Terror cyclists beware

vaudegiant said:

Two very low flying Blackhawks (with lots of kahki covered legs hanging over the side) spotted above the corner of Gertrude and Brunswick Sts. Either the State government's getting very serious about cyclists' running red lights, or there's a federal election looming.

Pat

Bit late for the exercises at Albert Park or Golden Square? 😄

vaudegiant said:

Two very low flying Blackhawks (with lots of kahki covered legs hanging
over the side) spotted above the corner of Gertrude and Brunswick Sts.
Either the State government's getting very serious about cyclists'
running red lights, or there's a federal election looming.

Pat

I saw them flying west across the inner north and then disappearing
beyond Melbourne Central - twice.

I have to say I'd rather not have to see military hardware around the place.

--
Nick

NoZX6R said:

vaudegiant said:

Two very low flying Blackhawks (with lots of kahki covered legs hanging
over the side) spotted above the corner of Gertrude and Brunswick Sts.
Either the State government's getting very serious about cyclists'
running red lights, or there's a federal election looming.

Pat

I saw them flying west across the inner north and then disappearing
beyond Melbourne Central - twice.

I have to say I'd rather not have to see military hardware around the
place.

Really?

Nice to see the boys and their toys. Way safer than the cops too 🙂

I think you'll find its all a part of Joint Exercise Mercury 05.

If you've been reading the paper, you'll know its the big joint agency
exercise that is simulating a major terrorist attack. Incorporates
scenarios across WA, SA and VIC.

I can't tell you anymore, or I'd have to kill you..... 😉

Abby

Absent Husband said:

I
I can't tell you anymore, or I'd have to kill you..... 😉

Abby

actually it seems that you know more than you should...so you will have to kill yourself! 😄

Endroll wrote:

actually it seems that you know more than you should...so you will have to kill yourself! 😄

Let me just say that riding with Abby can be REALLY interesting.

Hey Abs, post the photo of you in your Bust-Up gear. All the girls (and boys!?)will be flocking to you.

LotteBum

Absent Husband said:

I think you'll find its all a part of Joint Exercise Mercury 05.

If you've been reading the paper, you'll know its the big joint agency
exercise that is simulating a major terrorist attack. Incorporates
scenarios across WA, SA and VIC.

What a feckin joke!

Nothing but a PR exercise. they wont learn a thing and achieve less.
All manufactured to " 'Be alarmed and vote for a 'lert' " 🙄

If they were seriuos about these exercises they would do something like say:
'OK. 'sometime' inside the next 3 months a simulated terrorist incident will happen 'somewhere'.
They'd learn a [censored] load more about how impossible that battle is

I'm off to stitch my fridge magnets together into a nice cardigan now...

Erm, it IS actually pretty useful. What you usually end up discovering
is all the obstacles/blockages in communication between the various
agencies involved. Then they can get sorted out...

Of course, the next time you do an exercise, you discover a whole new
range of obstacles... :rollseyes:

Oh, and its pretty impractical to do a "sometime in the next 3 months"
scenario. I'd be pretty annoyed if I had to drop a 'real' target to
work on something that turned out to be a hypothetical scenario. This
way, you can pare off the staff involved so that real operations aren't
affected...

I can imagine the cries if this sort of exercise wasn't done, and a
real event went pear-shaped. "Why hadn't they practiced this scenario
before?!?!"

Abby (who'd much rather talk about cycling...)

NoZX6R said:

I have to say I'd rather not have to see military hardware around the
place.

wait to you have to hear and feel the chudder, chudder, chudder,
chudder, chudder, chudder......... as they fly their dual act of irquois
and chinook into sydney for a photo op.

Quoted message said:

flyingdutch said:

Absent Husband said:

I think you'll find its all a part of Joint Exercise Mercury 05.

If you've been reading the paper, you'll know its the big joint agency
exercise that is simulating a major terrorist attack. Incorporates
scenarios across WA, SA and VIC.

What a feckin joke!

These are more sorting out the places where there are two left feet and
they need to change proceedures. The golden rule is that what ever you
train for isn't what happens.

Absent Husband said:

Erm, it IS actually pretty useful. What you usually end up discovering
is all the obstacles/blockages in communication between the various
agencies involved. Then they can get sorted out...

Of course, the next time you do an exercise, you discover a whole new
range of obstacles... :rollseyes:

Oh, and its pretty impractical to do a "sometime in the next 3 months"
scenario. I'd be pretty annoyed if I had to drop a 'real' target to
work on something that turned out to be a hypothetical scenario. This
way, you can pare off the staff involved so that real operations aren't
affected...

I can imagine the cries if this sort of exercise wasn't done, and a
real event went pear-shaped. "Why hadn't they practiced this scenario
before?!?!"

Abby (who'd much rather talk about cycling...)

ring, ring. ring, ring...

"Hello. You're call is important to us. Please hold (girl from impanema
follows...)
"If you wish to book in a terrorist attack, press one"
"If you wish to enquire regarding which sites are available for an attack, press 2"
"If you wish to use the 'Are you felling lucky, punk?' option, press 3"

Thank you for calling the Be a Lert Hotline"

Thankgod this service exists 🙄 so people can practice and plan for it 😄

Bomb laden backpacks travelling the underground better be on the look out for them helicopters.

Thing is, how is a rapid response going to stop the bombs going off in the first place?

FD wrote:

ring, ring. ring, ring...

