h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I just cant stand the way everything has changed, having to walk to work each day because it is over an 8 hour wait to get on in the morning, and also that my work hours changed from 6-2 to 4-12, that really peeves me, I am angry that they did this to me...

pyrex

They did this to all of us, my friend

Peace

Pyrex:

Are you in San Diego? Are cars banned there because of the
terrorism in New York and Washington? Do you walk because
the bus or train is too full? I'm a little surprised this would be
happening so far from the east coast. Here in Boston, all the
major buildings in downtown Boston were closed down Tuesday
morning, making for midday traffic problems as people
returned to the susburbs. But things became normal starting
Wednesday. I hope things get straightened out where you are.
Peace.

This country has already changed a lot in the wake of Tuesday's
events.

I believe Pyrex is military. People who work on (or even near) military bases up here (Seattle area) are walking to work, because the cars are backed up all the way to the highway due to increased security protocols (i.e., it now takes a _lot_ longer to get past the guard station).


Mikey

I am sorry, I should have been clearer, I am in the Navy, to get on base EVERY car must go through a full search, top to bottom (At threatcon DELTA) so I have my wife drop me off at the front gate and I walk for a half hour rather than waste time and Gas waiting for eight hours to get to work to work for another eight... your shift starts (since the attack) when you get to work... not at normal hours... anyway...

There was a threat against the (famous)San Diego Zoo and North Island so they put it up to Delta again yesterday. Even at Charlie it is random bomb search and full check of ID and etc.

I have not said anything like this on site here for a while... but I am going to let loose for a few moments.

My capital city is dirty and full of litter. Why? Because there are almost no rubbish bins in public places.

I was on the Swedish underground (sub-way) the other day, and saw an empty pram on the train. I could not relax until I found the parents and the child. Why? Because in my life, unattended baggage is likely to be a bomb.

I was waiting at arrivals at Heathrow some years ago. There was pushchair (stroller) with no-one near it. I felt uneasy and afraid, and reported it to the security services who removed it. Why? Because I did not want to be just one of a number in a headline the next morning.

I spent the summer of 99 taking internal flights within Britain. The checkin time was longer than the flight itself. Why? Because Britain takes security on internal flights very seriously indeed.

I have a friend who has two sons in the army. I was always worried about asking how they are. Why? Because our army regularly put its soldiers in front of real bullets in Belfast.

I lived in Brighton in the late 1980s, my friends there told me how they were woken in the middle of the night by an earth-shaking explosion. Why? Because the Conservative Party had been targeted by a bomb.

I have lived with a roll-call of senior figures killed in my life-time: Lord Mountbatten, Airy Neave, Ian Gow. And a roll-call of of cities bombed: Guildford, Manchester, Belfast, Omah.

Why?

Because Americans funded terrorism.

So you guys have had a wake-up call. Welcome to the real world.

If security on your internal flights was half as good as the security on ours - then 4,000 people would be alive today.

I have worked with a number of talented, intelligent and well-traveled Americans - but almost all of them are politically ignorant and culturally arrogant.

Your countrymen funded the killing of thousands of my countrymen.
Your country funded the training of islamic and irish terrorists.
Your country funded the contras.

Britons have regularly had to walk across London to work because of bombs and the threats of bombs - funded by your countrymen.

I grieve for your dead.
I weep for your bereaved.
I fear for us all.

But I don't give a flying f**k about your shoe leather.


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a briton called Ben

Loook I am sorry I put that so vehemently.

I guess you are saying that it is the loss of freedom which hurts. I can actually understand how that lack of freedom feels.

Once again - I am sorry I flamed.

Ben

To A girl called Ben:

I completely, totally, 100 percent agree with you.

My mother's family are from Northern Ireland. Luckily no-one we know has been killed or injured in the troubles.

My parents now live in Ealing, London, which was targetted a few weeks ago by a bomb (luckily no-one was seriously hurt).

