Make pumps not bombs.
August 24, 2006 12:04 PM Subscribe
News of stupidity in the fight against terrorism: Up to three years in jail for not loudly enunciating, in front of his mom, that he had a penis pump. If you do not know that you are an American citizen, it's your fault and you may be deported as an illegal alien. Manhattan train stopped because of some woman's bottle of iced tea? BC Ferry delayed 3 hours because of a forgotten briefcase (my coworker lives next to the terminal and has learned that this was an RCMP officer's briefcase, though that detail has not made the media).
There are so many of these stories...we really need one place to group them all together.
There are so many of these stories...we really need one place to group them all together.
We could post them to the front page of Metafilter.
posted by wabashbdw at 12:20 PM on August 24, 2006
We could post them to the front page of Metafilter.
posted by wabashbdw at 12:20 PM on August 24, 2006
FWIW, there is no "p" sound in Arabic. P's and b's sound pretty interchangeable to native speakers of Arabic.
posted by leapingsheep at 12:24 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by leapingsheep at 12:24 PM on August 24, 2006
A Wired News opinion from today lists a handful of them.
posted by Hubajube at 12:24 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by Hubajube at 12:24 PM on August 24, 2006
Half of America uses the penis pump? I thought it was just me. Man, do I feel better!
posted by poppo at 12:26 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by poppo at 12:26 PM on August 24, 2006
You don't need to die to be successfully terrorized. You just need to be terrfied. And act from panic. And suspect your neighbour. And report to the secret police. And react with an Orwellian fist that is somehow both solid iron and yet sieve-like.
Perhaps the enemy we must come to terms with first is socially contagious fear.
posted by CheeseburgerBrown at 12:27 PM on August 24, 2006 [1 favorite]
Perhaps the enemy we must come to terms with first is socially contagious fear.
posted by CheeseburgerBrown at 12:27 PM on August 24, 2006 [1 favorite]
Some guys would rather be terrorists than impotent, I guess.
posted by jonmc at 12:28 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by jonmc at 12:28 PM on August 24, 2006
kneejerk-idiocy.metafilter.com?
posted by StrasbourgSecaucus at 12:31 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by StrasbourgSecaucus at 12:31 PM on August 24, 2006
Couldn't this guy have gotten a prescription for Viagra like everyone else?
posted by InfidelZombie at 12:34 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by InfidelZombie at 12:34 PM on August 24, 2006
It's not my bag, baby.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:36 PM on August 24, 2006 [1 favorite]
posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:36 PM on August 24, 2006 [1 favorite]
I was actually on that ferry - for accuracy's sake, the briefcase was the property of a commissionaire who is on contract to the RCMP.
posted by Staggering Jack at 12:37 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by Staggering Jack at 12:37 PM on August 24, 2006
The second link doesn't mention terrorism and doesn't seem related to the others other than the "government screw-up" umbrella.
posted by justkevin at 12:37 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by justkevin at 12:37 PM on August 24, 2006
Apparently this man couldn't possibly have taken the chance of putting the thing in his checked luggage -- you know, in case his luggage had gotten delayed and he would have to do without it for a day or two!
Cabin luggage is for those things you need immediately (important papers, prescriptions) or those that are likely to get broken or stolen by baggage handlers (mp3 players, cameras, laptops). For everything else there's the cargo hold.
posted by clevershark at 12:38 PM on August 24, 2006
Cabin luggage is for those things you need immediately (important papers, prescriptions) or those that are likely to get broken or stolen by baggage handlers (mp3 players, cameras, laptops). For everything else there's the cargo hold.
posted by clevershark at 12:38 PM on August 24, 2006
Don't forget about the woman who was jailed for having a different last name on her driver's license (which had her married name) and Social Security card (which had her maiden name):
This was not a case of mistaken identity. There was no hardened felon named Josh Jackson hiding from US Marshals in a seedy motel room with a collection of black market rocket launchers and underage hookers. The first cause of her arrest was a clerical error at the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the mistake itself is probably understandable. Mistakes happen. Incompetence happens. What didn't used to happen is moms getting thrown in jail because a low-level state functionary with a Band-Aid on his pinky missed a keystroke. As Joshilyn points out, police officers used to be able to make a judgment call about what action to take when such a discrepancy turned up on the dashboard See-N-Say. Now, thanks to "tougher anti-terrorism laws," the officers explained to her, they no longer have such discretion.
posted by camcgee at 12:40 PM on August 24, 2006
This was not a case of mistaken identity. There was no hardened felon named Josh Jackson hiding from US Marshals in a seedy motel room with a collection of black market rocket launchers and underage hookers. The first cause of her arrest was a clerical error at the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the mistake itself is probably understandable. Mistakes happen. Incompetence happens. What didn't used to happen is moms getting thrown in jail because a low-level state functionary with a Band-Aid on his pinky missed a keystroke. As Joshilyn points out, police officers used to be able to make a judgment call about what action to take when such a discrepancy turned up on the dashboard See-N-Say. Now, thanks to "tougher anti-terrorism laws," the officers explained to her, they no longer have such discretion.
posted by camcgee at 12:40 PM on August 24, 2006
Manhattan train stopped because of some woman's bottle of iced tea?
