Boston Marathon security and possession of discouraged items

It keeps getting harder and harder to qualify. My wife's run NY and she is nowhere near qualifying for Boston.

They ruined it for regular runners when they started the cash prizes. There were no people coming from all over the world to compete when it was just done for the glory.
 
It keeps getting harder and harder to qualify. My wife's run NY and she is nowhere near qualifying for Boston.

Yeah, I don't understand why they don't just open it up and add additional waves. In 1996 and again last year, they proved that they can have at least 10,000 to 12,000 more runners than they typically allow. They could easily recoup any additional expenses if they did something along the lines of requiring the current $175 entry fee for people who attain a qualifying time and (for the sake of simplicity) $350 for anyone who doesn't have a qualifying time, and adjust the entry fee for non-qualifiers appropriately to make their cap.

As it stands, even if I could finish a marathon in 3:05:00 (the current standard for my age/gender) I wouldn't be guaranteed a spot. For this year's marathon, you had to beat the qualifying standard by a few minutes in order to get a spot. At least with the above suggested method, all qualifiers could get a spot and non-qualifiers could still run (independent of being selected for a charity), if they were willing to put up the cash for it.
 
And they said those are suggestions not demands (no backpacks, etc). It really is all bs so the sheep think they are super safe.

When you really think about it all, isn't everything - literally everything - just BS for the sheep? Don't we all realize by now that we are, basically, "on our own" when it comes to saving our own (and loved ones) asses if the SHTF? Imagine an earthquake or other disaster. Hurricane Sandy directly hitting Boston instead of NJ....etc etc...Of course, after the "authorities" Eff that up too, they'd "spin" it so that it appears they did the right thing and, thank heaven, "saved us" (blah blah). But if April 2013 ( and also Sandy, Katrina, blizzards, etc) taught me anything, it's that you're "on your own". Especially in this hellhole, where only a few people (% wise) own a firearm, let alone a license to carry it...God help the sheep!
 
Hopefully there will be no training drill again. Unless of course they are starting Jade Helm early and in Boston. I'll be very far away.
 
I saw those big-ass helicopters a few days ago, one flying really low over Route 3, then later in the day over the Mass Pike.
I was going to make a post about it here, but then I remembered EC's warning about starting any more helicopter threads.

Here's an article about all the security cameras installed along the route, some of which will remain permanently in place:

Boston Marathon Surveillance Raises Privacy Concerns Long After Bombing

http://www.npr.org/2015/04/17/40016...ce-raises-privacy-concerns-long-after-bombing

Yes, big brother is watching us.

boston-surv_custom-639fca8bd553f2e74b484abb8e7360bb3cebbbe6-s1200.jpg
 
They added he cameras in ken more that can zoom in to Fenway home plate ....
That's what they said on NPR this mourning . Then they had a person speaking about how it violate rights etc . But they would be fine with the cameras on the route only then taken down .

Nice to know your tracked 24/7 now in Boston .
 
I saw those big-ass helicopters a few days ago, one flying really low over Route 3, then later in the day over the Mass Pike.
I was going to make a post about it here, but then I remembered EC's warning about starting any more helicopter threads.

Here's an article about all the security cameras installed along the route, some of which will remain permanently in place:



http://www.npr.org/2015/04/17/40016...ce-raises-privacy-concerns-long-after-bombing

Yes, big brother is watching us.

boston-surv_custom-639fca8bd553f2e74b484abb8e7360bb3cebbbe6-s1200.jpg

The sheep/libs love the nanny state, with it comes cameras everywhere. Tough to bitch about privacy when you support obama and the libs.
 
They added he cameras in ken more that can zoom in to Fenway home plate ....
That's what they said on NPR this mourning . Then they had a person speaking about how it violate rights etc . But they would be fine with the cameras on the route only then taken down .

Nice to know your tracked 24/7 now in Boston .

Once the Aaron Hernandez story came out people should have realized that you can't go anywhere without being picked up by cameras.
 
Once the Aaron Hernandez story came out people should have realized that you can't go anywhere without being picked up by cameras.

The funny thing was though 50% of the footage was from his own cameras. [rofl]
 
The sheep/libs love the nanny state, with it comes cameras everywhere. Tough to bitch about privacy when you support obama and the libs.

