So the SOL opened back up today, which is something I’ve been looking forward to, because I’ve wanted to take my SO there for awhile. I now find out that they’re only opening up the base?!?! How fucking hard is it to secure the thing? It’s on a fucking island! Here’s an epoch shattering idea, search the people before the get on the boat. Seriously what the fuck kind of nation of pussies are we becoming? Don’t bother to tell me that AQ would crash a plane into it, because there are about a million other juicy targets for them, and besides, they ain’t going that route again anyway.
I agree. Send all the people coming to the island through the latest hi-tech gadgetry and sniff for any explosives and firearms. The only plausible rationale for banning visitors to the crown is that emergency descent in the event of an attack is not fast enough. But that can be addressed- just have armed helicopters in the area during tourist hours.
Ugh. Have you ever tried to climb the Statute in the pre 9/11 days? The crowds are so bad there it takes hours just get up there in a small, tight, staircase. It drove me bonkers.
The best Statute of Liberty experience in see it getting closer and closer on the Ferry that takes you over there.
I’m just glad that when I was there with my parents several years ago we went up to the top. I wasn’t that eager at the time, but now that I know I’ll probably never have the chance again, I’m glad I went when I could.
On another note, I think they are keeping the statue closed more because of fire safety issues than real concerns about terrorists. It is the type of thing where inertia and people’s enjoyment of the ability to climb all those stairs kept it open, past the point at which people became concerned about large numbers of people with no quick way out. Once they closed it (for more or less legitimate terrorism related reasons) they started thinking about it and decided that the risk was just not worth it. I’m somewhat shocked and disappointed by how long it took them to reopen the base though. And I don’t blame you for being disappointed, even mad. But it isn’t clear to me that they should reopen the whole statue.
That’s exactly what I thought when I heard the radio report today. Each visitor’s got to pass through bomb-sniffing “puffers” (I shit you not) and two metal detectors. And then it’s on to cameras, armed SWAT teams, uniformed cops with Uzis, plain-clothes detectives, truck drivers, cable guys, busybodies…
I can dig that, SmackFu, but their definitions kinda turn my stomach.
Asked whether these new restrictions defeat the concept of Liberty, Park Service Director Fran Minella replied:
“Liberty is being smart, and doing anything in your way and capability to protect yourself, your family and the resource around you. That’s what we’re doing here. That’s Liberty, making those decisions.”
Watching the news reports today, I heard numerous references to a “Glass Ceiling” being installed, so that visitors may look upwards into the SOL.
Is it just me, or is the concept of installing a literal glass ceiling in is female symbol of freedom, beyond which you may not go without being ‘on the inside’ already (ie security, g’vmt, etc), terribly ironic? Or whatever the ‘proper’ term for that is when you’re dealing with things-that-are-not-spoken but kinda ironic anyway.
It’s also amusing that, in order to visit this statue of Liberty, you are forced to undergo an opressive search… most likely at gunpoint.
Almost started my own thread, but this works too. Vive Le Bush! :dubious:
Am I the only one here who remembers living during the Cold War? The only way the military/industrial complex can thrive is if the people are kept in perpetual fear of an enemy that can strike anywhere, anytime.
After the dissoulution of the Soviet Union we found ourselves without an adversary. Now, God be praised, we have “The Terrorists” who are just as bloodthirsty as those goddamned Russkies were. Trouble is, they’re hard to spy on and tend not to publicize their strength as audaciously as those Godless Commies did. Therefore The Government had to create a system with which to keep us all apprised of our adversaries’ progress. All hail the “Terror Alert Rainbow Monitor” and restricted access to national icons–which will surely enrage the proletariat against The Enemy!
All it took was one dark day and the Yanks are paralyzed with fear. Yes you are! Look at the Threat Level thingy! You MUST be afraid, everyone else is! If you’re not afraid, then you must be with THEM! They’re after us! Run…no, walk…no, carry on as though nothing is wrong and buy more gas guzzling SUVs, yeah, that’s the ticket! Be even more like we were before that dark day! That’ll show 'em! Don’t waste your time with social reform, constructive foreign policy or curing the blood plague (which kills more people every week than AQ could even dream of), we have consuming to do! (Farenheit 451 anyone) Pay no attention to the mobilized (or absent) war machinery, our strained military resources and the increasing gulf between those who support our current leadership and those who do not! We must stand united! We must … ooh, shiny…
Yeah, this is just caving in to stupid paranoia. Christ, the Washington Monument is even open and allows you to go all the way to the top, and it’s less than a mile from both the White House and the Capitol.
If they’re concerned about numbers, why not do what the Monument does? Send up a group every half-hour, and have a fixed maximum number of people in each group. Give out tickets to people who want to go up, and when all the tickets for a particular time slot have been distributed, then that time slot is deemed to be full.
Last time i went to the Monument, i was taking a friend from Australia. I knew we wouldn’t be able to go up straight away, so we went and got tickets for the earliest possible ascent. Our ticket was for the 3pm group, which gave us a few hours to kill. We went to the National Gallery and had a bit of a look around, and then walked down to check out the Vietnam War Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. By the time we’d done all this, it was time for us to go up the Monument.
They could do something similar in New York. Distribute the tickets at the downtown wharf. That way, if people have a lot of time to kill, they can go shopping or something before getting the ferry across to the Statue.
holds penny under bic Nope, just not happening. Unless you suggest that the statue would get rendered into powder or shavings before the terrorists set fire to it.
Uber-trained Security Guard: “Whatcha doin’ with that grinder and dremel there, boy? Would be tryin’ creatin’ any terror would ya?”
Terrorist: “No, I’m, uhh…just buffing out some graffiti, Viva La Homeland Security!”
At any rate, you would need one hell of an accellerant to get a fire to propogate at anything approaching a danger level.
I don’t think anyone is suggesting terrorists would set fire to it. It’s more concern over general safety issues…things like lighting, and that it’s a cramped space that’s would be difficult for people to evacuate if it was required, etc.
