Sniffing Around

By Matt Wood in Miscellaneous on Sep 28, 2005 1:52PM

Pretty soon you'll have to empty out your backpack and wipe all the C4 residue off your clothes before you get on the El, because the CTA is deploying more bomb-sniffing dogs. Chicago is one of nine cities receiving additional canine units to patrol mass-transit systems in hopes of preventing bombings like those in Madrid and London.

Chicago police officers assigned to the Bomb Squad (that's not really their name, but that what Chicagoist would call it if we were there) will be matched with a pooch from the Transportation Safety Administration. Then they will spend 10 magical days and romantic nights at an Air Force Base in Texas, getting couples massages, sharing candlelit dinners, and discussing the relative merits of dynamite suicide vests vs. shrapnel-filled pipe bombs.

Chicagoist loves seeing the other security dogs already patrolling CTA stations, although we always have to resist the urge to pet them. Massive German shepherds probably wear cage muzzles for a reason, and it's not just to make a fashion statement. But we wonder how the new fancy-pants bomb dogs with their high-faluting training and special manservants will be received by these brutes. Usually bomb-sniffing dogs are less intimidating breeds like labs or beagles. How will the old muscle handle it? Do they mark their territory on the platforms? ("Look buddy, I've been peein' at this stop for years, you can't just come in here and sniff your way to the top) Will there be some kind of hazing ritual before the new guys earn their respect? Just don't be surprised if you see some German shepherds giggling at a beagle wearing women's clothing next time you hit the Jackson red line stop.