Making the terrorists' day
by digby
This is why I will never go to a major event again:
Snohomish, Wash.: I’m not a writer, but I’ll try my best.
New York City: Thank you for your hospitality. You and your fantastic police department did a great job welcoming us to your wonderful city for the Super Bowl and keeping us all safe.
New Jersey: Chris Christie and NJTransit, I know you’re having a great time patting yourselves on the back, but you blew it! You ruined the Super Bowl experience for thousands of people.
You had months to plan, analyze and plan some more. You told everyone to take trains and buses — and knew how many people suffered through the first disaster of the day in Secaucus.
Not a single NJT official, police officer or media person was in the mass of humanity in 100-plus degree heat waiting to go through your six “security” stations. Six stations for tens of thousands of people? What a great plan. I know you deny this happened, but you are lying or just plain stupid.
The second debacle was as bad as the first, but much more dangerous. You’re lucky someone didn’t get seriously hurt or killed. After waiting for two hours in the train line, about 30 minutes after it began to dump rain, we were told they were bringing in buses to help with the evacuation from what had become a living hell for 30,000 people.
They crammed thousands of people into Pavilion 5, a tent. We were all forced to squeeze through one small door.
Young, old and infirm were all subjected to the same disgusting treatment. After a couple hours, it was my turn to squeeze throught the door. When the two dozen state troopers who were comfortably standing on the other side of the mass of humanity heard my thoughts on the situation, they all looked to the ground in disgust at what they were forced to be part of by Christie and New Jersey Transit officials.
I’m a cattle rancher. All I could think about is that I would never treat my cattle the way I was being treated. Never.
Todd Kirby
Presumably this was done because of security concerns. And I don't know if it could have been done any better, to tell you the truth. Every major event is fraught with such extreme security measures these days.
So, are we "winning"?
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