It's unusual, if not unprecedented, for a newspaper to advise its readers to put their new

spapers down. But in the case of readers who ride commuter trains, buses or Metro rail, that is indeed our advice. Put the newspaper down from time to time, look around, and if you see a package, gym bag or backpack that doesn't appear to belong to anyone, ask your fellow travelers whether it belongs to them.

That is the most important piece of advice that Metro has offered the public since the bomb blasts that destroyed commuter trains in Madrid last week. Other steps have been taken as well. Metro says, for example, that it has beefed up the presence of uniformed officers, some with bomb-detecting dogs and some with sensors that can detect radiological material. Less obvious, but equally important, are measures that have been in place for some time, including sensors that can detect nuclear and chemical material, along with plainclothes security officers and frequent contacts between Metro staff and the FBI.

Nevertheless, it's not practical to screen all passengers entering the Metro system or any other underground or commuter train system in the country. Nor is it realistic to assume that police officers and dogs will be visible in every station or on every train. For that reason, Metro's request—made over its public address system the past few days and repeated by its spokesmen—that its customers should remain vigilant is not to be taken lightly. Metro officials say, in Pact, that they'd prefer to have their time wasted occasionally than feel they could have prevented a tragedy and failed to do so. Customers should take their word for it.

The Madrid bombings should also serve as a reminder that civil defense throughout the city and the country is still taken far too lightly. Political leaders don't talk about it as much as they should, because they don't like to acknowledge that they cannot promise protection from attack. Many people are still not better prepared, mentally or otherwise, than they were three years ago, and many businesses still don't have an emergency plan. So once you've finished your newspaper, ask yourself some questions. Are there supplies in your house to last a couple of days？ Are there emergency telephone numbers pinned to your refrigerator？ Do you own a battery-powered radio, which could help you get information if you need it？ Small amount of effort made now could pay off down the road in the event of another terrorist tragedy.

What is the best title for this passage？

A．Stop reading.

B．The Madrid bombings' effect.

C．How to protect yourself on the Metro.

D．Metro service offers.