MBTA Riders Aware of Risks

While the news of drew cheers from many around the country, for riders of the , it could bring added risks.

But that didn’t stop many of Winchester’s commuter rail riders from boarding the train Monday morning as they headed off to work.

“I feel like if you live your life afraid of everything, you don’t leave really well,” said Winchester resident and commuter rail rider, M.J. Knoll-Finn. “I’ve thought about it, I always do, but you never know when something can happen to you. I’m not anymore concerned about it then I would be any other do, but I guess today I’m just thinking about it more.

“I’m not worried,” said Winchester resident Daniel Masjesky. “ You can’t worry about stuff like that.”

According to the MBTA, while there are no specific threats, they will continue with their normal security program.

"We continue to monitor the situation and will be guided by any information or intelligence that is forthcoming,” the MBTA said in a statement. “There are no reports of any specific threats at this time. However, in order to reassure the riding public, we will continue our security inspection program and our high visibility patrols in stations and on the trains. As always, we ask our passengers to report any suspicious or unusual behavior to Transit Police at 617-222-1212 or 911. You can also text your tips at 873873 as well."

MBTA employees at the Winchester Center Station and the Wedgemere Station had no comment.

According to Lieutenant Peter MacDonnell of the , officers will continue to monitor the stations, but the death of bin Laden will have little impact on how the Winchester Police Department monitors the MBTA stations.

“We’re always monitoring the trains stations,” MacDonnell said. “I do think it’ll change the way we do things in Winchester too much. However, I do expect the Transit Police to be more active.”

But for T riders, something that may have been pushed to the back of their minds is now something they are very cognizant of.

“You always think about it,” said Winchester resident, Jennifer Rolli. “I don’t think it will make me nervous. You try not to think about it, but now it’s definitely something that would be on my mind.”