what a way to start your day

[ouizy]

I am tired of all this.

My subway got stuck at a stop for 20 minutes.

I got to Wall Street and because I work across the street from the Stock Exchange, I see things. Well, today I arrived at work and had to say excuse me to 4 NYC police officers with gas masks strapped to their legs. I thought that was curious so I looked around a little and there were 4 cops, or special service officers (the guys who are allowed to carry machine guns) on each corner in the area. Yes, they all had gas masks strapped to their legs.

I got to my office and my sister had called. She told me that she decided we all need a meeting place in the city and it would be my apartment. I asked what the meeting place was for and she said, "...so when something happens we have a place to meet."

Not if, but when.

You see she was unable to contact her husband who also worked down here on Sept. 11th.

I am upset because there is so much fear in NYC right now. Everyone is afraid of everything. I am a bit ambivalent after seeing Bowling for Columbine as one of the main themes of that movie is how the media keeps us in fear. Is that what is happeing right now? Or should I really be afraid?

I have a small acorn of an idea in the very back of my head that George W Bush is somehow going to get me killed. It does not make me happy, but I think what if he backed down a bit and stopped all the threats? Would the threats against us stop? Or do we have to kill everyone in Iraq first to find out. Is there evern a real threat against us?

I dunno - I am babbling, I am just tired of going through multiple levels of security to go to my job.

I am glad I am off to Vegas and I simply feel like quoting Benicio Del Toro here from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas:

"...God hell! I think I see the pattern! This one sounds like real trouble! You're going to need plenty of legal advice before this thing is over. As your attorney I must advise you that you'll need a very fast car with no top and after that, the cocaine. And then the tape recorder, for special music, and some Acapulco shirts... This blows my weekend, because naturally I'll have to go with you -- and we'll have to arm ourselves..."


Blah

 

[Flag Pole Pear]

i would not want to live or be in new york. i dont blame you.

 

[beegee]

ah yes, but "why not? if a thing like this is worth doing at all, it's worth doing right..."

poor new yorkers...my brother works half a block from the empire state and he suffers this twitchiness too. says he could crawl out of his skin with the nerves. i pray for him every day. god bless you all...

 

[Screaming Flower]

god that must really suck. i've really been thinking of you new yorkers lately. it must be pretty scary. it's scary everywhere but it must be even tougher in new york. your sister certainly has good reason to want a meeting place.

being scared sucks.

 

[ouizy]

nice follow through Bonos girl...

Love the avatar too.

I cannot wait to get outta Dodge and hit the desert...

 

[Desert_Sky]

Thats bloody horrible. And i thought i was at risk just cus i'm by a naval base.
My house mates flew to NYC last week for a long weekend (i don't know where they got the money for it) they didn't say anything about it being tense, but then i guess they don't live there.
Hope you're ok buddy!

 

[AngelofLarrydom]

I am tired of all this.

I got to Wall Street and because I work across the street from the Stock Exchange, I see things. Well, today I arrived at work and had to say excuse me to 4 NYC police officers with gas masks strapped to their legs. I thought that was curious so I looked around a little and there were 4 cops, or special service officers (the guys who are allowed to carry machine guns) on each corner in the area. Yes, they all had gas masks strapped to their legs.

Yikes! I get nervous when I see rent-a-cops with dogs at my
"L" stop (I live in Chicago). I can't imagine what I would
feel to see special service officers with machine guns!!

I am upset because there is so much fear in NYC right now. Everyone is afraid of everything. I am a bit ambivalent after seeing Bowling for Columbine as one of the main themes of that movie is how the media keeps us in fear. Is that what is happeing right now? Or should I really be afraid?

Hmmm... I kinda feel that the media does keep us in fear.
If something did happen (God forbid), the public would
be angry that they were not forewarned. On the other
hand, what can we possibly do to keep safe from bological or
nuclear threat?? I think you should go about your everyday
business and your sister has good sense.

I am glad I am off to Vegas

Good, have fun and be careful!! Meaning, don't do anything
I would do

 

[Sicy]

I'm scared too and I live near SF. They're watching the bridges over here closely. I dont think anywhere in the US is safe if something happens. I think this is all stupid. George Bush is the worst president we've ever had

And I think this thread should stay here rather than fym so some of us that dont frequent fym can share our opinions as well.

 

[ABEL]

ouizy

 

[ouizy]

And I think this thread should stay here rather than fym so some of us that dont frequent fym can share our opinions as well.

The only reason why I posted it here...

This sucks...

The reasopn why it sucks so much is that people are literally sitting here in fear, but what if there was actually nothing at all to fear. How do we KNOW something MAY happen?

I think we are all just looking forwward to the end of the day...

 

[Kariann]

Being in the Heartland I havent really felt scared since there doesnt appear to be any obvious targets but then it pops into my head that it wouldnt really matter... we could be more of a target than anywhere else...the natural assumption is that they would go after a larger city etc. I'm concerned definitely but I try not to be scared. The best thing it to be aware but still go about as normal. If we beginning living in constant fear that is a point scored for them.

 

[nbcrusader]

I thought that was curious so I looked around a little and there were 4 cops, or special service officers (the guys who are allowed to carry machine guns) on each corner in the area. Yes, they all had gas masks strapped to their legs.

It sounds like we have caught up with the rest of the world. I can recall similar sites in London, Paris, Rome, and Cairo over the years.

Fear does generate good ratings for the media - but leaves us with a pit in our stomachs.

