2004-06-08

prog: (Default)
2004-06-08 06:58 pm

(no subject)

Laptop back in my hot little hands, after exactly one day, with a new video cable and no skin off my nose (or out of my wallet). May St. Steve thricely bless the Helping Friendly Grogs underneath Vanderbilt Hall.

Finished day one of a three-day training thing. Perq of working for a wicked big & famous institution: you can apparently suggest to some company that an annual training thing which normally happens in Sante Fe should occur in Boston instead, because there exists a shiny new conference center directly across the street from the building that has jmac's cubicle in it (not in so many words, mind), and they're like, "OK." Anyway, I learned some interesting new things about the cheminformatics software we spend giant gobs of money on, so that's good. It's less boring than I feared, and since I have my laptop back (and wireless signal is strong in the conference room, ho ho) I don't fear the remainder of this exercise.



T is going to start with the random bag checking. Wow. When city services start acting like Circuit City, there is a problem. But it's not like I can take my business elsewhere. ... Deedle-dee.

I echo what some friends of mine wonder: Why is Boston the first US city to do this to its subways? I mean, if I were asked which city would be most likely to crap its pants and go into we-must-defend-ourselves-against-our-customers lockdown mode as a result of 3-11 (Madrid), Boston would not be my first guess.

Of course I wonder what I will do if (when?) I'm asked to unzip my backpack for the kind folks. I wonder if saying no and immediately leaving the station would result in shadowing and surveillance, or a call to the neighboring stations to look out for a fellow of my description, in case I try to walk over and board a train there instead. Um... shit.
prog: (pickens)
2004-06-08 10:40 pm

Why Boston

Oh, the DNC, of course. Makes sense Explains motivation.

I wonder at the likelihood that after all the July chaos is done, the MBTA will retract this policy (i.e. let it collapse under all the anger & protest it will build up in that short time), though under a cloud of statements that they still retain the right to institute whatever future policies they may feel necessary to protect their vehicles, property and people.



In related news, airports have been searching bags via X-ray for as long as I've been alive, and I haven't blinked twice at this. Should I feel upset about that, now? This is a very interesting question.