Chuckie Schumer: We Need a "No-Ride List" for Amtrak. America: We're Already Not Riding

Sen. Chuckie Schumer is trying to get in front of the parade once again:

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.

“Circumstances demand we make adjustments by increasing funding to enhance rail safety and monitoring on commuter rail transit and screening who gets on Amtrak passenger trains, so that we can provide a greater level of security to the public,” the New York Democrat said at a news conference.

U.S. officials last week said evidence found after the raid on bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan indicated the al Qaeda leader or his associates had engaged in discussions or planning for a possible attack on a train inside the United States on September 11, 2011.

Of course most Americans are already avoiding Amtrak - not because they're afraid of terrorism but because they don't like train travel. For trips of more than a couple hundred miles it's simply not practical.

Just as an example - You can go one-way from Los Angeles to Chicago on Amtrak for $188. The trip will take 43 hours and that doesn't include food or a bed for the overnight portions.

You can fly from LA to Chicago on Southwest Airlines for as low as $104 if you're willing to make an addtional stop in a trip that will take 6 1/2 hours, or non-stop for $271 in a trip that will take 4 hours.  There's little or no economic advantage to taking the train.

The train does serve many rural parts of America that aren't served by major airlines, but again you can probably fly to the nearest major city and drive to your destination in far less time than it would take on the train.  As much as I enjoy train travel, it's not practical for most people.

The only thing that would make it worse is to impose TSA-like security procedures for train travel.  One of the few joys of train travel is the ability to get on without someone groping you.  If we lose that a lot of leisure travelers will just go back to flying.