Hey, if you see something, say something. Simple as that. If you take the time to think, the terrorists have probably already finished their thoughts, and what they were thinking was about how they have already won.
posted by eddydamascene at 12:43 PM on August 24, 2006 [1 favorite]
Hey, if you see something, say something. Simple as that. If you take the time to think, the terrorists have probably already finished their thoughts, and what they were thinking was about how they have already won.
posted by eddydamascene at 12:43 PM on August 24, 2006 [1 favorite]
This article claims that the penis pump guy described the pump as a bomb (twice). Or rather, it says the prosecutors claim that. Sounds like a case of an unfortunate accent to me.
posted by hattifattener at 12:47 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by hattifattener at 12:47 PM on August 24, 2006
camcgee writes "Don't forget about the woman who was jailed for having a different last name on her driver's license (which had her married name) and Social Security card (which had her maiden name):"
I was almost expecting her last name to be "Tuttle". Or was that "Buttle"...
posted by clevershark at 12:47 PM on August 24, 2006 [2 favorites]
I was almost expecting her last name to be "Tuttle". Or was that "Buttle"...
posted by clevershark at 12:47 PM on August 24, 2006 [2 favorites]
In the war on abstract concepts, "terror" is the new "drugs". Both ideas are as well thought-out. Both will be fought with as much expense and vigour, and ultimately with much the same results.
posted by clevershark at 12:48 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by clevershark at 12:48 PM on August 24, 2006
Is there anything to do here besides wait to get arrested, and then hope we get a trial and a soapbox to stand on?
posted by shownomercy at 12:53 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by shownomercy at 12:53 PM on August 24, 2006
shownomercy writes "Is there anything to do here besides wait to get arrested, and then hope we get a trial and a soapbox to stand on?"
The NSA apologizes for making you wait, but, you know, there's a big backlog.
posted by clevershark at 12:58 PM on August 24, 2006
The NSA apologizes for making you wait, but, you know, there's a big backlog.
posted by clevershark at 12:58 PM on August 24, 2006
"You can't wear a t-shirt with Arabic script and come to an airport. It is like wearing a t-shirt that reads 'I am a robber' and going to a bank"
posted by chunking express at 12:59 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by chunking express at 12:59 PM on August 24, 2006
At first I thought he was claiming that every man in America uses a penis pump, but then I realized that women might find them useful, too.
posted by owhydididoit at 12:59 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by owhydididoit at 12:59 PM on August 24, 2006
We have to be proactive. To paraphrase Bush: We don't want the smoking gun to come in the form of a mushroom cloud, a mushroom souffle, or a Portabello mushroom (although nobody seems to know what one looks like).
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 12:59 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 12:59 PM on August 24, 2006
We are United in Strengthening America by Preventing Appropriate Tools Required to Inflate to Orgasm Tallywhackers.
I have a very small bomb shaped flashlight on my keychain (for finding keyholes in the dark). I was questioned about it by a guard when I was going through a checkpoint. He said in an accusatory tone “this looks like a bomb.” And he started holding me up (despite the fact I carry a badge). There are people who are not only that stupid, but who will doggedly adhere to their own idiotic concepts contrary to all common sense or even evidence. While I would like to brutally torture such people to death, there are laws against such things and I wouldn’t want to expend the resources necessary. I have little doubt (although I could be wrong) that Amin will ultimately be released, but it is irritating that those idiots force taxpayers to spend resources, time and money on such stupid cases. But if it keeps happening over and over and over, at some point the comined load on the system from these idiots will exceed the resources necessary to eradicate them. Although they are easy to defeat on an individual level. The kid should have said clearly that “It’s a penis pump!” and gone on to explain how he uses it. I told the guard that it was a carrying case for my suppositories, it’s heart medicine. I had to explain what a suppository was, and I got angrier and worked up as I did and started holding my chest. Worked pretty well.
