A Bomb In Nation

Yep, yesterday was interesting. There were terrorist threats targeting the New York City subway system. Cops all over the place. The mayor said to go about your business, so they didn't raise the alert level to "kiss your ass goodbye." A friend of mine from the UK once told me that they only had two levels in England - normal and headless chicken. Standing in that train car, delayed for 15 minutes at every stop, made me think of London and Japan and Madrid. I actually stood there looking around to see if anyone appeared "suspicious." Can you believe that? When I first stepped on from the platform, the train conductor announced that we'd be stopping at Park Place and then what sounded like "home." I thought, OK, this is it. I'm going "home" to see Jesus! Yeah, fun times in Manhattan. Did I say I hated commuting?
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Comments

seawallrunner says:

I'm glad you are home, safe and sound.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

s2art says:

» not going about one's business is a way for them to win, I'll be thinking of you and everyone else around the world whislt on my next commute
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

Shortcake26 says:

Looking forward to going into the city tomorrow with my big camera bag.....geez, I'm sure I'll be stopped.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

TheSteffers says:

Here is what I think. I think they should light up the Empire State building with daily terrorist threat color alerts.

Do you think any terrorist is going to carry a stroller down three flights of stairs?

I mean really.

Yes I do take thesee things seriously....BUT...

After 9/11 my parents wanted me to move from NYC. "You know it's the first place they are going to BLOW UP! By the way we are flying to Paris (this was two weeks after 9/11) the flights are so darn cheap now!!" Talk about speaking out of both sides of your mouth!

I honestly had no clue about these threats yesterday. If I go, I go...and I hope I go, instead of a father or mother of four. You know? Ok, rambling done. Great subway shot, btw.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

Random Images from The Heartland says:

No i can`t...

That is why i live out here..

I think this place is available if your interested...(but you would have to commute by horseback)

I can imagine how you felt.

Have a relaxing weekend
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

joaobambu says:

Oh man, appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this. My older sis lives in Brooklyn but works & commutes daily to Manhattan to the upper east side.

I fear the worst sometimes and am planning on moving to Europe and hear from some folks, "Oh but Italy will be another target for terrorists".

But what can we do besides go about our daily business?

Hang in there!
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

annappleaday says:

glad youre ok ..keeep watching out for something very suspicious....
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

CA says:

Ah, yes, ain't the world a grand place these days....
Good shot of the underground.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

HatHome says:

I know that feeling and its not a good one, 3 weeks left and im out of the commuting game to work locally. And UK news reports now say we are massively undermanned in the Police Force which will give more chance for the terrorists to do their work...great moral boost right there :/
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

* Honest * says:

i would hate to walk around always feeling scared and suspicious of people around me.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

the tomahawk kid says:

i've also done the 'looking at certain people' because i've found them 'suspicious'...it's not a nice way to be but we seem to be stuck with it...and yes, commuting sucks...been there, done that and i hated it too...
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

small fry says:

Been a testing few weeks for you - back to work and back to experiencing heightened alert.

That sense of vulnerability to an unknown threat, the unpredictability of day-to-day life, is shared by so many around the world. I just wish we didn't have to discover our commonality through the experiences of fear, mistrust and sorrow.

Have a good weekend, Duane.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

:R.e.a.s.o.n: says:

It's sad we have to live this way...
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

Photochiel says:

Wish all you guys the best. Don't get too scared. That would mean you're giving in to terrorism (and the US Government). Hope it's just a false alarm.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

mimbrava says:

Wonderful image, Duane.

How coincidental that the terror alert came when it was announced that Rove is being questioned again, when there is outrage on all sides about the cronyistic nomination of Miers to the Supreme Court (who thinks the president is "the most brilliant man" she ever met), and when Bush's approval rating is down to 37 percent.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

familybmx says:

Wow. I'm now glad we only had a Jesus Shouter on my train yesterday here in ATL.

Don't worry too much though, this happened because Rove is about to be in the hot seat and they need distractions *wink wink*.

Oh and this is a great Subway shot.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

BOOJOO [deleted] says:

London (*)
sure for 20 days everybody stayed in fear and look around with great suspicion, was horrible to see a black bag, or anybody who looks suspicious, I was in the one of carriges fortunately not in the exploded one:(
But the shock was great and they achived their goal to make people live f**ing in fear long time afterwards.
We all still are on alert every minute if any potential probability in any black bag when we see one.
I hope there is nothing serious over there.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

thermophle says:

No terrorist threats in Milwaukee - we live in a segregated bubble. Commuting means driving from one Starbucks to another.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

Spacecake says:

Even with the terrorist scares, I'd give anything to live in NYC. Just so that I can take shots like these. Hope you're doing alright with everything. :)
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

Crfullmoon says:

Just don't get too worried and suspicious,
or you will begin to worry your fellow passengers
who will become suspicious of you. :-/

The administration is having odor/image/real problems.

What the nation *should* be doing,
is making preparations to survive an avian influenza pandemic,
but because it is not something they can time,
like Y2K, nor even predict as much as a hurricane,
the US hasn't been doing anything early enough,
though a pandemic is both far more certain and more deadly in national impact than either of those other examples.
Read up on the 1918 pandemic, if you haven't yet.