It's worse than that, the bulk of so called "conservatives" and "independents" don't give a shit about this stuff either, past a certain point. Look at the relative lack of outrage regarding the stuff Snowden revealed, and then the pubbies are all running around HURR DURRING about him being a traitor, etc instead of demanding that the NSA be held accountable in any way.

Sadly, most people support this shit because they're too ****ing dumb to know any better, and they harbor the illusion that the gubbermint is the only thing keeping them "safe and warmy" so they hold onto their authoritarian blankies like a 5 year old.

-Mike
 
I live on Beacon Street, the inbound side where the runners pass by my front door.
During the marathon there are typically several LEOs and National Guard troops on my corner.
While going inside for some refreshment two years ago, I saw the bombing on the TV.
I went outside and told a LEO about it and he hadn't yet heard about it.
Do you think I could sit on my front steps with a rifle on Monday or would it be out of the question to host an open carry party in my front yard?


I don't think you will have a problem with a crowd of bystanders blocking your view! [laugh]
 
Sadly, most people support this shit because they're too ****ing dumb to know any better, and they harbor the illusion that the gubbermint is the only thing keeping them "safe and warmy" so they hold onto their authoritarian blankies like a 5 year old.
-Mike

This. Absolutely, positively, 100% THIS.
Anyone have kids? Late teens to mid twenties? Most of us that do probably have instilled a little/lot of smarts/streetwise into their psyche. My daughters both know exactly what the hell is going on in the state/country/world, and have their own uncompromisable beliefs with regard to their rights as a citizen, and also with regard to their safety, self-protection, etc etc.
But when you sit among their friends/acquaintances/coworkers etc etc, and actually listen to the total moonbat BS that most of them spout from their lips, you realize they are almost total nitwits. Ask them a question about how or what THEY feel in their hearts and their heads about an issue and LITERALLY 95% will spew out something they've heard/seen on Facebook/Twitter/Mainstream Media/etc...Press them, ask them how THEY actually FEEL, inside, about any issue. And get them to try to answer you without looking something up on their Samsung Galaxy S-Brain...They have literally NO CLUE as to what's really going on in the world and 90% of them (or more) think they can "just call 911" or just "trust" .gov to take care of me, to take care of us etc.

Maybe it's from having been the generation of living in Mommy's basement that has cause these dolts to not have a clue. Or maybe they're just a product of the schools, even though most went/go to "good" schools (I know, that's probably an oxymoron)...

Whoops, wait a minute..I'm willing to bet that more than half of the young "men" and "women" Zombies whom my kids work and associate with won't even know what "oxymoron" means without friggin' Googling it (maybe even right there on their wrists, on their new "Smart"watch). And while maybe it's easy to say "Tell them to find better friends and acquaintances", before you say that just take a minute, stop and actually listen to these young sheep yap away in a group about "Like, y'know, like about some issues, Dooood!...Um, um...like..like GUNS! Ewwww!..
Actually, come to think of it, half of this young generation doesn't even talk to each other. They sit across the table or in the next room and text each other.

"OMG/WTF/Just Call 911/TTYL/See you at the bar/etc"
 
I wonder if presenting an LTC at such check points would put out the fire, or if they would even make a fuss over a lawful ccw.
No fuss - they will politely but firmly deny you entry if you are armed, although you will be permitted to carry your LTC.
 
If you insist, the private $10/hour security functionary will call a real LEO over to the checkpoint, and the LEO can give you a more official order not to enter with your weapon.
 
When you really think about it all, isn't everything - literally everything - just BS for the sheep? Don't we all realize by now that we are, basically, "on our own" when it comes to saving our own (and loved ones) asses if the SHTF? Imagine an earthquake or other disaster. Hurricane Sandy directly hitting Boston instead of NJ....etc etc...Of course, after the "authorities" Eff that up too, they'd "spin" it so that it appears they did the right thing and, thank heaven, "saved us" (blah blah). But if April 2013 ( and also Sandy, Katrina, blizzards, etc) taught me anything, it's that you're "on your own". Especially in this hellhole, where only a few people (% wise) own a firearm, let alone a license to carry it...God help the sheep!


Not only on your own. But like the residents of New Orleans and Watertown know, the greatest threat comes from those who swore an oath to protect.

