Hudson Boaters Angered by Security Checks

Source: The New York Times

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — For Bill O’Brien, summer has meant the serene bliss of the Hudson River ever since he went out fishing for stripers as a boy. But last year, after he was stopped once too often by law enforcement patrol boats with armed officers, he decided he had had it. He sold his 22-foot jet boat, convinced that a restful afternoon on the Hudson was just becoming too stressful to enjoy.

“One time I got stopped four times in one day.” Mr. O’Brien, 45, an M.R.I. technologist from Orange County, said. “It feels like every agency and municipality on the Hudson has a boat, and they’re all out there trying to justify themselves by finding someone doing something wrong. It’s just gotten out of control.”

Ten years after the terror attacks downriver made security checks a commonplace aspect of everyday life, a tea party of sorts is brewing on the Hudson, as boaters and marine businesses complain bitterly about being stopped too often and questioned too closely by officers wearing flak jackets and holstered pistols — many of them on the lookout for terrorists.

And as boating season begins, that vigilance has become one of those vexing flashpoints, like baggage searches and airport body scans, in the shifting definition of what is normal — post-9/11 overreaction to some, and a response to real risks to others.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/11/nyregion/stepped-up-security-checks-on-hudson-anger-boaters.html

"Rondy rondy rondy rendezvous..."

I've been stopped on the Mississippi in St. Paul, MN, in my 12' aluminum boat, while I was out fishing for catfish. The folks who stopped me seemed more interested, though, in my luck and my bait than anything else. The river, which flows through the center of downtown St. Paul, is patrolled by the TSA, the Ramsey County Sheriff's department, the Coast Guard, and the MN DNR. All have the authority to stop your boat and check it out. They don't do that a lot, especially for some white-bearded angler poking along the shore with a fishing pole. I can't speak for other types of boats, but they don't seem much interested in mine:



:rofl:

plant."

Photo caption from article.


Hmmm, just guessing, but maybe the power plant is a probable target?

And, although there is an "evacuation plan" an evacuation in the event of a nuclear accident or terror attack could never be executed.

But I doubt if they are related. The nuclear industry is very funny about their security and definitely don't want any scrutiny. They won't open up at all to the U$CG and will state unequivocally that they only answer to the NRC.

radioactive) topic since Osama bin Laden was dispatched. This nuke plant is in the middle of the Hudson River on a small island in a densely populated area. The 9/11/2001 jets likely flew right over it on their way to the WTC. Naturally, locals like myself are aware of both issues of terrorism and nuclear accident where Indian Point is concerned.

And in this phrase we see the REASON for the body searches and security checks. Just another step up towards fully-realizing the Coroprate Police State.

for lessons on paranoia, fear and prejudice, and why it's not a healthy response.

Although in that era at least they had an excuse to be more fearful.

Wasn't gonna complain but I felt the same way. Harassed in the name of safety by cops who bought an armored patrol boat and must monitor fishermen and boaters on a recreational lake to justify the costs. Ridiculous.

security, and if they don't spend it they won't get to dig in next time the trough is opened. Also, racing around on the river in a fancy patrol boat is vastly more fun than doing anything useful...

From my perspective (U$CG), I believe that Mr. O'Brien got it exactly correct, they are simply trying to continue to justify the expense of running around on boats and buying expensive equipment. Which will of course degenerate into more of a surveillance state as they try to find anything "wrong" so they can boost their numbers of "violations" to continue to justify their existence.
I knew things were heading there as soon as they ramped up all the patrols after 9/11, at the expense of other programs, think Deepwater Horizon (if you are really interested search for the ISPR for Deepwater published in the NY Times, but not released for general circulation in the USCG yet). And very little has been done to increase the number of containers that are inspected (although I think there was some effort to create large scanners, but I don't know the status).
I was trying to figure out one day what the mentality of all the people running in circles thinking they're going to shoot a trrrrrrrist and it finally hit me. When I was 7 I used to dig hole in the backyard because I was sure that I would find a dinosaur skeleton. Well that is the same fantasy thinking I see in most of these guys out in the boats. I do think that certain vessels deserve extra protections as they would be more vulnerable, but these other patrols are definitely a fantasy. But the reason they get funding is that it is a lot better photo op and more "sexy" to be out driving a fast boat on the water than tucked away in some port digging through containers of junk headed for Walmart.

Seems my wife gets pulled over for a safety check every time she takes the boat out without me onboard.