Poor Opal! I tensed up just reading your experience. You know, I don’t really care how high the terror level alert is set - guards shouldn’t be running around waving high-powered rifles at terrified ladies who simply made a wrong turn. What NYR407 said about being set up to count guards may be true, but I think that there were far better (read: calmer and less traumatizing) ways that the guards could have dealt with the situation.
I can so see that sort of thing happening to me, because I’m an unobservant person. I’d be reluctant to take action myself, but as an outsider looking in, I strongly suggest that you write to a higher-up about the behavior of those guards, Opal!
No, I laugh at their tendency to swarm when the prudent course in Opal’s case would have been to move to covered positions where they could continue to protect their gate but not be all killed at once when the terrorist disguised as Opal pulled out her pink Uzi or set off her car bomb. Being a cop in times like these requires intelligence and prudence which these guys did not demonstrate and, unfortunately for us and them, many cops need to work on it.
The canary in “blue canaries,” I assume, refers to the unfortunate need for police officers to be the first into an unknown situations and, therefore, the ones likely to be killed if the situation is actually dangerous, like a canary in a coal mine dies to tell the miners the atmosphere is growing poisonous. It is a tribute to their bravery but is couched in the gallows humor people in dangerous occupations often adopt as a defensive reaction.
Actually, it refers to their tendency to run into chemical spills & such when they should know that the better course of action is to make sure that the area is safe before charging in. A perfect example is the training exercise where a number of emergency response agencies come to a train “crash” and the police rush in only to be told by the instructor that they’re all dead, whereas the firemen (and firewomen) have been waiting for the danger to be assessed.
A friend of mine was a “army brat” teenager. He often turned from the main street and drove slowly through the gate with his id showing and a friendly wave to the guards. Never had any problems. Until one day he was coming back in and didn’t observe that the base was on alert. As he drove past the gate he heard the click of an M-16 and saw the guard through his rearview mirror, in the roadway, with his gun pointing at him. He stopped in time.
I would probably have done the same as you and, worse. Thought I was smart at assessing the situtation and put my hands up or on top of my head. Imagine the reaction. 'The guy is acting like the bad guys are supposed to act when we catch ‘em.’ I would be lucky to get away in an hour.
IMO, the constant repeating of questions was to see if you would consistently answer the questions, and without tripping up yourself, but with the right amount of fear. As a technique to evaluate who you say you are. Here I am justifying all this, but because I look at all the sides (re: username), not that I like it. I was pulled over once for speeding and the officer first asked me how I was doing that night. I smiled and nodded. He then repeated the nice question a little more sternly. I assumed later that he wanted to hear me speak so that he could make a ad hoc decision about whether I was drunk.
I think they should have taken cover because they expected a car bomb. The driveway is curved to prevent a straight dash-and-crash. However, it is stupid to not provide a “light-security” gate for accidental civilian traffic. Hell, just put up a bar and an intercom. You blow through that and they don’t even have to yell, “Stop or we’ll shoot!”
Complain due to the scare you unnecessarily incurred. If you want you could even take an empowering stance like, “Hmm, I am pissed and scared, but I understand the need for good security. What could I do to help? Ahh, I’ll suggest how they can keep from scaring the civilians And guard the place better And keep costs down And {whatever}.” Nothing can change if nothing changes.
You were not there so I can not see how you can determine whether or not they reacted with intelligence and prudence. Trust me, had Opal pulled out an Uzi she would not have had time to use it on everyone in sight. Unfortuantely, bombs are part of the risk too. Do you know how far away from a bomb you need to stand? Depends on the bomb, right? Perhaps they should have formed a perimiter every 50 feet for 500 yards to make sure that someone survived.
I understand what it referred to but js_africanus’ post said nothing about a tribute. It was a remark on what he believe is the ineptitude of police officers to which you found funny. I don’t see were his remarks should deemed to be respectful.
After reading js_africanus’ last post it seems to be a specific training situation somewhere that caused this nickname. So what would the FF do in that situation js_africanus’? Wait until “Opal the terroist” shoots them or blows some of them up and then assess the danger and then put out the fire? You are criticizing something in which you seem to have no training.
I would be surprised if Opalcats complaint proved any wrong doing or over reation by the POs.
For the record I do not remember the last time a NYPD PO was killed in an actual chemical spill. However the number by gun fire are far too frequent. Unfortunately a fire with a chemical explosion did kill several firemen on Father Day about three years ago. Still do not see how that is funny or should be mocked.
All I ask is for you to respect both of their jobs. You may have had bad run ins with some POs but not all POs are the same person.
NYR407, you certainly sound too high-strung to be a cop. Pretty soon you’ll be shooting a guy for pulling out his wallet. If you don’t like the nicknames used by firefighters you don’t know, tough. I’m pretty sure that if they though that it was too offensive, then they wouldn’t use it.
I was on Sunset Hills between Reston Parkway and Fairfax County Parkway. I was trying to find the cutover to the Reston Town Center (I lived in Reston when we first moved here and I knew it was there, I just never came down it that way. I always used it to leave the Town Center, not to enter it…)
NYR407, cops and fireman have been giving each other a hard time for centuries. Cute nick names and deriding comments (done in jest) are normal. 9/11 isn’t going to stop that. Just because they respect each other a little more these days, doesn’t mean that they won’t give eachother a hard time at the next guns and hoses event.
I didn’t want this to get into an argument but it did. I still stand by my point that the way the use of the term “blue canaries” was made and laughed at in this post (not by actual FF etc) was not in a joking manner but in a derogatory way. If they chide each other on the job (and yes the FDNY and NYPD get into tons of fights and arguments) that is one thing. Having someone use the term our of disrespect is another.
Perhaps I over reacted but I really didn’t think it was funny the was it was used.