posted by Smedleyman at 1:01 PM on August 24, 2006 [2 favorites]
I have a very small bomb shaped flashlight on my keychain (for finding keyholes in the dark). I was questioned about it by a guard when I was going through a checkpoint. He said in an accusatory tone “this looks like a bomb.” And he started holding me up (despite the fact I carry a badge). There are people who are not only that stupid, but who will doggedly adhere to their own idiotic concepts contrary to all common sense or even evidence. While I would like to brutally torture such people to death, there are laws against such things and I wouldn’t want to expend the resources necessary. I have little doubt (although I could be wrong) that Amin will ultimately be released, but it is irritating that those idiots force taxpayers to spend resources, time and money on such stupid cases. But if it keeps happening over and over and over, at some point the comined load on the system from these idiots will exceed the resources necessary to eradicate them. Although they are easy to defeat on an individual level. The kid should have said clearly that “It’s a penis pump!” and gone on to explain how he uses it. I told the guard that it was a carrying case for my suppositories, it’s heart medicine. I had to explain what a suppository was, and I got angrier and worked up as I did and started holding my chest. Worked pretty well.
posted by Smedleyman at 1:01 PM on August 24, 2006 [2 favorites]
I was on the subway a couple of months ago when we stopped in a station and were held there. After a few minutes, a cop came on and looked at a plastic barrel that was on the train. He asked if it belonged to anybody. Nobody claimed it. Then we sat there for another 5 minutes. Then they evacuated the train. We stood in the station for another 10 minutes while the cop tried to look busy and some guy opended and closed the doors. I suppose they were waiting for the bomb squad, but I wanted to say "Excuse me, if that were a bomb we would all have died before anyone got anything done."
I finally gave up and got on a train going the opposite direction.
So yes, I'm glad they're taking such incompetent precautions.
posted by witchstone at 1:01 PM on August 24, 2006
I finally gave up and got on a train going the opposite direction.
So yes, I'm glad they're taking such incompetent precautions.
posted by witchstone at 1:01 PM on August 24, 2006
We will protect you. We will win the war on terror. Just stay in your homes. Don't use airplanes. Don't trust other people (unless they work for the government). Don't use the subways. Just stay in your homes.
Watch TV. A lot of TV.
Oh, and shop. On the internet.
(So that we can see what you are buying.)
posted by scblackman at 1:05 PM on August 24, 2006 [1 favorite]
Watch TV. A lot of TV.
Oh, and shop. On the internet.
(So that we can see what you are buying.)
posted by scblackman at 1:05 PM on August 24, 2006 [1 favorite]
The good news is that we're all safer and happier because of all of these wonderful precautions.
posted by blucevalo at 1:05 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by blucevalo at 1:05 PM on August 24, 2006
The woman who was jailed blog is entirely unreadable. And she's supposedly an author? She deserves jail just for writing crap.
posted by Eekacat at 1:07 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by Eekacat at 1:07 PM on August 24, 2006
There is a site that collects this kind of stuff:
www.stupidsecurity.com
and the grown-up version:
Inside Risks
posted by hexatron at 1:10 PM on August 24, 2006
www.stupidsecurity.com
and the grown-up version:
Inside Risks
posted by hexatron at 1:10 PM on August 24, 2006
There are a lot of issues at play here, but one thing seems staggeringly obvious to me. In the current American security environment, you shouldn't bring something suspicious-looking in your carryon luggage. If you do, you should be prepared to explain it.
I can understand and sympathize with all sorts of reasons why this shouldn't be the case (though, personally, I think they should just ban all carryons or give up the whole sham). But regardless, that's the situation we're in, and someone who ends up in an embarrassing situation because of what's in their carryon luggage simply isn't paying attention.
posted by gurple at 1:10 PM on August 24, 2006
I can understand and sympathize with all sorts of reasons why this shouldn't be the case (though, personally, I think they should just ban all carryons or give up the whole sham). But regardless, that's the situation we're in, and someone who ends up in an embarrassing situation because of what's in their carryon luggage simply isn't paying attention.
posted by gurple at 1:10 PM on August 24, 2006
Smedleyman:
Not to give automatic pardons to the officials who seem to overreact to minor situations, but this isn't a new phenomenon born out of the War on Terror. Amerca's favorite pasttime, litigation, has been conditioning workers to underthink and overreact for as long as I can remember.
By using their brain and assessing the situation with some sense of context, they run the risk of being fired for not strictly adhering to policy/procedure. On the other hand, they can ruin someone's day (or life) and the only potential punishment is being called an idiot when the story makes the newspapers.
In the latter case, at least they know there will still be food on the table in a week.
posted by wabashbdw at 1:11 PM on August 24, 2006
Not to give automatic pardons to the officials who seem to overreact to minor situations, but this isn't a new phenomenon born out of the War on Terror. Amerca's favorite pasttime, litigation, has been conditioning workers to underthink and overreact for as long as I can remember.
