Things that I could do before Sep 11 that I cant do now

[Anonymous]

Well here we are its a national holiday so I may be the one to start this thread
As the "Resident Hobo" here before 9/11
I Could......

1. Be invited to ride in the trailing locomotive units by the freight conducters
2. Jump the turnstyle for the PATH train at Newark and Hoboken without anyone saying anything to the World Trade Center.
3.Get Lost in the Former World Trade Center
4. Lay on a blanket on the plaza of the World Trade Center half drunk and watch the towers spin around me.
5. Go to Clevland Hopkins or any number of airports and go Air fanning and watch planes take off from the observation decks
6.Buy discount plane tickets on standby for as low as 20.00
7. Get on Amtrak without a ID
anyone else?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainfinder22

Well here we are its a national holiday so I may be the one to start this thread
As the "Resident Hobo" here before 9/11
I Could......

1. Be invited to ride in the trailing locomotive units by the freight conducters
2. Jump the turnstyle for the PATH train at Newark and Hoboken without anyone saying anything to the World Trade Center.
3.Get Lost in the Former World Trade Center
4. Lay on a blanket on the plaza of the World Trade Center half drunk and watch the towers spin around me.
5. Go to Clevland Hopkins or any number of airports and go Air fanning and watch planes take off from the observation decks
6.Buy discount plane tickets on standby for as low as 20.00
7. Get on Amtrak without a ID
anyone else?

Even before 9-11 any freight conductor allowing you to ride was taking his job in his hands.

LC

[Junctionfan]

Bring shaving razers and nail clippers on the plane-who in the hell is going to take a person seriously if you tried to hi-jack a plane with a Mach 3 and nail clippers....that's just stupid.

[Anonymous]

board a plane with a metal hip/knee joint WITHOUT an embarrasing search

Speak openly about LOW IQ presidents without having patriotism jammed down your throats by 'his faithful flock"

Arrive at an Airport 15 minutes before your scheduled departure and still make your flight..

[Anonymous]

Drive all around Port Newark with my boys. We could drive right up to the container ships.......walk around the giant cranes when they were not loading a ship.....walked right up a ramp onto the ship with my boys........step onto the tugs and talk with people.....sit right there and watch them load containers onto railcars......

Now big security check-ins stop us from getting close to anything. Empty containers are used block some roads. High fences with razor wire and cameras everywhere.

Spending a couple hours on a Sunday afternoon at the port with my young sons my seem like a trivial thing to some, but I am *very, very* angry that these small freedoms have been taken from me, and my country.

Jim

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ironmine

Drive all around Port Newark with my boys. We could drive right up to the container ships.......walk around the giant cranes when they were not loading a ship.....walked right up a ramp onto the ship with my boys........step onto the tugs and talk with people.....sit right there and watch them load containers onto railcars......

Now big security check-ins stop us from getting close to anything. Empty containers are used block some roads. High fences with razor wire and cameras everywhere.

Spending a couple hours on a Sunday afternoon at the port with my young sons my seem like a trivial thing to some, but I am *very, very* angry that these small freedoms have been taken from me, and my country.

Jim

Same kind of thing here in Vancouver, you used to be able to easily drive right up by the waterfront, now they have nearly all the roads blocked off, and if you want to get anywhere near the port, you've got to go 10 blocks out of your way to an entry point.

[shrek623]

Junctionfan,

Mach 3 Turbo, because they are more dangerous. As for getting to your flight, my wife was able to do it in 5 minutes at OHare, and the only reason it took 5 minutes was she had to run down the terminal. That happened in July 03. Being inland of Chicago in a "small" town of 25000, nothing is really different. The only thing we have is these small town politicians feeling like they have to "do there part" locally to fight terrorism, which in my mind is not something that should be put at the front of small town politics. Pro sport stadiums-YES, Federal or VERY tall buildings-YES, Nuclear Power plants-YES YES, My local Blockbuster or KFC-NNNNOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Drive all around Port Newark with my boys. We could drive right up to the container ships.......walk around the giant cranes when they were not loading a ship.....walked right up a ramp onto the ship with my boys........step onto the tugs and talk with people.....sit right there and watch them load containers onto railcars......
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Say you would not be part of the "Conrail Boyz gang would you?"

[Anonymous]

Walk up stairs at work. Taking the elevator and walking DOWN the stairway is fine but try to get a little exercise by stairclimbing and I'm swarmed by security guards.

[DSchmitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TheAntiGates
[Speak openly about LOW IQ presidents without having patriotism jammed down your throats by 'his faithful flock"

I don't dispute your patriotism, just your judgement on this point. President Bush isn't stupid. That is just propaganda. The Democrats have claimed that every Republican candidate for President since and including Eisenhower (after they asked him to be thier candidate and he said no) was stupid. They have, to give them the benefit of the doubt, been mistaken every time.

I don't know about prior to that time, since I wasn't around and haven't tried to find out.

It would be interesting to see a list of Presidents by IQ. I believe that we would find some very high IQ's among the least successful. No matter what political party the were affiliated with.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Stand within 50 feet of the rails at my favorite spots, and not have someone ask me what the hell I was doing.

[rtstasiak]

First of all, my classmate, Tom Moody of the FDNY, was killed along with 3000 other people, so everything changed forever for his friends and family.

Second, I never feel comfortable any more taking pictures of trains, sharing them with others, or buying and selling maps. Part of me worries that another guy like Muhammed Atta will cleverly exploit educational or hobby material to kill even more. Of course, I do not cheri***he thought of of being led away for the "crime" of taking pictures of dirty cars and engines!

I no longer take my freedom to take photographs for granted.

Rich

[agentatascadero]

Let's see, there was Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford,Reagan ,Bush, Bush. So I guess you are 2 for 6: Ford and Bush Jr. One does not have to be from the opposition to see that these two are intellectually challenged, this was an international, even global conclusion. Reagan, well he was just lazy, demonstrably so. The others were known to be of superior intelligence. Perhaps, most telling about your post is your OWN statement about your lack of curiosity which, I think, reveals the reason for your own ignorance. Relax, I'm not calling you stupid, just ignorant, meaning you lack knowledge.

[DSchmitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by agentatascadero

Let's see, there was Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford,Reagan ,Bush, Bush. So I guess you are 2 for 6: Ford and Bush Jr. One does not have to be from the opposition to see that these two are intellectually challenged, this was an international, even global conclusion. Reagan, well he was just lazy, demonstrably so. The others were known to be of superior intelligence. Perhaps, most telling about your post is your OWN statement about your lack of curiosity which, I think, reveals the reason for your own ignorance. Relax, I'm not calling you stupid, just ignorant, meaning you lack knowledge.

Every one of them a better President than Carter. I've lived through all their administrations.

John Kennedy could have been great, but he was tragically murdered.

Johnson got us into Vietnam with no "exit strategy" (can you spell Gulf of Tonkin) and started a wrong headed war on poverty which we lost creating the welfare class in America.

Nixon got us out of Vietnam, and went to China. Something no Democrat dared do.
Watergate was stupid, but not the worst crime in history. Nixon did not use the power of the Government against his "enemys" as some like to claim.

Reagan was not lazy, and despite the claims of the Democrats one of our most brilliant and successful Presidents. His aids say he actually worked very long hours, and made his own decesions after weighing the evidence and different points of view. He was a excellent judge of people, who surrounded himself with a good staff. Something many Presidents fail to do. He did not surround himself with "yes men". He recoginized that Gorbachev was a man of goodwill, he could deal with.

Clinton was not a disaster (surprise). He did some good things. He might have been great if he had kept his mind on business and the long term good of the country instead of political issues. Unlike Nixon , however, he did try to use the power of the Government against some of his critics, which is a major mark against him.

As for the opinion of the world: I read books and newspapers, search the internet, etc. and come to my own conclusions. I don't follow the lemmings.

When there is a siginicant difference between the candidates positions on foreign affairs, as there is today, the person the "world" would choose to be the American President would most likely not be the best for America. The look out for their interests. We have to look out for ours. Fortunately they can't vote in our elections (yet).

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by DSchmitt

Johnson got us into Vietnam with no "exit strategy" ...

Nixon got us out of Vietnam

I can't let this slide no matter how OT.

Johnson and North Vietnam had a deal in '68. Kissinger told Nixon about it and Nixon got South Vietnam to block the deal.

5 years later Nixon, Kissinger and the North Vietnamese agreed to practically the exact same deal Nixon and Kissinger sabotaged in '68. Over 25,000 GI's and literally millions in Vietnam and Cambodia were killed after the '68 deal was sabotaged.

