6319 replies to this topic

[gumgum]

Well they're not white.
Everybody knows only white people share an interest in ferries as well as take ferries on a regular basis.

[Holden West]

The editor of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer [url=http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/120406.asp:74a7a]weighs in[/url:74a7a] on his decision not to run the photos. Thankfully there is at least one American that hasn't gone completely paranoid:

running a photograph of two men who may as easily be tourists from Texas as terrorists from the Mideast with a story that makes them out to be persons of interest in a terrorism investigation seems problematic, to say the least.

The P-I ran a story about the [url=http://seattle.fbi.gov/pressrel/2007/public082007.htm:74a7a]FBI's alert[/url:74a7a], but did not run the photographs, because we didn't have enough information to warrant it. I hope that today we are able to get more information on this story, if it exists, from the FBI that would give us a clearer idea of the background behind their request.

Based on what we have, it seemed newsworthy that the FBI was trying to find these guys but it did not seem appropriate to run their photographs.

The Seattle Times ran neither the photographs nor a story.

TV stations ran the photo.

We'll see how the story develops today.

=====

[VicHockeyFan]

running a photograph of two men who may as easily be tourists from Texas as terrorists from the Mideast with a story that makes them out to be persons of interest in a terrorism investigation seems problematic, to say the least.

The article said nothing of them being from the Mideast. And I don't belive anyone said they were subjects of a terorist investigation.

However, if two guys that appear to be Middle Eastern act suspicious, why don't we want to talk to them? You do realize that the highest percentage of USA-haters (and terrorists) per capita is in the Middle East, right?

You aren't the kind of guy that thinks an 80-year old white American grandmother heading to Ohio for Thanksgiving on a two-way ticket should get the same airport scrutiny (and use of resources) as a 21-year-old Saudi national flying on a one-way ticket to New York are you?

[Holden West]

I thought you were libertarian? And here you are giving Mr. Handcuffs Guy at the top of this page the benefit of the doubt.

I'm not a big fan of the idea of profiling, but admit there may be instances where it's useful, like at airport security.

But I balk at the idea that my face will be arbitrarily plastered all over the Internet, TV and newspapers as a "person of interest" for apparently no good reason. I hope those guys have understanding employers.

Besides, they could be third-generation Scotsmen of Brazilian heritage for all we know.

[hungryryno]

I was in Seattle last week to take in three Mariner's games, and since the BNSF railway runs right throught the stadium I also took my usual interest in the passing trains. King Street Station is two long blocks away and I found myself there taking some pics before an afteroon ballgame. I was alone on a platform, and found myself in close proximity to two security guards "keeping an eye on me" a few minutes later. It was too obvious as too what they doing and who they were watching.

Such a great "Free Country" those neighbours of ours have, eh!!!

[G-Man]

However, if two guys that appear to be Middle Eastern act suspicious, why don't we want to talk to them? You do realize that the highest percentage of USA-haters (and terrorists) per capita is in the Middle East, right?

Perhaps you are correct on the terrorist thing but I think the USA haters are universal. I mean while travelling South America i don't think I met anyone that thought above a general dislike and most people downright hated the US. I had "**** you american" yelled at me more than three in times.

Plus I have to say those two could be from anywhere but are most likely hispanic.

[VicHockeyFan]

I was in Seattle last week to take in three Mariner's games, and since the BNSF railway runs right throught the stadium I also took my usual interest in the passing trains. King Street Station is two long blocks away and I found myself there taking some pics before an afteroon ballgame. I was alone on a platform, and found myself in close proximity to two security guards "keeping an eye on me" a few minutes later. It was too obvious as too what they doing and who they were watching.

Such a great "Free Country" those neighbours of ours have, eh!!!

What's unfree about two security guards watching you? Big deal.

[VicHockeyFan]

However, if two guys that appear to be Middle Eastern act suspicious, why don't we want to talk to them? You do realize that the highest percentage of USA-haters (and terrorists) per capita is in the Middle East, right?