By using their brain and assessing the situation with some sense of context, they run the risk of being fired for not strictly adhering to policy/procedure. On the other hand, they can ruin someone's day (or life) and the only potential punishment is being called an idiot when the story makes the newspapers.
In the latter case, at least they know there will still be food on the table in a week.
posted by wabashbdw at 1:11 PM on August 24, 2006
cleavershark: that woman was arrested for driving without a license, not having a ss card and drivers license that didn't match. the license she presented had been cancelled.
posted by lester at 1:23 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by lester at 1:23 PM on August 24, 2006
This is why I always wear my penis pump when I board a plane, rather than put it in my luggage.
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:25 PM on August 24, 2006 [2 favorites]
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:25 PM on August 24, 2006 [2 favorites]
Quartermaster Clerk: One Swedish made penis enlarger pump.posted by ericb at 1:25 PM on August 24, 2006
Austin Powers: That's not mine!
Quartermaster Clerk: One credit card receipt for Swedish made penis enlarger...signed by Austin Powers.
Austin Powers: I'm tellin you baby, that's not mine!
Quartermaster Clerk: One warranty card for Swedish made penis enlarger pump...filled out by Austin Powers.
Austin Powers: I don't even know what this is! This sort of thing ain't my bag, baby!
Quartermaster Clerk: One book...."Swedish Made Penis Enlarger Pumps and Me: This Sort of Thing is my Bag, Baby!", by Austin Powers
Kafkawellian.
posted by shoepal at 1:26 PM on August 24, 2006 [1 favorite]
posted by shoepal at 1:26 PM on August 24, 2006 [1 favorite]
Well, in Spanish, "pump" and "bomb" are the same word (bomba). But I don't think that was the problem here.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 1:27 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 1:27 PM on August 24, 2006
Bush advice to Americans on how to help in the War on Terror:
Shop till They Drop You.
posted by jamjam at 1:30 PM on August 24, 2006
Shop till They Drop You.
posted by jamjam at 1:30 PM on August 24, 2006
"...in Spanish, "pump" and "bomb" are the same word..."
Remind me never to buy a Spanish penis pump.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 1:35 PM on August 24, 2006
Remind me never to buy a Spanish penis pump.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 1:35 PM on August 24, 2006
There are so many of these stories...we really need one place to group them all together. - Kickstart70
So make one. I don't believe that's part of the mission statement of MeFi
posted by raedyn at 1:40 PM on August 24, 2006
So make one. I don't believe that's part of the mission statement of MeFi
posted by raedyn at 1:40 PM on August 24, 2006
Ladies and gentlemen, due to a bottle of juice on the southbound 1 local train, the southbound 2 and 3 trains are running local today.
posted by secret about box at 1:40 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by secret about box at 1:40 PM on August 24, 2006
These days you can't be too careful in NYC. I don't think that New Yorkers are wusses who stop the trains right and left. So let's not fault someone for being concerned on the subway during a heightened time of concern.
BTW I was standing in the Grand Central food court one day and there was an unattended leather bag sitting on the floor. Nobody really standing near it. Just as I was ready to get a cop the owner finally came over and got it. I wouldn't have felt bad at all for bringing it to a cop's attention.
And if you leave anything unattended in Penn Station, the cops will be on it. In fact, they periodically announce that waiting passengers should not leave anything unattended. Good.
posted by bim at 1:44 PM on August 24, 2006
BTW I was standing in the Grand Central food court one day and there was an unattended leather bag sitting on the floor. Nobody really standing near it. Just as I was ready to get a cop the owner finally came over and got it. I wouldn't have felt bad at all for bringing it to a cop's attention.
And if you leave anything unattended in Penn Station, the cops will be on it. In fact, they periodically announce that waiting passengers should not leave anything unattended. Good.
posted by bim at 1:44 PM on August 24, 2006
bim: As scared as everyone is, there is little argument that this is sensible. Has NYC suffered a single terrorist attack since 9/11? Can you even carry liquid explosive in plastic bottles, or any normal means of carrying liquids?