"Hello. You're call is important to us. Please hold (girl from impanema
follows...)
"If you wish to book in a terrorist attack, press one"
"If you wish to enquire regarding which sites are available for an attack, press 2"
"If you wish to use the 'Are you felling lucky, punk?' option, press 3"

Thank you for calling the Be a Lert Hotline"

Off topic, but it reminds me of an older Leisure Suit Larry game - the one where "our guy" loses out on "Stallions" and goes to a resort called La Costa Lotta. Anyway, when you dial 911 on the phone, it goes to an answering service which goes a bit like "Hi, you have reached 911. I'm sorry but we can't answer the phone right now. Please leave a message after the tone and we will get back to you".

I can't believe I just told the whole world I'm a Leisure Suit Larry fan...

Lotte

Absent Husband said:

Erm, it IS actually pretty useful. What you usually end up discovering
is all the obstacles/blockages in communication between the various
agencies involved. Then they can get sorted out...

Of course, the next time you do an exercise, you discover a whole new
range of obstacles... :rollseyes:

Oh, and its pretty impractical to do a "sometime in the next 3 months"
scenario. I'd be pretty annoyed if I had to drop a 'real' target to
work on something that turned out to be a hypothetical scenario. This
way, you can pare off the staff involved so that real operations aren't
affected...

I can imagine the cries if this sort of exercise wasn't done, and a
real event went pear-shaped. "Why hadn't they practiced this scenario
before?!?!"

Abby (who'd much rather talk about cycling...)

Security services' response to any situation (especially 'real' ones) usually do go pear-shaped, irrespective of the scenarios exercised. As the only terrorist attack on Australian soil was the Hilton bombing, maybe they should just practice staking out rubbish bins around Hilton Hotels. I can't see how flying low and slow over Fitzroy is preparing for any terrorist event, unless they think the terrorists will be making their getaway on skateboards (or bikes). Its all about making us feel a little scared. If they want the population to feel intimidated and insecure, they should just make people ride bikes amongst traffic. What's even more scary is that if the proposed terrorism laws come to pass, we could become subjects of interest just for using certain words...like bomb...terrorist...bicycle.

Pat

Marx SS said:

Bomb laden backpacks travelling the underground better be on the look out for them helicopters.

Thing is, how is a rapid response going to stop the bombs going off in the first place?

It's called security theater and it does have its place.

Security theater is the practice of being seen to be doing something, even if it's ineffective, in order to reassure the public. For example requiring photo ID to board a flight is security theater. Yes, you match the photo and you are you, so what? Does that make you any less or more likely to be a suicide bomber? It doesn't protect against the threat but it makes people feel safer because something's being done.

About the only occaision I can remember quick response SWAT type tactics being useful was in a hostage situation in the mid eighties at the Iranian embassy siege. Bombs? They're just not effective.

EuanB said:

Security theater is the practice of being seen to be doing something,
even if it's ineffective, in order to reassure the public. For example
requiring photo ID to board a flight is security theater. Yes, you
match the photo and you are you, so what? Does that make you any less
or more likely to be a suicide bomber? It doesn't protect against the
threat but it makes people feel safer because something's being done.

Similarly the prohibition on nail files, nail scissors, sewing scissors,
etc. If I were the type (I'm not; I'm just illustrating the point), I
could easily strap a ceramic or glass knife to my thigh, walk through
the metal detectors, come out clean, and still have a weapon with which
I could hijack a plane (theoretically.)

I actually discussed this with my uncle (a major in the army at the
time) -- I raised glass knives; he counter bid with ceramic. Both would
be eminently doable with Australian airport security.

--
My Usenet From: address now expires after two weeks. If you email me, and
the mail bounces, try changing the bit before the "@ to usenet".

vaudegiant said:

pass, we could become subjects of interest just for using certain
words...like bomb...terrorist...bicycle.

I have a forgetful friend who keeps asking "what were the ingredients
again?" And I keep replying citric acid[1], hair bleach[2], and hexamine
tablets[3]. Which in my 2c shows the futility of being lert for key
words. It is like every terrorist has to be stupid to give spooks a chance.

[1] cooking, cordial ingredient, for cleaning injector ports on model
loco {:-)
[2] hydrogen peroxide, hair bleach for stompie wonper surfer look, and
sterilizing wounds, removing ear wax. Wonder if having three bottles
earns a visit from Mr Spook?
[3] firelighters. {:-).so everyone with a wood fire chimney or BBQ is
now a terror suspect.

But I do like how they now take more seriously the mysterious parked car
in your local street. Private [censored] working for insurance companies must
love all this company now and how about the working girls doing a little
home enterprise.

Stuart Lamble said:

Similarly the prohibition on nail files, nail scissors, sewing
scissors, etc. If I were the type (I'm not; I'm just illustrating the
point), I could easily strap a ceramic or glass knife to my thigh,
walk through the metal detectors, come out clean, and still have a
weapon with which I could hijack a plane (theoretically.)

I was amused on my recent holiday that the airline(Qantas) gave me a plastic
knife and a metal fork with my meal. A four tine fork is a much more
effective weapon that a blunt table knife.

Theo

Theo Bekkers said:

I was amused on my recent holiday that the airline(Qantas) gave me a plastic
knife and a metal fork with my meal. A four tine fork is a much more
effective weapon that a blunt table knife.

The wee table you eat off would make a pretty effective weapon. Having had
one break on a flight I was on, I found they produce a rather nasty sharp
edge and have a reasonable amount of weight behind them for flinging, Odd
Job style, at whoever you fancy.

Graeme