A message to Disney Security RE:Boston Incident today

[ddbowdoin]

Yes It's vodker...err...wata...oh dammit just let me on the Teacups!

exactly... I'm a sane person, but I'm obviously not an idiot. Security officers, not police... not military. Basically this is how I sum it up; they aren't trained to use lethal force and how to react to the most stressful, violent, and dangerous scenarios you could possibly think of.

 

[Uncle Remus]

It happened on Tax Day in a city that is famous for protesting unfair taxes (Boston Tea Party). I wondered if it was a homeland terrorist acting out against the government and its tax structure or for some other reason. It's hard to fathom what makes someone do such a thing.

I just don't get the sense this comes from a foreign terrorist group. They usually come out and claim these things by now.

 

[Glasgow]

No, but if I run amok in my neighborhood and stab a few people, are the citizens in my area not terrified? I think that "terrorists" is a word that is used too much these days. Much like "assault rifles" is used to talk about those big mean guns that the media shows you.



Until numbers or some kind of facts are shown, this would be pure speculation.

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Of course it's pure speculation - I haven't personally seen anyone walking in with a machine gun and being turned away. It's tacit speculation based on logic - meaning hopefully someone can't get into the park with a weapon bigger than a small firearm. No, they're not going to catch everything, but again, that's not the point. It's a deterrent that I'm perfectly fine with. Such is the state of the world today.

 

[Hakunamatata]

It happened on Tax Day in a city that is famous for protesting unfair taxes (Boston Tea Party). I wondered if it was a homeland terrorist acting out against the government and its tax structure or for some other reason. It's hard to fathom what makes someone do such a thing.

I just don't get the sense this comes from a foreign terrorist group. They usually come out and claim these things by now.

Anti govt groups tend to target government, not helpless citizens. That is the target group of foreign terrorist groups.

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

Hmmm - was he carrying a big camera?

ha..ha..ha...I might have watched the declaration of the country of @PhotoDave219

 

[draybook]

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Of course it's pure speculation - I haven't personally seen anyone walking in with a machine gun and being turned away. It's tacit speculation based on logic - meaning hopefully someone can't get into the park with a weapon bigger than a small firearm. No, they're not going to catch everything, but again, that's not the point. It's a deterrent that I'm perfectly fine with. Such is the state of the world today.

Well, I haven't found anything showing that there was a problem with crime or weaponry being brought in pre-9/11 so without such evidence it means that the baggage checks are only for show and serve no purpose.

 

[luv]

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Of course it's pure speculation - I haven't personally seen anyone walking in with a machine gun and being turned away. It's tacit speculation based on logic - meaning hopefully someone can't get into the park with a weapon bigger than a small firearm. No, they're not going to catch everything, but again, that's not the point. It's a deterrent that I'm perfectly fine with. Such is the state of the world today.

I am not sure I understand your post. Are you saying that people with machine guns whose intent was mass murder would stop for bag check, surrender the gun and therefore wouldn't be able to get into the park?

I'm sure it's my brain not understanding it and the post made sense. Help!

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

The fact is that most people say Disney is safe because nothing like this ever happened there. They don't think about whether it could have or almost happened just that it hadn't so Disney is safe. If you asked me last week if the Boston Marathon is safe I would have probably said yes.

Whether that has anything at all to do with security is questionable but I doubt it. If someone wanted something really bad to happen there and had the resources to carry it out - it would likely happen. There are flaws in every system that aren't recognized until the system fails.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I just don't get the sense this comes from a foreign terrorist group. They usually come out and claim these things by now.

That assumes planning and coordination with a group. A sympathetic individual could still act alone.

 

[Victor Kelly]

What they have is ok. I got stopped because I had my pocket knife clipped to my pocket which I forgot about. I was approached by a friendly fellow who asked if it was a knife. I said yes. He asked if I would mind checking it with security. It was bagged, tagged and put in a secure location. On the sign in list there were many many objects including firearms, knives, clubs, etc. All were for that day in the morning and it was only 10:30. I'd say 25-40 per page, and it was on page 5.

I was neither offended or angry. Good for them. For all they knew I was testing them. Now I actually used to carry firearms for a living, and when I did not want it noticed you would not see it, or the other backup weapons I always carried.

If someone wants to do harm they can. Weapons are only limited by imagination.

 

[All Disney All The Time]

No, but if I run amok in my neighborhood and stab a few people, are the citizens in my area not terrified? I think that "terrorists" is a word that is used too much these days. Much like "assault rifles" is used to talk about those big mean guns that the media shows you.



Until numbers or some kind of facts are shown, this would be pure speculation.

Did you run amok with the intention of creating a sense of fear in your neighborhood and with the goals of modifying the behavior of your neighborhood and making a statement, not caring who your victims were? If so, you are a terrorist.

Did you run amok because the voices told you to? If so, you are a schizophrenic and/or psychotic.

Did you run amok appearance wise but actually had a particular victim in mind and stabbed others in the hopes of appearing as a schizophrenic/psychotic? If so, you are a mere criminal.