No.
posted by shownomercy at 1:57 PM on August 24, 2006
No.
posted by shownomercy at 1:57 PM on August 24, 2006
The Hate rose to its climax. The voice of Goldstein had become an actual sheep's bleat, and for an instant the face changed into that of a sheep. Then the sheep-face melted into the figure of a Eurasian soldier who seemed to be advancing, huge and terrible, his sub-machine gun roaring, and seeming to spring out of the surface of the screen, so that some of the people in the front row actually flinched backwards in their seats. But in the same moment, drawing a deep sigh of relief from everybody, the hostile figure melted into the face of Big Brother, black-haired, black-moustachio'd, full of power and mysterious calm, and so vast that it almost filled up the screen. Nobody heard what Big Brother was saying. It was merely a few words of encouragement, the sort of words that are uttered in the din of battle, not distinguishable individually but restoring confidence by the fact of being spoken. Then the face of Big Brother faded away again, and instead the three slogans of the Party stood out in bold capitals:
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
But the face of Big Brother seemed to persist for several seconds on the screen, as though the impact that it had made on everyone's eyeballs was too vivid to wear off immediately. The little sandyhaired woman had flung herself forward over the back of the chair in front of her. With a tremulous murmur that sounded like 'My Saviour!' she extended her arms towards the screen. Then she buried her face in her hands. It was apparent that she was uttering a prayer.
-- Orwell, 1984
posted by digaman at 1:58 PM on August 24, 2006 [1 favorite]
Remind me never to buy a Spanish penis pump.
Rule #1 is that you don't talk about Metafilter.
Rule #2 is that YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT METAFILTER.
Metafilter!
Rule #3 is that you don't buy a Spanish penis pump.
posted by jonp72 at 2:03 PM on August 24, 2006
Rule #1 is that you don't talk about Metafilter.
Rule #2 is that YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT METAFILTER.
Metafilter!
Rule #3 is that you don't buy a Spanish penis pump.
posted by jonp72 at 2:03 PM on August 24, 2006
You can indeed be "too careful," because the money and resources for gathering anti-terror intelligence are not infinite. You can, for instance, be using up these precious resources to wiretap hundreds/thousands/millions of American telephones, giving the illusion of a vast security blanket, when the chances that anyone is chattering away about Al Qaeda operations in advance over these phone lines is minimal at best. You can keep voting in the same crooks because they make a big noise about being "strong on terror," when their foreign policies play right into the hands of bin Laden. You can be fretting about shampoo bottles as the GOP positions Iran as the next target of an attack that will inflame the Muslim world even more than it already is, creating thousands of potential bin Ladens.
posted by digaman at 2:08 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by digaman at 2:08 PM on August 24, 2006
Fear breeds neo-cons. Neo-cons breed more fear. Repeat.
posted by Navelgazer at 2:17 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by Navelgazer at 2:17 PM on August 24, 2006
Has NYC suffered a single terrorist attack since 9/11?
Which proves what? You can draw numerous (and contradictory) references from that.
Yeah, the juice thing was a little over the top, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. A few false alarms will happen. So what?
As for wiretaps and the like, I'm not defending Bush and his total lack of respect for privacy, Digaman. He's trampled all over the Constitution.
But this question was focused on bombs.
posted by bim at 2:18 PM on August 24, 2006
Which proves what? You can draw numerous (and contradictory) references from that.
Yeah, the juice thing was a little over the top, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. A few false alarms will happen. So what?
As for wiretaps and the like, I'm not defending Bush and his total lack of respect for privacy, Digaman. He's trampled all over the Constitution.
But this question was focused on bombs.
posted by bim at 2:18 PM on August 24, 2006
I've got a rock for keeping away tigers that you can have for only $200. Since I've had it I've had no trouble with tigers at all.
posted by Artw at 2:21 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by Artw at 2:21 PM on August 24, 2006
Good timing.
Bruice Schneier has an article up on his blog specifically about this topic.
America (and the world, really) are way too paranoid. We're going overboard and nobody in power seems to really think there's anything wrong with it.
posted by ruthsarian at 2:21 PM on August 24, 2006
Bruice Schneier has an article up on his blog specifically about this topic.
America (and the world, really) are way too paranoid. We're going overboard and nobody in power seems to really think there's anything wrong with it.
posted by ruthsarian at 2:21 PM on August 24, 2006
Let me be clear. I love NYC and I don't hesitate to visit (I'm going tomorrow).
But I don't fault folks for being concerned about bombs on planes and trains. Especially if they have kids with them.
posted by bim at 2:33 PM on August 24, 2006
But I don't fault folks for being concerned about bombs on planes and trains. Especially if they have kids with them.
posted by bim at 2:33 PM on August 24, 2006
Yeah, the juice thing was a little over the top, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
I'd rather be and feel free than falsely secure.
People leave drink bottles on the trains here all the time. This is really ridiculous. What's next, taking your shoes off each time you walk through a turnstile?
posted by secret about box at 2:39 PM on August 24, 2006
I'd rather be and feel free than falsely secure.
