Sen. Charles Schumer Proposes to Expand Amtrak's Already Amazingly Effective "No-Ride List" to Even More People

You've got to kind of love Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). When he isn't threatening government regulation of the breakfast cereal industry, trying to ban Four Loko and Joose, working to ban knock-offs in the fashion industry, wanting to tax overseas call centers, attempting to censor video games, pressuring smart phone makers to drop totally legal apps that list DUI checkpoints…what was I talking about again?

Oh yeah, Schumer's latest crusade: Reducing Amtrak's passenger pool even more than the national passenger rail carrrier has managed to do in 40 years of money-losing operation:

A senator on Sunday called for a "no-ride list" for Amtrak trains after intelligence gleaned from the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound pointed to potential attacks on the nation's train system.

Sen. Charles Schumer said he would push as well for added funding for rail security and commuter and passenger train track inspections and more monitoring of stations nationwide….

He called on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to expand the Secure Flight monitoring program, which cross-checks air travelers with the terror watch list in an attempt to prevent anyone on the "no-fly list" from boarding, for use on Amtrak.

Such a procedure would create an Amtrak "no-ride list" to keep suspected terrorists off the U.S. rail system, he said.

More here. (Hat tip: Aresen)

Reason's Peter Bagge cartoon essay "Amtrak Sucks."

Schumer makes a cameo in this Reason.tv video about caffeinated alcoholic beverages, "Buzz Bowl":