with the benefit of hindsight do you think anyone from Boston would consider this 'security theater'?.

with the benefit of hindsight do you think anyone from Boston would consider this 'security theater'?

I'd be willing to give up a few minutes for a bag check to avoid random danger...

When you say "anyone from Boston" it seems you are implying there was some sort of manly reaction - you know, like what you would see in some countries where they spray the blood off the street and open for business again the next day like nothing happened. What I saw was a little scared girl who jumps up on a chair when she sees a mouse and swats it with a broom. Except she was on the chair swatting for several days.

When you say "anyone from Boston" it seems you are implying there was some sort of manly reaction - you know, like what you would see in some countries where they spray the blood off the street and open for business again the next day like nothing happened. What I saw was a little scared girl who jumps up on a chair when she sees a mouse and swats it with a broom. Except she was on the chair swatting for several days.

So you're willing to do worthless acts of worthlessness to not prevent anything... what idiot would put a bomb in a bag that was going to be checked?

You can check all the bags, make them clear, you can run bomb sniffing dogs before the race, but no matter what you do it doesn't prevent someone who wants to set off a bomb from setting one off in an open area. You can't make an open field/open race course secure, well you can but I don't think anyone wants to pay the cost of that race. How many races happen a year, between all the running races all the tris and everything else. 20k+?? and this has been going on for how many years with not one incident? Out of all these races for all these years we've had one bombing, yet now for some reason people feel unsafe going to a race. I don't get it.

What's wrong with security theater? 95% of all security is theater.

A race director has 2 choices - do nothing and risk looking like an idiot or do something and at least then he can say he tried. Clear bags are a pretty easy way to be in a position to say you tried.

I'm guessing more people will be injured by crashing their bikes trying to ride and carry these bags (unlike, say, my backpack that allows me full use of my hands) from the parking lot to transition than will be saved by deterring terrorists.

no no, was trying to say that anyone in Boston at that particular time would probably have been very glad to jump through whatever hoops were necessary to increase safety of all concerned...in hindsight. Nothing about any manly reaction.

As an athlete I am not worried about my safety more about spectators. Check every bag if needed, do whatever you need to do.

tttiltheend wrote:

Just had to quote this for posterity. Maybe you might take a different tone if you knew one of the dead, or one of the dozens that were maimed for life. I suppose your definition of a "manly response" doesn't take into consideration the police officers that risked their own lives in a gun battle or rescuing victims even though there might have been another bomb, or the fact that one police officer was killed and another nearly killed during those days of "swatting a mouse with a broom". But I'm sure you take such selfless risks all the time in your life. I know that many terrible things happen all the time in other countries but maybe it's part of their tragedy that they have no choice but to carry on and by washing the blood off the street immediately they're acknowledging they don't have the resources to do a proper investigation that might catch the perpetrators and help end the cycle of violence.

So illegal searches just because you are standing on the side of a road to watch a race? Geez, I guess the terrorists have won.

with the benefit of hindsight do you think anyone from Boston would consider this 'security theater'?

personally I don't think such an action would occur in transition but just outside where the crowds are watching bike mount and dismount, that tends to be where crowds and VIP tents are.

This isn't about terrorists winning or losing. This is about protecting peoples safety. Make sense?!

Just had to quote this for posterity. Maybe you might take a different tone if you knew one of the dead, or one of the dozens that were maimed for life. I suppose your definition of a "manly response" doesn't take into consideration the police officers that risked their own lives in a gun battle or rescuing victims even though there might have been another bomb, or the fact that one police officer was killed and another nearly killed during those days of "swatting a mouse with a broom". But I'm sure you take such selfless risks all the time in your life. I know that many terrible things happen all the time in other countries but maybe it's part of their tragedy that they have no choice but to carry on and by washing the blood off the street immediately they're acknowledging they don't have the resources to do a proper investigation that might catch the perpetrators and help end the cycle of violence.

In 1983 I was in the Harrods department store as it was bombed by the IRA. Six people died there. In 2011 I was in a bicycle accident which almost killed me. Neither incidents were preventable in my opinion (well, the kid that hit me could have paid more attention I guess, but accidents happen). To think that "if I had done XYZ it wouldn't have happened" or "if the cops would have done ABC they would have prevented it" is shortsighted. The world is a dangerous place. People get injured and killed every day. It can be you, one day. I feel that as the memory of the world wars fades, people start to see an uneventful life as a right. It is not.

OK, not trying to minimize any tragedy, but what part of having all the race participants use clear searchable bags for all their race gear would have made one whit of difference to the Tsarnaev bros last week?

I'm doing a large, well-known tri this weekend.

Just received an email from the RD with new security precautions that we apparently have to follow. We apparently will be given two numbered clear plastic bags that we are supposed to use for all of our transition gear. All bags are numbered for each athlete, and we are specifically asked NOT to bring any other type of bags (ie backpacks/transition bags), and everything we do bring will be searched by the PD prior to allowing us to enter transition on race morning.

Am I alone in thinking this bit of "security theater" is a bit much of an overreaction to the events in Boston?

This isn't about terrorists winning or losing. This is about protecting peoples safety. Make sense?!

Last year at the Marine Corps marathon in Washington DC everyone had to go through metal detectors to get into the expo and uniformed Marines frisked runners as they walked to the starting line before the event. In Boston last week there were SWAT cops with M4s in my hotel lobby for days after the event. This is the new look of America and its not going away any time soon. Tim

a little inconvenience is better than legs blown off and dead people, we will have dog sniffing bombs are our little tri, just because,

better be safe than sorry

TEXSAR’s Incident Management Team and Search and Rescue Team – together with Galveston County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Kemah Police Department and a number of other agencies – successfully provided security for the 2013 Kemah Triathlon. In light of the recent tragedy at the Boston Marathon, Galveston County put a spotlight on public security, and TEXSAR used the opportunity to shine.
“This event was an example of the awesome relationship between TEXSAR and the County of Galveston. TEXSAR did a great job. Words can’t describe how pleased I am,” said David Popoff, Emergency Management Coordinator for the Galveston County OEM.

Days before the triathlon, the Galveston County OEM called up TEXSAR. TEXSAR quickly responded, ready to deploy 11 members. The joint Galveston County-TEXSAR IMT was tasked with providing for the safety of all participants and the public at all times; searching and securing the designated area; and managing a coordinated interagency response effort that reflects the makeup of Unified Command. The objectives were completed, and the triathlon proceeded without any major incidents.

The triathlon was a very positive experience for Galveston County, TEXSAR and all other agencies to integrate their resources. More than 150 people participated in providing safety for the event, including over 60 law enforcement officers and 50 volunteers.

Participating agencies in the 2013 Kemah Triathlon Operation included: The Galveston County Office of Emergency Agency, The City of Kemah, Kemah Police Department, Kemah Volunteer Fire Department, Clear Lakes Emergency Medical Services, Texas City Police Department, Galveston County Road and Bridge, Galveston County Parks Department, Galveston County CERT, Galveston County Amateur Radio Club, Alpha SAR, Montgomery County SAR, and TEXSAR.