People leave drink bottles on the trains here all the time. This is really ridiculous. What's next, taking your shoes off each time you walk through a turnstile?
posted by secret about box at 2:39 PM on August 24, 2006
"The risk that any given American will be killed by a terrorist is about the same as the chance that a randomly selected high school football player will one day be a starting quarterback in the Super Bowl. One's chance of being killed in a terrorist attack is many times less than one's chance of drowning in a bathtub or being killed by a fall from scaffolding or a ladder." [source]
posted by ericb at 2:39 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by ericb at 2:39 PM on August 24, 2006
bush doesn't have it in him to lead the fight against terruh. So instead of something that works, we get the obvious stuff, which sort of works, but works badly and costs a lot.
Someday maybe someone will invent a TV camera that looks into the future, and then moderate america will abandon the right.
Until then, save the earth - eat a republican.
posted by modernerd at 3:06 PM on August 24, 2006
Someday maybe someone will invent a TV camera that looks into the future, and then moderate america will abandon the right.
Until then, save the earth - eat a republican.
posted by modernerd at 3:06 PM on August 24, 2006
Does a penis pump really look that much like a bomb?
posted by Zephyrial at 3:14 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by Zephyrial at 3:14 PM on August 24, 2006
Mikey -- How many train stops for various bomb scares have their been in recent years. I bet the number is rather small small and the rate of trains searches per month, year, whatever is miniscule. Don't blow things out of proportion (no pun intended).
As someone pointed out earlier, the signs on the subway trains specifically say : "If you see something, say something."
So lighten up on the hyperbole about concrete bunkers and romper room.
As for airports, I'd rather the TSA spend more time looking into the background of the various workers who have easy and unfettered access to the plane rather than making some old lady take her shoes off to check for bombs. Bush's security measures only exist to give the illusion of security so we can keep the airline business making money.
...and I'm not even going to think about penis pumps and the resulting visual!!!
posted by bim at 3:23 PM on August 24, 2006
As someone pointed out earlier, the signs on the subway trains specifically say : "If you see something, say something."
So lighten up on the hyperbole about concrete bunkers and romper room.
As for airports, I'd rather the TSA spend more time looking into the background of the various workers who have easy and unfettered access to the plane rather than making some old lady take her shoes off to check for bombs. Bush's security measures only exist to give the illusion of security so we can keep the airline business making money.
...and I'm not even going to think about penis pumps and the resulting visual!!!
posted by bim at 3:23 PM on August 24, 2006
Well, in Spanish, "pump" and "bomb" are the same word
Ah, so that Clash song makes sense to me now.
oh mi corazón
posted by hangashore at 3:31 PM on August 24, 2006
Ah, so that Clash song makes sense to me now.
oh mi corazón
posted by hangashore at 3:31 PM on August 24, 2006
this isn't a new phenomenon born out of the War on Terror. Amerca's favorite pasttime, litigation, has been conditioning workers to underthink and overreact for as long as I can remember.
Maybe the kind of reaction isn't new, but the degree of pervasiveness is, and so is the extreme nature of it.
The terrorists don't have to mount another attack. They have absolutely won. Every little inconvenience or big hassle we have to endure so some Nervous Nellies (© 2004 D. Rumsfeld) can feel "safe" from a terrifically unlikely attack cements their victory.
You know what would look like defeat to the terrorists? Us sending the FBI after them, then shrugging it off and getting on with our lives. Hiding under the bed just encourages them.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:41 PM on August 24, 2006
Maybe the kind of reaction isn't new, but the degree of pervasiveness is, and so is the extreme nature of it.
The terrorists don't have to mount another attack. They have absolutely won. Every little inconvenience or big hassle we have to endure so some Nervous Nellies (© 2004 D. Rumsfeld) can feel "safe" from a terrifically unlikely attack cements their victory.
You know what would look like defeat to the terrorists? Us sending the FBI after them, then shrugging it off and getting on with our lives. Hiding under the bed just encourages them.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:41 PM on August 24, 2006
Mikey -- How many train stops for various bomb scares have their been in recent years. I bet the number is rather small small and the rate of trains searches per month, year, whatever is miniscule. Don't blow things out of proportion (no pun intended).
As someone pointed out earlier, the signs on the subway trains specifically say : "If you see something, say something."
Dude, I live here. I know all about the signs.
You're the one blowing things out of proportion, actually. The world is not crumbling into a sea of terrorist attacks. There are not seedy Al Qaeda operatives hiding around every corner. Stop watching Fox News and ignore the DHS threat level, because they're both pretty bogus.
Statistics are statistics. You are more likely to be struck by lightning than to become the victim of a terrorist act. Unless you count erosion of freedoms, and by that measure, our government's doing more work on that front than our enemies.
Ever notice that once you start justifying paranoia, it no longer feels like paranoia?
posted by secret about box at 4:15 PM on August 24, 2006
As someone pointed out earlier, the signs on the subway trains specifically say : "If you see something, say something."
