The suicidal Pace Student who was found in a subway tunnel with a can of cyanide and five flares was charged with trespassing and will undergo a psychiatric evaluation. The student, 20-year-old Aaron Fetto, claimed he wanted to find a hidden area in which to commit suicide, and dressed up like a subway worker. However, he was taken to anti-terror police after NYC Transit found him with no work identification. The ease with which he could enter the subway system is troubling. Security expert Robert Strang told WCBS, "We can go right now into any train station, walk down the platform, walk onto tracks and we're in the tunnel and it's gonna take a long time before anybody sees."
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly applauded the NYC Transit workers, saying "They realized that he was acting suspiciously. They got him on the train." However, the suicide attempt has highlighted the lack of security in the subway systems, and has made many worry whether budget cuts could add to the problem. "If they didn't have these cutbacks with the MTA you'd have more employees on the platforms," said straphanger Ben Franklin. Strang said that it's New Yorkers' duty to monitor the subway systems for any potential danger. "They see something, they report it and they take action. That's about the best we can do."
