to make sure that you don’t have explosives on your body, or things of that nature,” says Taborn.

You probably remember the outpouring of negative reaction when Metro announced that they were planning on conducting such searches in 2008. Based on the information available, we’d wager that if the Metro board did give Transit Police the thumbs-up, it would probably work a lot like how it was outlined in 2008 — that is to say, not many people will know when, where or under what criteria (just whenever there is a “heightened” security threat) the searches would happen. Here’s what we wrote then about how the searches would be conducted:

When it’s determined that a team of bag searchers will be deployed to a particular location, Metro Transit Police will pick a random number, let’s say 12, and then stop every 12th person and ask to search through their bag(s). They’ll be looking for explosives, but if they find anything illegal, like drugs, then they will make an arrest. Anyone who refuses to have their bags searched, however, will be allowed to leave with their belongings — they just won’t be allowed to enter the Metro system at the point of search. Bag searches will only take place outside of fare gates, and will not be announced ahead of time. Metro is installing signs outside station entrances informing riders of the potential of searches. Also of note: the searches could also happen at bus stops.

Based on a DCist poll conducted in 2008, nearly 75 percent of readers opposed Metro conducting random searches. Obviously, Taborn telling a reporter that MTP was thinking about instituting searches doesn’t exactly mean that it will happen — Tuss also quotes Metro board chairman Peter Benjamin as saying “everything is working well” — but with such a controversial idea, Taborn had to realize that people would jump all over his statement. Related: perhaps its time to dig that “I do not consent to being searched” shirt out of the closet.