Dude, I live here. I know all about the signs.
You're the one blowing things out of proportion, actually. The world is not crumbling into a sea of terrorist attacks. There are not seedy Al Qaeda operatives hiding around every corner. Stop watching Fox News and ignore the DHS threat level, because they're both pretty bogus.
Statistics are statistics. You are more likely to be struck by lightning than to become the victim of a terrorist act. Unless you count erosion of freedoms, and by that measure, our government's doing more work on that front than our enemies.
Ever notice that once you start justifying paranoia, it no longer feels like paranoia?
posted by secret about box at 4:15 PM on August 24, 2006
Norm: I got a plane full of people saying you threatened that stewardess.
Greg Focker: I was not threatening her. I was just trying to get my bag into the overhead storage thing...
Norm: You were acting like a maniac and you threatened her with a bomb.
Greg Focker: No, I said I didn't have a bomb.
Norm: But you said bomb.
Greg Focker: I said, "It's not like I have a bomb".
Norm: You said "Bomb" on an airplane.
Greg Focker: What's wrong with saying 'Bomb' on an airplane?
Norm: You can't say 'Bomb' on an airplane!
Greg Focker: Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb. You gonna arrest me? Bomb bomb bomb bomb! During the war I was a BOMBadier!
Norm: You assaulted an airline employee and I oughta put you away for years!
posted by Astro Zombie at 4:25 PM on August 24, 2006
Greg Focker: I was not threatening her. I was just trying to get my bag into the overhead storage thing...
Norm: You were acting like a maniac and you threatened her with a bomb.
Greg Focker: No, I said I didn't have a bomb.
Norm: But you said bomb.
Greg Focker: I said, "It's not like I have a bomb".
Norm: You said "Bomb" on an airplane.
Greg Focker: What's wrong with saying 'Bomb' on an airplane?
Norm: You can't say 'Bomb' on an airplane!
Greg Focker: Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb. You gonna arrest me? Bomb bomb bomb bomb! During the war I was a BOMBadier!
Norm: You assaulted an airline employee and I oughta put you away for years!
posted by Astro Zombie at 4:25 PM on August 24, 2006
Wow, that guy spent 3 and half years in prison for illegally entering the country, even though he was a U.S. Citizen (but was unaware of it). That's pretty fucked up.
posted by delmoi at 5:10 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by delmoi at 5:10 PM on August 24, 2006
bim, stop being so scared!
Statistically, no one is ever going to bomb you. Period.
posted by MythMaker at 5:46 PM on August 24, 2006
Statistically, no one is ever going to bomb you. Period.
posted by MythMaker at 5:46 PM on August 24, 2006
Since someone mentioned likely means of death, I'd just like to point out that in the US, you are more likely to be executed than to die from a lightning strike.
posted by owhydididoit at 5:57 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by owhydididoit at 5:57 PM on August 24, 2006
I'd just like to point out that in the US, you are more likely to be executed than to die from a lightning strike.
No I'm not - I'm white.
posted by Artw at 6:01 PM on August 24, 2006 [1 favorite]
No I'm not - I'm white.
posted by Artw at 6:01 PM on August 24, 2006 [1 favorite]
But I don't fault folks for being concerned about bombs on planes and trains. Especially if they have kids with them.
posted by bim at 2:33 PM PST
Don't have kids or go on trains if you are worried.
posted by rough ashlar at 6:17 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by bim at 2:33 PM PST
Don't have kids or go on trains if you are worried.
posted by rough ashlar at 6:17 PM on August 24, 2006
Here's a keith olbermann piece on how the government uses terror threats to counter bad press.
posted by bob sarabia at 6:18 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by bob sarabia at 6:18 PM on August 24, 2006
It occurs to me that you'd have to be one naive or stupid security checker if you can't recognize a damn penis pump.
Why was security hassling this guy about his penis pump? I figure it's a power trip: gonna "beat up" the guy by embarassing him in front of everyone. Always the opportunity to put some poor bastard through the wringer, yup.
posted by five fresh fish at 8:02 PM on August 24, 2006
Why was security hassling this guy about his penis pump? I figure it's a power trip: gonna "beat up" the guy by embarassing him in front of everyone. Always the opportunity to put some poor bastard through the wringer, yup.
posted by five fresh fish at 8:02 PM on August 24, 2006
Does a penis pump really look that much like a bomb?
posted by Zephyrial at 9:14 AM AEST on August 25 [+] [!]
Only in the same way half a bottle of tea does.
posted by Jilder at 10:11 PM on August 24, 2006
posted by Zephyrial at 9:14 AM AEST on August 25 [+] [!]