[MP57313]

Take the first flight out in the morning (to enable more railfanning at my destination), because back then you did not have to be at the airport 2 hours in advance.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by DSchmitt

QUOTE: Originally posted by TheAntiGates
[Speak openly about LOW IQ presidents without having patriotism jammed down your throats by 'his faithful flock"

I don't dispute your patriotism, just your judgement on this point. President Bush isn't stupid. That is just propaganda.

[#offtopic][#offtopic][#offtopic] ROTFL!! Dave,..that is some of the best humor I've seen on this board in a long time!!...."Good one!!" I'll explain better what I meant, in a minute[:)] But first I want to address specifically the point you've raised, Quantifying "W's" intelligence.

Hasn't HE been explaining his decision to invade Iraq was based upon his own faulty intelligence?[:D] What more can you expect from the man than a full confession? He has, as one of his virtues, at least been forthright on that point. He also didn't do too well in college, I forget the exact figures, but as I recall, he was not near anything approaching "honors"

In further testimony to his brilliance, I recall specifically during the California Energy crisis, when Gov Gray Davis called "W" to ask for help in dealing with the swindeling power companies that were gouging the state in a time of crisis.

"W's" advice was: "Call Kenneth Lay,...he'll know what to do".....[D)] You know,...as in "Enron kingpin" Kenneth Lay? Enron later to be found as instrumental in organizing the collusion and price fixing game central to the crisis in the first place. Enron later to be found a scoundrel in oh so many ways? Yep, that was your Savant's best advice alright...(tee hee) [#offtopic][#offtopic][#offtopic]

Ok, now back to the point I was really trying to make. - - -> Eversince those tragic events took place,..our commander in chief and his fair flock have exploited "patriotism" as though they invented the stuff...Dare to oppose his hairbrained agenda? Immediately get branded "unamerican", "disloyal" , or worse.

At times it seems as though they try to hide behind the apron strings of Lady Liberty.

As an American AND Republican, I personally find his insistance of "you're either with us or against us" to be unamerican not to mention offensive, since I always thought one of the beautiful things about this country was that dissent was permitted,...the ol "Freedom of Choice" thingie.

Yet, with the current enviro that's been established, I get sick to death having my "patriotism" called into question by all the one watters who believe the spin pumped into their livingrooms on the 10 o'clock news in it's entirety as though it was the gosple truth...[soapbox]

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rtstasiak

First of all, my classmate, Tom Moody of the FDNY, was killed along with 3000 other people, so everything changed forever for his friends and family.

Second, I never feel comfortable any more taking pictures of trains, sharing them with others, or buying and selling maps. Part of me worries that another guy like Muhammed Atta will cleverly exploit educational or hobby material to kill even more. Of course, I do not cheri***he thought of of being led away for the "crime" of taking pictures of dirty cars and engines!

I no longer take my freedom to take photographs for granted.

Rich

I'm sorry to hear that you lost someone that you knew. I can't quite say that, however I felt a great sense of loss that day as I watched on TV. I had been to the observation deck of the one tower a couple of times. The buildings seemed so permanent. Now every time I watch a movie that was filmed in New York, I watch the skyline, and say "there they are".

While we can't forget what happened, we need to move on. I think we need to take more pictures, and try to return to a sense of pre 9/11 normalcy. If we don't, those dirty bastards will have succeded in reducing our freedom. There's a big difference between vigilance and paranoia.

---

Now to wax political...

I hated how this President weasled his way into the White House, but for a few weeks after 9/11 I had no real complaints. Now I am as angry as ever and want him gone.

In my opinion television has destroyed politics and politicians. The last man of integrity to occupy the Oval Office was Jimmy Carter. Prior to that you have to go back to Eisenhower and Truman. Before that there was no television.

Let's review history for a minute.

JFK was no bargain, sure he was handsome, but who got us into Viet Nam? On the other hand he did get us out of the Cuban missle crisis. There had to be a reason why someone wanted to kill him.

LBJ, great for civil rights, dug a deeper hole in Viet Nam.

Nixon got us out of Viet Nam, and took a dump on the office by trying to make himself king.

Gerald Who? Hand picked successor to a criminal, and had no claim to the office. His mark on history? He managed to keep the lights on at the White House until the next election, and pardon the man who put him there.

Jimmy Carter, an intelligent, decent, hard working man, who may have had no business being President. The job may have been beneath him. He has been one of the greatest past Presicents we have ever had.

The movie star, and oh how television loved him. His claim to fame was that communism imploded while he was in office. Some people have all the luck.

The Elder, legitimate hand picked successor, but the people got bored of the same show after 12 years.