The last time I visited relatives in Northern Ireland, our bags were x-rayed at check-in. Everyone on the flight outgoing and incoming had to walk through a little security x-ray thing. I was pregnant at the time, so did not have to be x-rayed, but was quite happy to be 'patted down' by a female official. Back in Heathrow a kind of security-type man was randomly asking passengers where they had been, who they had visited. And this was when the peace process was still in place.

But I was perfectly happy to go through all that. It meant I was SAFE.

Jude

Flipping heck, I've only just finished posting my previous message, and the message I was replying to has been taken off!!! What sort of place is this???

Ben, those sorts of generalizations, no matter how true, won't help in situations of this nature. Please, don't take out the pain and frustration and anger on other individuals.



Love,
B.

Jude,

The towers put this up 7 hours ago. Perhaps it clarifies things ? I think they are just being very careful about what is posted as the subject is extremely sensitive.

TM.


[block]
Subject: Twin Towers Plane Crash
Posted 7 Hours Ago by The h2g2 Editors
This is a reply to this Posting.
Post: 354

Hi everyone,

Just to let you know our rationale behind the moderation in this terrible time - we are respecting the right of people to post their political opinions, however distasteful they may appear to others. We will not, however, play host to personal attacks, or condonation of, or incitement to, racism or terrorism.

h2g2 is a place for debate and compassion, not attack. Just about everyone's being superbly good on this, but we will remove any postings that break any of those points, or which otherwise break the existing House Rules.

As has been said, put decency and sensitivity first, and everything else should follow.
[/block]

Ummmm... odd coincidence there. I didn't yikes that post, but was mentally yikesing at something that stuck me as so completely out of character from the person who posted it.

This post has been removed.

184916...
Are you Leonard Pitts Jr. of the Miami Herald? If so, well said. If not, it would have been appropriate to credit him for his words.

Well said... I couldnt have said it better myself.

Yes the loss of freedom hurts, the ability to go and get a sticker on your car so you can pass through the gates of the base, with your wife in the car, optimizing your time with her, allowing you to sleep longer, making you worry less, not having to think about possably at any moment having to go out and not see her for months at a time... I say I would miss my freedom of having an apartment, a car and a job that I enjoy equally, I start to hate my job because it takes my time away from my car and apartment, where my wife is.

:I

I posted the long article above. It came anonymously to my email and I thougth it was so moving that I would post it. It was written by a journalist from the Miami Herald, a Leonard Pitts Jr. Sorry for not giving credit...I was simply trying to post a letter which conveyed my feelings, and was something far better than I could have written myself.

Thank you Leonard Pitts for elequently putting to words what I could not.

Unfortunately that post's likely to get moderated away on grounds of copyright infringement, so I suggest you either summarize it or preferably add a link to the original text to your space.

Cool! (re: post #374) This is an editorial from the Miami Herald (yesterday's, I think), and a very well-written one. I wonder if it violates the copyright rules to post it without accreditation...

Anyway, I haven't found where this *should* go, so I'll stick it here:

Would the English among you please say 'thank you' to the Queen for me; having the Palace Guard play the 'Star-spangled Banner' during the changing of the guard made even this bitter ol' cynic get a little gooey. The only version of that song I've ever been able to sit through before was Hendrix's.

For those who fear that some of these (and other) posts get a little nasty and hurtful, I should let you know that they are nothing compared to the opinions of America's own Jerry Falwell and "Rev." Fred Phelps - 'Christians' of some infamy. Respectively (sic), they blame their God for visiting his wrath on pro-choice activists and homosexuals, and other victims had the simple bad luck to be in the way.

I'm sure bin Laden will be relieved to know he's off the hook.

-7rob7

How about a moment of silence to remember the 20,000 African Aids sufferers who have needlessly died this week.

The died because of the crime against humanity committed by the leaders of the Catholic Church with their cruel ban on the use of condoms.

More at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A623378