Only in the same way half a bottle of tea does.
posted by Jilder at 10:11 PM on August 24, 2006
bim, stop being so scared!
Statistically, no one is ever going to bomb you. Period.
I'm NOT scared. I AM defending other folks right to be scared and to not be capriciously dismissed as crackpots.
It's foolish to think that the U.S. is invincible. There have been train bombings in London, Israel is a continuous explosion and sadly there will most likely happen here at some point.
Now excuse me while I my butt on a train....
posted by bim at 12:50 AM on August 25, 2006
Statistically, no one is ever going to bomb you. Period.
I'm NOT scared. I AM defending other folks right to be scared and to not be capriciously dismissed as crackpots.
It's foolish to think that the U.S. is invincible. There have been train bombings in London, Israel is a continuous explosion and sadly there will most likely happen here at some point.
Now excuse me while I my butt on a train....
posted by bim at 12:50 AM on August 25, 2006
I'm not even sure what a penis pump is used for. Harden? Engorge? Enlarge? All of the above? How does it work? Anyone care to explain? I probably don't even want to know.
posted by msali at 7:25 AM on August 25, 2006
posted by msali at 7:25 AM on August 25, 2006
Anyone else have that Elvis Costello tune in their heads?
“In the latter case, at least they know there will still be food on the table in a week.” - posted by wabashbdw
Agreed. Your point is good common sense (and mine was somewhat tongue in cheek). But all the more reason to make reasonable oversight a part of the system. All the more reason the literal minded among us should have dynamic supervision instead of unyeilding paper regulations. One cannot make a priori judgements to fit any situation. This is, for example, why rules of engagement are typically far more slack in the field than on paper. Or why cops tend to get off on charges of overreacting and shooting someone with a toy gun or some such. We can’t armchair quarterback everyone, but we can follow up on an administrative level before making it “official” and wasting court time. That and I notice the stupider and less secure someone is, the more willing they are to use power by proxy to get a rush. The current social emphasis is on some kind of action. There’s an underlying current in the present national psyche that if you are doing something about terrorism or the war or some such, you matter; you’re plugged in. This is what makes certain types of people associate their willingness to support war with actually going and fighting. It’s a fairly odious trait. But understandable, since some people want to matter, They want something to believe in and this sort of thing fills the void. Me, I have a wife, kids and I’m fantastically dangerous so my whole trip is taken care of. For some folks that isn’t enough and we really shouldn’t feed those types. They do nothing but get themselves and/or others into trouble. I’m not talking about the working joes you’re alluding to. I hope you have seen some of the kinds of folks I mean. At some point the number of them reach a sort of critical mass and it becomes unprofitable to adopt any other posture. It sucks to be on the shit end of the stick there, but it is just as bad to have these kinds of people make you their dick substitute because you excel at violence.
I dunno if you get what I’m saying here. I suppose one needs some experiance in these kinds of situations to get an idea of it.
posted by Smedleyman at 9:24 AM on August 25, 2006
“In the latter case, at least they know there will still be food on the table in a week.” - posted by wabashbdw
Agreed. Your point is good common sense (and mine was somewhat tongue in cheek). But all the more reason to make reasonable oversight a part of the system. All the more reason the literal minded among us should have dynamic supervision instead of unyeilding paper regulations. One cannot make a priori judgements to fit any situation. This is, for example, why rules of engagement are typically far more slack in the field than on paper. Or why cops tend to get off on charges of overreacting and shooting someone with a toy gun or some such. We can’t armchair quarterback everyone, but we can follow up on an administrative level before making it “official” and wasting court time. That and I notice the stupider and less secure someone is, the more willing they are to use power by proxy to get a rush. The current social emphasis is on some kind of action. There’s an underlying current in the present national psyche that if you are doing something about terrorism or the war or some such, you matter; you’re plugged in. This is what makes certain types of people associate their willingness to support war with actually going and fighting. It’s a fairly odious trait. But understandable, since some people want to matter, They want something to believe in and this sort of thing fills the void. Me, I have a wife, kids and I’m fantastically dangerous so my whole trip is taken care of. For some folks that isn’t enough and we really shouldn’t feed those types. They do nothing but get themselves and/or others into trouble. I’m not talking about the working joes you’re alluding to. I hope you have seen some of the kinds of folks I mean. At some point the number of them reach a sort of critical mass and it becomes unprofitable to adopt any other posture. It sucks to be on the shit end of the stick there, but it is just as bad to have these kinds of people make you their dick substitute because you excel at violence.
I dunno if you get what I’m saying here. I suppose one needs some experiance in these kinds of situations to get an idea of it.
posted by Smedleyman at 9:24 AM on August 25, 2006
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posted by chunking express at 12:08 PM on August 24, 2006