ThunderWeb V1.0
Flying Home - 29th April 2005
No, that is not a sign at the airport, although it would make more sense than it being in the Hard Rock Cafe... but then again?!
So, I was on my way back to the UK after an eventful month in Boston. I'd got horribly sunburned on my first weekend, nearly died from being bitten by a Brown Recluse spider during my second week, nearly got arrested for taking a photo of the State House in Providence in my third week,and now I was at Newark Liberty airport, with a five hour wait for my flight to Manchester. To while away the time, I got my camera out and started to look through my photos. I thought it would be nice to take a few pics of the planes to round off the story. I had only taken the four pictures above when several airport security people pounced on me demanding to know what I was doing, and why I was doing it.
So, I was on my way back to the UK after an eventful month in Boston. I'd got horribly sunburned on my first weekend, nearly died from being bitten by a Brown Recluse spider during my second week, nearly got arrested for taking a photo of the State House in Providence in my third week,and now I was at Newark Liberty airport, with a five hour wait for my flight to Manchester. To while away the time, I got my camera out and started to look through my photos. I thought it would be nice to take a few pics of the planes to round off the story. I had only taken the four pictures above when several airport security people pounced on me demanding to know what I was doing, and why I was doing it.
Apparently, you are no longer allowed to take pictures inside airports. You may be casing the joint for possible terrorist activity. I got well shouted at by some airport wallahs for taking these. However, if the terrorists have the resources to plan and execute the hijacking of multiple aeroplanes, surely they have access to technology that would allow the to recce their locations by covert means. It’s a wild concept, I know, but there you go. I hardly think that stopping people who are openly taking photographs is the answer.
In a way I can still see their point. How can anyone say what a terrorist looks like? It doesn't always follow that he is a Moslem with 'I am a terrorist' stamped on his forehead. That said, I got stopped for taking a photo of the King of Prussia Mall in Philly, the State House in Providence, and an aeroplane coming into land at Newark. If I was a terrorist, surely I would be a little more sneaky, and take the photographs without being seen doing it!
We need to remove the terrorist threat from the world, no argument there. Terrorism is futile as it does not achieve what it sets out to do. Terrorists say that unless [insert your Great Satan here] packs in sticking their noses into [insert your poor third world victim here] then they will continue to carry out these acts. Conversely, no Great Satan will ever do anything because a terrorist group kills innocent people and gives them an ultimatum.
It's a Catch 22 and the only conclusion I can reach is that terrorists are merely wankers. They know their actions will never achieve their demands, they just like being wankers. Actually, thinking about it, if all terrorists are wankers, and all lads from Manchester are wankers, it follows that all terrorists are lads from Manchester.
In a way I can still see their point. How can anyone say what a terrorist looks like? It doesn't always follow that he is a Moslem with 'I am a terrorist' stamped on his forehead. That said, I got stopped for taking a photo of the King of Prussia Mall in Philly, the State House in Providence, and an aeroplane coming into land at Newark. If I was a terrorist, surely I would be a little more sneaky, and take the photographs without being seen doing it!
We need to remove the terrorist threat from the world, no argument there. Terrorism is futile as it does not achieve what it sets out to do. Terrorists say that unless [insert your Great Satan here] packs in sticking their noses into [insert your poor third world victim here] then they will continue to carry out these acts. Conversely, no Great Satan will ever do anything because a terrorist group kills innocent people and gives them an ultimatum.
It's a Catch 22 and the only conclusion I can reach is that terrorists are merely wankers. They know their actions will never achieve their demands, they just like being wankers. Actually, thinking about it, if all terrorists are wankers, and all lads from Manchester are wankers, it follows that all terrorists are lads from Manchester.
