Pat on the back...

...goes to BNSF Railway, for establishing a program through which "railfans" (people interested in reality and the machines that support it, and who engage in trackside spectating and photography) can register to help guard our transportation network. I wish Massport would do something similar for us nerdy plane- and ship-spotters. We get sick of being interrgogated and getting a complimentary background check every time we go outside. I'm five minutes away from becoming a card-carrying ACLU member.

Here's a link to the BNSF program: http://newdomino.bnsf.com/website/crs.nsf/request?open.