 

[All Disney All The Time]

You will never get me to believe that there security team is anything more than show. They do have security dressed as tourist however they still aren't trained to do anything. Over the years I've seen people steal fight each other several times with no interference and drug use in all the parks. A few of the fights I've seen we're only interupted after they called for the Orange County police. Guests like to believe that they have this wonderful security force that is hidden from the world but if after working for them and visiting all the time I can tell you things that have happened that would scare the heck out of you lol

I've seen more than a few wacky weed smokers. If the wife hadn't been around I would have asked to join in. Don't Bogart that joint man.

 

[All Disney All The Time]

I have always trusted Disney. I hope I still can. It's scary everywhere now. Unfortunately there's no real safe place except perhaps your own home and that is sad! I refuse to stay home! God has a plan for me and I believe when it's my time then that's that! God bless the USA!

If we stay home, and I don't just mean from WDW, then we lose.

 

[All Disney All The Time]

If we stay home, and I don't just mean from WDW, then we lose.

I don't see either of you "staying home". Good on you, we can't afford to let the "bad guys" win. There is not much we can do when the government or private entities decide to "up security" and we believe that their actions are meaningless or inconvenient to us. Whether it be what we now go thru in airports or "bag checks" at WDW. What we can do is make our own decisions that we are going to continue to get out and live our lives. That we will not hunker down and act like scared mice faced with a snake. That we will stand up to that snake, both as individuals and united, and say, "You will not control us you vile snake. You will not cause us to become fearful. We will be vigilant, we will be relentless in tracking you down, we will help our neighbors and countrymen when you commit your filthy acts. We will be strong and we will be brave. We will act in responsible ways and we will NOT concede to your disgusting attempts to terrorize and divide us".

Bless both of you bethymouse and luv. Stay strong, do not despair and remain firm in your convictions. Remember to love and hug your "near and dear ones" a lot. We spent a LOT of time on the phone with our kids the other day. Reminding them of how precious they are to us.

 

[copcarguyp71]

OK...everyone is right who thinks that the bag check is too annoying, ineffective, is the only source of security or holds them up too much from their day in the parks so those people should stop going to the World altogether so that my trip can be more enjoyable with shorter queues and easier to get ADR's

 

[R W B]

Everything on the news is saying the bombs in Boston were in backpacks, isnt this what the "theater" check points check in front of every park? I mean I find it funny how a lot of you all are basically calling the bag check fake but I have a feeling it wouldnt be the easiest thing to get a backpack bomb into the parks. Now that doesnt mean someone couldnt stand outside the park at opening and do major damage without ever trying to get into the parks but you all get my point.

For the record, I have gotten my small pocket knife into the parks with it unknowingly in my pocket. I'm not saying the bag checks catch everything because they obviously dont but I'm pretty confident they would catch a bomb in a bag.

 

[The Mom]

Anti govt groups tend to target government, not helpless citizens. That is the target group of foreign terrorist groups.

I have to respectfully disagree. Oklahoma City daycare bombing - anti-government. The worst school massacre in US history was a bombing by a man in 1928 protesting taxes. Clearly targeting innocent, helpless, citizens.

 

[The Mom]

Did you run amok with the intention of creating a sense of fear in your neighborhood and with the goals of modifying the behavior of your neighborhood and making a statement, not caring who your victims were? If so, you are a terrorist.

Did you run amok because the voices told you to? If so, you are a schizophrenic and/or psychotic.

Did you run amok appearance wise but actually had a particular victim in mind and stabbed others in the hopes of appearing as a schizophrenic/psychotic? If so, you are a mere criminal.

It's a matter of semantics. The end results are the same, regardless of intent, so someone (or group) becomes an unintentional terrorist by frightening the general public, and making them afraid to engage in everyday activities.

 

[The Mom]

A family friend had their daughter abducted inside the park back in the mid 80's. Security was able to find her and catch the bad guy. The story and procedure as to how they did so was remarkable as it was told to me. The abductor had even cut the girls long hair and changed her clothes in the bathroom. She wasn't easily recognized and no longer fit the description the parents gave. That was almost 30 years ago and I can only imagine they are even more efficient and tactful today in all areas.

Could you please have your friend contact this website with the details so they can correct their information?

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/parental/kidnap.asp

I'm not saying your friend is being untruthful - perhaps misinformed - but the story has been repeated multiple times, by millions of people, and it would be interesting to find an actual source for it. The person who told it to me in the late-80s had it placed in the late 70s, but never got back to me when I asked her to ask her friend about the specifics. And I had already heard a very similar story about Disneyland almost a decade earlier, which is why I asked her to verify.

My mother repeated a story about my going to the Newport Jazz festival with a certain young man who she disliked, and my brother went and brought me home. Fact is, it never happened. I did go, but with my best female friend, never with the man in question, and my brother never went to find me. I was around 18 or 19, my brother was in his mid 20s, so it is not a case of something that we don't remember from childhood. But in her mind it was true.

 

[draybook]

It's a matter of semantics. The end results are the same, regardless of intent, so someone (or group) becomes an unintentional terrorist by frightening the general public, and making them afraid to engage in everyday activities.

Took the words right out of my mouth. If the end result is terror, then I have become a terrorist by definition. Whether I rob a bank or an individual, I am still a thief.