Perhaps you are correct on the terrorist thing but I think the USA haters are universal. I mean while travelling South America i don't think I met anyone that thought above a general dislike and most people downright hated the US. I had "**** you american" yelled at me more than three in times.

Yes, but the only USA-haters I can think of since 1979 that have attacked the US or US interest were all from the Middle East, except the Oklahoma bombing.

1979
Nov. 4, Tehran, Iran: Iranian radical students seized the U.S. embassy, taking 66 hostages.

1982–1991 Lebanon: Thirty US and other Western hostages kidnapped in Lebanon by Hezbollah. Some were killed, some died in captivity, and some were eventually released. Terry Anderson was held for 2,454 days.

1983 April 18, Beirut, Lebanon: U.S. embassy destroyed in suicide car-bomb attack; 63 dead, including 17 Americans. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.

Oct. 23, Beirut, Lebanon: Shiite suicide bombers exploded truck near U.S. military barracks at Beirut airport, killing 241 marines. Minutes later a second bomb killed 58 French paratroopers in their barracks in West Beirut.

1985 April 12, Madrid, Spain: Bombing at restaurant frequented by U.S. soldiers, killed 18 Spaniards and injured 82.
June 14, Beirut, Lebanon: TWA Flight 847 en route from Athens to Rome hijacked to Beirut by Hezbollah terrorists and held for 17 days. A U.S. Navy diver executed.

1993 Feb. 26, New York City: bomb exploded in basement garage of World Trade Center, killing 6 and injuring at least 1,040 others. In 1995, militant Islamist Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman and 9 others were convicted of conspiracy charges, and in 1998, Ramzi Yousef, believed to have been the mastermind, was convicted of the bombing. Al-Qaeda involvement is suspected.

1998 Aug. 7, Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: truck bombs exploded almost simultaneously near 2 U.S. embassies, killing 224 (213 in Kenya and 11 in Tanzania) and injuring about 4,500. 4 men connected with al-Qaeda 2 of whom had received training at al-Qaeda camps inside Afghanistan, were convicted of the killings in May 2001 and later sentenced to life in prison. A federal grand jury had indicted 22 men in connection with the attacks, including Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, who remained at large.

2000 Oct. 12, Aden, Yemen: U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cole heavily damaged when a small boat loaded with explosives blew up alongside it. 17 sailors killed. Linked to Osama bin Laden, or members of al-Qaeda terrorist network.

2001 Sept. 11, New York City, Arlington, Va., and Shanksville, Pa.: hijackers crashed 2 commercial jets into twin towers of World Trade Center; 2 more hijacked jets were crashed into the Pentagon and a field in rural Pa. Total dead and missing numbered 2,9921: 2,749 in New York City, 184 at the Pentagon, 40 in Pa., and 19 hijackers. Islamic al-Qaeda terrorist group blamed. (See September 11, 2001: Timeline of Terrorism.)

2002 June 14, Karachi, Pakistan: bomb exploded outside American consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, killing 12. Linked to al-Qaeda.

2003 May 12, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: suicide bombers killed 34, including 8 Americans, at housing compounds for Westerners. Al-Qaeda suspected.

2005 Nov. 9, Amman, Jordan: Suicide bombers hit 3 American hotels, Radisson, Grand Hyatt, and Days Inn, in Amman, Jordan, killing 57. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility.

2006 Sept. 13, Damascus, Syria: an attack by four gunman on the American embassy was foiled.

Here is an article on why it is GOOD to be hated, because it means you are strong...

http://www.jewishwor...teyn062705.php3

Banning flag desecration flatters the desecrators and suggests that the flag of this great republic is a wee delicate bloom that has to be protected. It's not. It gets burned because it's strong. I'm a Canadian and one day, during the Kosovo war, I switched on the TV and there were some fellows jumping up and down in Belgrade burning the Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack. Big deal, seen it a million times. But then to my astonishment, some of those excitable Serbs produced a Maple Leaf from somewhere and started torching that. Don't ask me why — we had a small contribution to the Kosovo bombing campaign but evidently it was enough to arouse the ire of Slobo's boys. I've never been so proud to be Canadian in years. I turned the sound up to see if they were yelling ''Death to the Little Satan!'' But you can't have everything.