 

[Screaming Flower]

i really need to stop watching the news

The reasopn why it sucks so much is that people are literally sitting here in fear, but what if there was actually nothing at all to fear. How do we KNOW something MAY happen?

I think we are all just looking forwward to the end of the day...

exactly. it blows.

 

[Flag Pole Pear]

Re: Re: what a way to start your day

Fear does generate good rating for the media

it doesnt? working for a newspaper, i know that a killer on the prowl is more likely to make page one than a $500,000 donation.

 

[meegannie]

I'm right there with you. I'm tired of coming to work everyday and having to give my emergency contact numbers to someone for the 9,000th time, getting memos about "escape hood" training, waking up to signs all over my apartment building about shutting off the water supply in case it's poisoned, hearing my boss (who knows classified information) saying it's "not a matter of if but when," reading all this crap about plastic sheets and duct tape (won't that cut off all the air supply??), and being told that if there's a chemical or biological attack, we might be stuck here for up to ten days. It doesn't even seem here like security has really been stepped up.

I hate that everything I've ever wanted in my life is supposed to come together in six and a half months, but now my life is apparently in danger just because I work on Capitol Hill in a job I don't even like.

It's REALLY taking a toll on me and I'm sure Sam is tired of me whining about it constantly and calling him after he's gone to bed to cry for three hours.

 

[ghetofabu]

true.

 

[joyfulgirl]

I cannot wait to get outta Dodge and hit the desert...

I did that. And I never went back. But now I've got nuclear Los Alamos 40 miles away.

 

[beegee]

yeah, nevada...nuclear dreamland. toxic wasteland. yucca mountain.

 

[tiny dancer]

Hope that your trip to Vegas is just what you need!

 

[ABEL]

What a way to end the day.....

Ironically, the same day you post this thread, Ouizy, I got the following letter left on my front door tonite when I came home from work....not every day you get a letter like this

"To Our Residents:

On February 6, 2003, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Counter-Terrorism Division raised the national; terrorism threat level to "orange" indicating a "high risk of terrorist attacks". (For your information: Alert Condition Levels are as follows: Green: Low; Blue: Guarded, Yellow: Elevated, Orange: High, Red: Severe.)
Attorney General John Ashcroft described the non-specific threat in this manner: "Recent intelligence reports suggest that al Qaeda leaders have emphasized planning for attacks on apartment buildings, hotels and other soft or lightly secured targets in the United States."
At this time, we want to emphasize that this is not a specific threat against any particular apartment building, nor is there a particular time frame or location identified. Please keep abreast of local and national news for emergency information and updates.
Whether the threat is one of terrorism or other criminal activity, it is important that you observe your surroundings and report any and all suspicious, threatening and unusual activities and persons to the police and/or the FBI. After you have notified the appropriate authorities, you should then contact your leasing office or, if available in your community, your courtesy patrol service, to notify them of both the nature of the activity observed and of your report to the local authorities.
Remember that terrorism and other violence know no racial, ethnic or religious bounds. Our country's diversity is both its greatest strength and its most precious asset. Our focus in these times must be on activities and conduct and not on racial, ethnic or religious factors. Lincoln Property Company is committed to fair housing for all people and attempts by any resident to target specific racial, ethnic and/or religious groups for mistreatment will be responded to with all appropriate action available under the law.
Should you wish additional information about the communication, please visit the FBI website at www.fbi.gov. To locate your local FBI field office, once at the FBI homepage, click on the "About Us" and then the "Field Offices" links. It is also a good idea to adopt a "Family Disaster Plan" in the event of an emergency. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has developed a model plan that might be of use and can be accessed at www.fema.gove/pte/famplan.htm.
Once again, the FBI has requested that we stress that the threat is purely general and non-specific. We will, of course, provide you with any additional credible information we receive including, any information that the threat has been declared specific by the FBI."

 

[meegannie]

ABEL

 

[u2loopy]

ouizy, I can totally sympathize with you.

The only consolation that I TRY to give myself is, "They hit us once, they couldn't possibly hit NY again?????"

But I guess we should never underestimate those terrible people.

 

[Angela Harlem]

Is that kind of thing that you recieved ABEL, common? Are many households and workplaces etc handing out that sort of thing? The fear in New York must be terrible. I couldn't imagine what it must be like to have my sense of security threatened like that. But I would think Texas is not a huge target? I mean, we can never tell what these idiots are thinking or where they think they may get to you all again, but it begs the question, where can you go to feel safe? Is anywhere safe?
We all got a similar thing to that notice distributed here in Aus, and at first I kinda smirked at the ads on tv announcing it was coming in the mail. I thought "We aren't a target! Why would they come here?" And while I think we are fairly safe, everyone probably has that view until someone gives you a very real reason to think otherwise - like NY.

 

[ABEL]

well Angela, I've never gotten a letter like this, I don't think I even got one like this following Sept. 11th, and no they're not common...Dallas is a big city...and like you said, we don't know what these idiots are thinking...I know this letter is just a precaution, as it says, but it makes you realize that our whole world has changed since Sept. 11th, it's not just NYC...it's everywhere in fact, NYC may be one of the safer places, since they have stepped up security and everyone's more alert there after Sept. 11th...people in other cities and towns are thinking "it can't happen here". Terrorists don't see it that way

I'm not going to be afraid and change the way I live because of it though. You just gotta go on cuz like others have said, if you don't, then they've won.