Clinton, now there's a man who knows how to party, political and otherwise. He may have stained the rug, but he didn't stain the office like Nixon.

And finally the Younger. The jury is still out, but I wonder where we would be without all those chads.

It comes down to this, both parties suck!!! Neither could walk and chew gum at the same time. Basicly, if you want good foreign policy you vote for republicans. If you want good domestic policy you vote for democrats. In this system you can't have both, and with the current administration, you can't seem to get either. You have less than 60 days to make up your mind.

I am Big Boy 4005, and I approved this mesage.[swg]

[Anonymous]

With the mentality of this administration being what it is, the flag might as well have a swastika added to the design, because it is such gestapo tactics by the authorities that could do a better job of destroying railfanning for all of us than some Middle Eastern towelhead could do in a few minutes.This bunch in Washington is turning out to be just as dangerous to we, the American People as the 19 Hijackers were, if not more so. The hostility that some railroads may be showing railfans seems to reflect this. I think the past 4 year march toward a fascist dictatorship is quite enough.

[Anonymous]

Anyone ever think that John Kennady had himself assinated?
He had painfull back problems and suffered from depresion...

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainfinder22

Anyone ever think that John Kennady had himself assinated?
He had painfull back problems and suffered from depresion...

Wow. No wonder Bush acts like Americans will believe anything.

[Junctionfan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainfinder22

Anyone ever think that John Kennady had himself assinated?
He had painfull back problems and suffered from depresion...

Please say you are joking.

[tree68]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainfinder22

Anyone ever think that John Kennady had himself assinated?
He had painfull back problems and suffered from depresion...

Boy, are we [#offtopic] here. But my [2c] worth.

Yes, I do remember where I was when I heard that JFK had died.

At the time, the reason du jour was that the commies were involved. Time has put that idea down the rankings a ways. While it can be argued that all assasinations are hits, not all hits are assasinations. In JFK's case, I tend to think (as do others) that it was a hit in the fullest sense of the term. What has yet to be determined is who ordered it.... Virtually all of the witnesses who could answer that question are dead. Some under questionable circumstances.

Enough of that.

I'll stay out of the W/K debate. I have my opinions, but don't need to further fan the flames...

As for what I could do before that I can't do now - I think everyone has pretty well covered most of them.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainfinder22

Anyone ever think that John Kennady had himself assinated?
He had painfull back problems and suffered from depresion...

Anyone ever thought Abraham Lincoln had himself shot because the play was hidiously boring?

[Anonymous]

I don't know guys- even I get Bush's TV ads, and when I hear

" I will put an end to junk law suits " It makes me want to go into a screaming Ab-dab fit.

(Hint: Junk law suits is very improper English. Junky law suits would have made my day-

That is proper english-

And based on the end of the ad, I know he's approved it.

[Anonymous]

[#offtopic]

But...
[bday]

[Anonymous]

i'm still mad at the results of janet jackson letting her s**t hang out during the superbowl...now radio and tv is censored even more. it used to be halfway interesting and humorous to listen and watch...not anymore. but anyway. i'm 24....i'm wetting my pants in anticipation of how badly mine and the following generations are going to be screwed.

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by farmer03

i'm still mad at the results of janet jackson letting her s**t hang out during the superbowl...now radio and tv is censored even more. it used to be halfway interesting and humorous to listen and watch...not anymore. but anyway. i'm 24....i'm wetting my pants in anticipation of how badly mine and the following generations are going to be screwed.

I think you misspelled what was hanging out on Janet Jackson. I thought it was her t**s not her s**t. Maybe one of us is dyslexic. [swg]

[cpbloom]

I suppose there are a lot of things I could have done before 9/11/01 but did not do so nothing has changed here.

[Anonymous]

Heres a short list I compiled:

I may have been allowed to bring a flashlight with coroded batteries into an LA airport, and not have to worry about the airport being shut down, even if my flashligh did start to fizzle a tad bit.

Thats the issue; as soon as somehting goes worng; it msut be terrorisim, has to be- what other logical explanation could it be? An honest person attempting to be a good citizen? naw- must be terrorisim

I'd hate for CNN to mention the word Duct tape again- 3M will be adding an extension to there factory strictly for that production.

LC- your being flipant-
face the facts- everything has gone downhill since 9/11- rules are tighter, and everyhting is terrorisism's fault- Man if he was a person, he's have a lot of blame on his shoulders.