Here are the top-ten countries where immigration to US comes from (in alphabetic order). Those USA-haters hate it so much, they want to move there...

Canada
China
Cuba
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
India
Korea
Mexico
Philippines
Ireland

[Holden West]

Erk, I forgot we have a separate "Security on the BC Ferries" thread in General Discussions.

[Galvanized]

^That topic should be in this forum so I've moved it.

Please continue Security discussions here: http://vibrantvictoria.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1166

[Holden West]

Interesting article from a couple years back:

James F. Spaulding, designer of large ferry boats, dead at 92

05/16/2005
Associated Press

James Field Spaulding, a naval architect who designed some of the world's largest ferry boats, some still in use after nearly half a century, is dead at 92.

Spaulding, designer of the first Boeing Co. hydroplane test vessel, various oceangoing ships and ferries for Alaska, British Columbia and Washington state, died May 5 at his home, relatives said.

He was best known for the 440-foot jumbo-class Washington state ferries Walla Walla and Spokane. Built in 1972 with a capacity of 2,000 passengers and 188 vehicles, they were the world's largest double-ended ferries at the time and the largest in the fleet until the advent of the 460-foot superjumbo Mark II class of vessels in 1997.

[...]
___
Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com

[Holden West]

So it turns out some of the Queen of the North crew [url=http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=30741720-8148-400f-b99e-378296821793&k=48463:6d585]regularly smoke pot[/url:6d585] on board ship. Isn't that great knowing the guy responsible for lowering the lifeboats or handing out lifejackets is stoned out of his gourd? Listen up, Cheech; on your day off you can smoke up what's left of your brain but when you step on board you leave the bong behind. ****ing stoners. At least the Canadian Navy does cocaine. If your life's so dull you have to use drugs at least use something that makes you go faster, not slower.

[Ms. B. Havin]

^ Amen.

[VicHockeyFan]

So it turns out some of the Queen of the North crew [url=http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=30741720-8148-400f-b99e-378296821793&k=48463:1f2ef]regularly smoke pot[/url:1f2ef] on board ship. Isn't that great knowing the guy responsible for lowering the lifeboats or handing out lifejackets is stoned out of his gourd? Listen up, Cheech; on your day off you can smoke up what's left of your brain but when you step on board you leave the bong behind. ****ing stoners. At least the Canadian Navy does cocaine. If your life's so dull you have to use drugs at least use something that makes you go faster, not slower.

Well, I got news for a lot of people who are surprised by this. LOTS of people smoke pot. And if they are on a ship that sails
for very long streteches, with sleeping accomodations for workers, they are gonna bring it on board with them.

[Holden West]

I'm not shocked it happens--I'm saying knock it off or work at McDonald's.

[VicHockeyFan]

I'm not shocked it happens--I'm saying knock it off or work at McDonald's.

I agree. But without contract language to address it, you can bet the union will fight anything that might find out who is using it.

[G-Man]

I saw some sailors that were recently in Vic coming out of one of the novelty shops with a fake shaving cream bottle that you can hide things in. Anyways they were all gloating about how great that will be for their weed.

[Caramia]

They need to find a test to see if someone is actually under the influence of pot - not if they have used it in the last three months - which should be irrelevant.

[LJ]

I thought a blood test would show recent (ie under the influence) use.

[Caramia]

I don't know - I don't know much about drug tests. It would be interesting to find out though. In parts of the USA you need a drug test to work for $7 an hour in a fast food joint. Scary. I don't mind the idea of people in key positions being tested for being under the influence at work, but I don't like the slippery slope specter - where people are being tested for stuff they do outside of working hours. That seems like a total invasion of privacy to me.