In case anyone has forgotten, police, national guard, and PRIVATE CONTRACTORS went door to door in New Orleans after Katrina kicking people out of their homes and collecting guns.

In watertown the police launched over 1000 rounds into the heart of the town with no target in sight and utter disregard for the "backstop".

Don
 
So open carry a pressure cooker, avoid the backpack and yoir good to go.

if it weren't in such poor taste, it would be a fantastic idea.

I love the idea for how it would tweak and freak out the powers that be.

I don't love the idea because there will be people there who were maimed or know people who were maimed or killed. I would not want to insult them.
 
So did anyone here end up going today? How was security there?

I dropped off my car for service at a shop in Natick and saw a buddy of mine on a detail. Lots of cops. I saw 10 plus a couple National a Guard within a couple blocks, and I never went closer than a block away from 135.

I saw that they had dump trucks and a front end loader blocking off Route 27 at 135 in downtown Natick.
 
So did anyone here end up going today? How was security there?

I volunteered at the starting line, they were using the metal detector wands, but not very thoroughly. I keep my keys on belt loop at 3 o'clock so when the wand hit that he said "Must be the keys" No pat downs or anything. There was a large presence of national guard, state police on every near street. There was some ATF, FBI, Homeland Security and two "scouts" on a local rooftop.
 
I was at mile-8 and security seemed lighter than last year.
- No formation overflights of 3-4 choppers like last year.
- Like last year, ahead of the elite runners and wheel chairs was 3 black vans full of SWAT guys, the last one with the rear door open and 2 guys sitting in the open doorway. But, this year there was no van bristling with cameras and Boomerang microphones (detects distance and direction of shooter from bullet sound).
- I didn't see any security dogs like last year.
 
So did anyone here end up going today? How was security there?

I live in town so I went.
I was out for a run in the morning in the opposite direction of the race and still had issues.
I ran past three barricades and asked if I would have any issues going back and was told "nope, on foot you're fine".

Fast forward 45 minutes on my way back, checkpoint #1 officer dick face "you can't go by". I told the guy you just saw me run by 45 minutes ago. He tells me I have to go into the state park (I ran down that route) get "scanned" and take a bus back up. I told him not gonna happen, banged a left at the state park and took some trails back to the road.

Checkpoint #2 where the idiots saw me run by same thing. Again I took a trail I have ran before and headed back to the road.

Checkpoint#3 at town center there was nowhere I could go and had to get "wanded" to get back to my house.

So they gave me a bracelet saying I was all clear.

Plus side it was the first time I ran the trails this season [smile]
 
I dropped off my car for service at a shop in Natick and saw a buddy of mine on a detail. Lots of cops. I saw 10 plus a couple National a Guard within a couple blocks, and I never went closer than a block away from 135.

I saw that they had dump trucks and a front end loader blocking off Route 27 at 135 in downtown Natick.

They were using all their equipment to block roads. I saw a trash truck sitting off Rt 135 near roche brothers at 7am i assume to block one of the roads. Town works have the day off, I wonder who pays their overtime pay, all the extra cops, etc?

Last year the natick cops told me they were no going to hassle people checking backpacks, etc. I don't care for the marathon and don't go but I don't think they did more than the theater of security. Hopefully this stuff ends and gors back to normal.
 
They were using all their equipment to block roads. I saw a trash truck sitting off Rt 135 near roche brothers at 7am i assume to block one of the roads. Town works have the day off, I wonder who pays their overtime pay, all the extra cops, etc?

Last year the natick cops told me they were no going to hassle people checking backpacks, etc. I don't care for the marathon and don't go but I don't think they did more than the theater of security. Hopefully this stuff ends and gors back to normal.

definitely nothing but security theater. Thinking you can contain anything within the area of a marathon is just ridiculous.
I feel bad for the runners who discard clothing that has to be thrown away (they line the streets with bags for exactly this purpose).

I think this is the "new normal".
 
definitely nothing but security theater. Thinking you can contain anything within the area of a marathon is just ridiculous.
I feel bad for the runners who discard clothing that has to be thrown away (they line the streets with bags for exactly this purpose).

I think this is the "new normal".

Clothes get donated to the boys and girls club. So that's one nice thing
 
Back
Top Bottom