It is far better for those in power to scare and distract us with having to prevent terrorists in our streets, and having troops in harm's way,
than to say our health care infrastructure and lack of national health care (and porous borders and ports)leave us insecure as a nation.

Bush asking for power to call in our armed military under martial law and use it on local levels to keep order is not realistic preparation for pandemic illness.
It will not keep people, including the military, from dying, (despite small stockpiles of perhaps useful anti-virals, and non-specific vaccines) and it will not be a recovery plan, which will be harder if everyone is affected.
There's still time to make personal preparations;
don't expect the goverments to be able to take care of you.

Duane, best of luck to you and you fellow commuters.

(Including all the camera-bag-carrying flickrfolk.)

There are enough natural disasters in the world it is; sad we have our our species making so many terrible problems.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

the phototherapist says:

Not quite sure what to say. "Don't worry" seems kind of redundant, and "don't let them win" is so much easier said than done.

Just have a good day today...:)
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

mightymis says:

good for you for even taking the subway! glad to
see you were back in town! great title, by the way.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

OldhaMedia says:

The only thing I did different was to change from my regular backpack to an open-top canvas bag - and that's only because I didn't feel like going through the hassle of opening all the little pocket on the backpack.

However, I carry my 160GB external hard drive back and forth to work and to look at it safely packed in it's black zippered carry bag, with it's shock absorbing foam supports and the cables and cords tucked in - it could appear very bomb-like.

Of course, what's to stop a terrorist from blowing themselves up in the crowded line at the entrance to a station waiting to be inspected?

While the threat of terrorism is very real, many times I think that these 'alerts' are simply deflections from other political goings-on.

Nice shot...
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

fabvon says:

niiiiiiice colors! what lenses/filters do you use?

regards...
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

aarthyr says:

great shot.

funny how we become. very very funny.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

Gali Roze says:

know your feelings so well..
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

Derby City says:

Wonderful photo. You might get frisked if found suspicious with camera? Check out Catskill Grrls thread on Flickr Central.
www.flickr.com/groups/central/discuss/98964/ There are theories there that opened my eyes!
Have a wonderful weekend.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

!efatima says:

awesome shot duane, as always. Commuting has become such a big part of our lives.... and then to deal with all this games .... i have no idea what makes this world a better place anymore.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

mary04 says:

Great shot, I'm also glad U commuted safely.........

I can understand how U felt, I used to work at Frankfurt International Airport, there were bomb threats frequently and some of them were'nt fakes.......one time I even thought I had a bomb in my counter, oh boy.............
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

Andy Welsh says:

In the UK we had the IRA threat hanging over our heads for a number of years - but in an almost seamless transition, as soon as a cease-fire is agreed in Northern Ireland, a new and more indistinguishable threat emerges with Al Qaeda.

However, I am not that convinced that this threat will ever go away due to recent UK/US activity.

Getting back to the image - its at a bit of a paradox with your statement as I think its got a warm, appealing glow and encourages me to want to visit New York!
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

JourneyToNoWhere says:

very informative duanne. I heard abt this in the news only :-)
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

mjross says:

took the subway friday and saturday...was kind of amusing in some ways-there were people who were defiant (i DARE you to bomb us!) and people who were scared (any sudden noises or movments had them assuming crash positions)...but most people just acted like it a normal day-maybe a bit more alert than usual, but nothing major.

wish i had photographed them...
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

epg says:

great, great shot, drp.

my thoughts echo *Honest*'s. i really can't imagine what it would feel like.

so much going on in the world right now.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

Jane_W says:

I'm always so glad that I do my daily commute on foot...

Great light in the shot and great title!
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

Norma Tub says:

Be not afraid, maybe that's how you will become a butterfly.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

TFUFKAY says:

the emotional impact on people all over the world is beyond words..

try & feel safe.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

Sylvia...Sometimes says:

The chances of being blown up by a terrorist is less than the chance of being run down by a taxi/motorist, or dying from cancer, or...get my point. We can let fear keep us from wanting to walk out the front door and we would miss all the wonderful things in this world. We shall die when our time comes...not before...not after. Live while you can. This photo shows so well, in luscious colour, those who choose to open that front door.
Find a great book, or do a suduko puzzle...there's enough stress once you get to work! But you might want to "re-purpose" that plan ;-)
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

ChrisDigital™ says:

Nice pic, that terror alert was a load of crap from the start. Hey does the man give you any hassles when you take out your camera?
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

patisfaction ~ censored [deleted] says:

.. well hang in there buddy
& just now saw that it all seemed 2 b based on a lie..
O_o
life's a feckin biaaatch evry now & then
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

Airchild says:

My father told me about this... he avoided Manhattan. Luckily he has a choice. But I imagine living there and it would not have been easy.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

*Perikita says:

Thanks God you are fine :) Great picture.
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

akinoproduzioni says:

(3)
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

.steve.t [deleted] says:

love the contrasts, and the prominence of red!
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

dM.nyc™ says:

I so far have not had my bag searched in the subway, which IMHO is a stupid idea because one can easily say no and walk a few blocks to the next station where there is no security. This is all for show and it's an annoying waste of time and money when there certainly have to be better ways to spot would-be bombers.
Posted 45 months ago. ( permalink )

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