# Orange Alert--Are You Sufficiently Terrified? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 7, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503 "2003-02-07T17:33:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/41 "2003-02-08T03:40:29Z")
Yeah, I knew there was a Trading Spaces joke in there somewhere! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/42 "2003-02-08T04:38:28Z")
The security guard at my gym today hassled me because I didn’t have a sticker on my car. “Sir, the entire nation has just been placed on Orange alert. If we need to do a sweep of the parking lot, we need to see that sticker on your vehicle.” Um, ok. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Creant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@Miss\_Creant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Creant)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/43 "2003-02-08T05:31:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skerri \* > \*\*Ya know, I swear a couple of years ago someone did a study that said if you paint your walls in your common room orange and hang out in there long enough, it would raise your psychotic tendancies. I tried searching for it, but I can’t find it anywhere. Maybe I’m just crazy. > \*\* I think you might be right…it certainly would explain the McRib Sandwich :o ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/44 "2003-02-08T05:53:55Z")
Actually, I worked near Grand Central Terminal today. In the morning, normality. By lunchtime, the cops had blocked off several streets, like they had right after 9/11. And we’re talking streets with hundreds of cars and trucks and bike messengers an hour. By the time I left work, they’d been replaced by National Guardsmen. They’re always there, a few at a time, with a friendly Labrador a-snoozing at their feet, but now they were out in the street. And I have to take the subway. Live twelve miles from Midtown, can’t afford taxis. And the terrorists cost me two hours pay I really could have used, as my building adjoins the terminal and my boss freaked and went home early. Fuckin’ Osama. :mad: I wish so hard I could ignore this, or make fun of it, but… ---
**Author:** ![Lucki\_Chaarms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lucki\_Chaarms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucki_Chaarms)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/45 "2003-02-08T06:29:07Z")
If I may quote SNL: "Strom Thurmond was visibly excited when he heard about the new plan, saying, ‘A colluhed alert system? I been waitin’ foah wunna them foah YEARS!!’ " LC ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/46 "2003-02-08T06:38:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Yikes! That is spooky. The smilies are actually in cahoots with the government, part of a conspiracy to cover up the JFK shooting, falsify the moon landings, and the mass public LSD tests to brainwash people into thinking Michael Jackson is the kind of pop. Watch out for the smilies, ancient ancestors of the dreaded tribbles from the original Star Trek series! ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/47 "2003-02-08T13:27:06Z")
Just what **kind** of pop is Michael Jackson anyway, **Monster104**? Since the nation is now on orange alert, he could be: Orange Crush. Although, personally, I think he looks more like this these days. So I guess he’d be a cream soda. Either way I’m confused, but not terrified or color-coordinated. ---
**Author:** ![Tupug\_Anachi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tupug\_Anachi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tupug_Anachi)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/48 "2003-02-08T14:08:15Z")
Golly Gee! Our local news is telling people to stock up on food items that will keep…just like for a natural disaster. WTF? And all the meeces at WDW are freaking! Maybe I should upgrade to this blue :eek: ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/49 "2003-02-08T14:19:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mehitabel \* > \*\*I wish so hard I could ignore this, or make fun of it, but… \*\* I’m with you, **Mehitabel**. ---
**Author:** ![acrossthesea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@acrossthesea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/acrossthesea)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/50 "2003-02-08T14:52:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by beckwall \* > \*\*I have friends who are leaving in 3 days for Okinawa, via Taipei, to visit their Marine son. I love to travel, but I wouldn’t want to be in their flip-flops right now. I guess it could be worse, like going to Kuwait (probably not even allowed right now), but a 12 hour flight on a US carrier sounds like a LONG trip to me. \*\* It is…it took me 14 hours to get here (tokyo) from there (NY)…quite hellish with young kids… living on a military base myself I am used to living with threat levels. Still I get agitated every time news talks about “heightened security” “terrorist threats” or anything similar. When I think of war or whatnot, what color would most accureatly describe my level of fear? Puke yellow. ---
**Author:** ![B\_Williams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@B\_Williams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B_Williams)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/51 "2003-02-08T15:28:50Z")
Until yesterday I was concerned,but not as much as I am now.I have to admit I am more worried than I was after the 9/11 era.The realality of being placed on Orange Alert hit a nerve ,as well as it did most.This reminds me of "War of the Worlds"when the panic button was hit. Will there be only Panic in the Air?Certainly make a person wonder. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/52 "2003-02-08T15:32:33Z")
blue-green here. Nothing I can do by worrying. My son doesn’t want to travel downtown anyhow. And our suburb is not on any terrorists list. WHat would happen if they raised it to red? ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/53 "2003-02-08T16:07:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Golly Gee! Our local news is telling people to stock up on food items that will keep…just like for a natural disaster. WTF? And all the meeces at WDW are freaking! Maybe I should upgrade to this blue. We’ve had a so-called “safe room” for over a year now. Mostly it has made me feel that at least I have done all I can – short of moving to Canada. With chemical or biological warfare, even the suburbs are not safe. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/54 "2003-02-08T19:41:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vanilla \* > \*\* > WHat would happen if they raised it to red? \*\* I’ve wondered this too. What would it take to get to red? The city I live in has the highest percentage of Arab-Americans outside the Middle East, and there’s been a fairly consistant stream of FBI busts on people here since 9/11 (some minor, but most recently a group of people were nabbed in a cigarette sting and are suspected of having direct ties to Al Qaeda). The feeling among people here is that we’re either in the safest place in the country or potentially the most dangerous. Happy ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/55 "2003-02-08T20:42:37Z")
Well, what am I supposed to do? Crawl under the covers? I work in Midtown, within debris-blowing distance of half a dozen major targets. Can’t afford to quit my job and move away. So I laugh in the face of Death; drop ice-cubes down the back of Fear’s shirt. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/56 "2003-02-08T20:57:26Z")
I think your code system is a scam to offload old gov’t surplus cans of Spam left over from the 1940s. They urge you to stock up on non-perishibles and cite non specific threats. Face it, your gov’t is just trying to get you riled up, scared, and ready for the war on Iraq, using your own gov’t generated terror[sub]TM[/sub] as proof. ---
**Author:** ![Witch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Witch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Witch)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/57 "2003-02-08T21:01:14Z")
I just got off the phone with my best friend who’s a “neighbor” of yours **Eve**. She has the same attitude. I’m in Boston, but so do I. If you are constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop you’re not living. Bullshit on that. I joke about _everything_, and this is not different. If something’s going to happen, I have no control over it, and I refuse to spend all my time shaking and shivering and gnashing my teeth. Then the terrorists have won. You knew I was going to say that, didn’t you? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503/58 "2003-02-08T23:24:37Z")
I wish I’d bought something _big_ at the gun show… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-alert-are-you-sufficiently-terrified/153503.md?page=2)