Sorry---but I appreciate terror alerts.

[trumad]

I mean I rather have them issued that not issued.

Yeah yeah--- I know fear sells--- keep us afraid and you can do anything you want... but still...

[NightWatcher]

1. I just hope he won't use the terror alerts to hide bad news

[malthaussen]

2. "But still... " what?

I don't get it, Trumad. How does a "terror alert" make a difference? What can you, personally, do about it except fret? It's not like being informed of a terminal illness, where one can take steps to close out one's stay with grace. It's not like being informed of a dangerous condition -- Bridge Out Ahead, or Traffic Tieup on the Blue Route -- that you can takes steps to avoid, or figure into your planning. You might as well say you like being informed that a bus might run you over when you go to the corner for the morning paper, which is (probably) statistically more likely than your being involved in a terrorist attack (depending on where you live). Instruct me, as my good pal Socrates would say.

-- Mal

[trumad]

3. I think we complained hugely when Bush read the report---Osama gonna get airplanes--

and did nothing about it.

I think a terror alert raises a level of awareness to suspicious situations.

I hear you--- it ain't perfect and Bush and gang played politics with it.... I honestly feel that the Obama admin is more honest.

[madinmaryland]

4. Too bad that Shrub did not put out an alert after

The presidential daily briefing of 08/06/2001. Yes. That would have been a very valuable terror alert.

[el_bryanto]

5. I think the argument is that while the Bush administration showed poor judgement

in using this tool, that doesn't mean that they couldn't be used to beneficial purpose.

Bryant

[3rdwaydem]

6. As a New Yorker I definitely appreciate these alerts

It make me a little more cautious and observant of my surroundings.

[SheilaT]

7. They're really great,

because look at all the terrorist attacks those alerts have prevented.

No? Not really? Never mind.


Turning off sarcasm mode to tell a true story. I worked at National Airport in Washington DC from 1969-1979. In the middle of the decade, AFTER security was put in place, we started getting phoned in bomb threats. For the first two years they'd close the airport and bring in police to look through the place, possibly even including bomb-sniffing dogs, although I'm not sure I ever saw any. Never a bomb. Never. After a while, they stopped closing the airport and simply quietly notified us that there'd been a threat and they were screening people a bit more tightly.

There was an incident where a bomb went off in a locker inside security somewhere, LaGuardia, I think and after that all lockers were removed, which was a great inconvenience.

I'm just astonished that we've not had a single real terrorist incident since 9/11. Either they really are incompetent, or they really are laughing their asses off at how we tie ourselves up in knots over nothing.

[L0oniX]

8. I want a car feature that alerts me to other drivers texting.

[chrisa]

9. Why not just say, "there's a terror threat?"

The whole system was pointless - it never went below yellow (elevated).

[La Lioness Priyanka]

10. lol. nt

[Iggo]

11. If they came with specific information instead of just telling me when to be scared...

...then maybe I'd appreciate them.