Are we Safer with Code Orange?

[mountainclmbr]

I had a business trip to Florida that lasted several weeks. I travelled from Denver to Orlando under Code Yellow and returned under Code Orange. I transported two handguns for CCW and to practice at a range. I travel to FL often and always transport firearms. I did not notice any difference with transporting firearms under Code Orange, but did notice that TSA is getting more accustomed to the proper procedures at both airports. The biggest change I noticed was at Denver upon returning.

My wife travelled with me this trip and we had a large amount of luggage. It was about midnight when we returned and it was about 12 degrees F outside. I offered to go get the vehicle while my wife waited with the luggage inside the terminal. I got the vehicle, paid the parking fee (ouch, glad my company picks up the tab), had to circle back to the terminal and noticed blue flashing police lights in about 5 or 6 places. I got to a security checkpoint for arriving flights, but there was no police presence for any checks. I got to the pickup area and found that I was on level 4 and my wife was waiting on level 5. I asked a TSA person if I could go upstairs to get my wife and help her get the luggage down to level 4. The TSA woman said "you better get moving because the Denver PD will be around writing tickets soon". She volunteered to go up and tell my wife to come down one level while I circled the airport again to avoid a ticket. This time circling around I noticed that Denver had replaced the 45 MPH signs with 35 MPH signs. Ahaa, that explains the number of blue lights. I was going very slow to allow my wife time to get the luggage downstairs when I noticed there was a police car now at the security checkpoint. When I got there I noticed that he had a radar gun out and didn't want to check my vehicle. So Code Orange is really Code Green for Denver PD. If the large, liberal cities are using the terror threat to grab more power and money from law abiding citizens, am I safer?

My feeling is that I am no safer from terrorists, but am at greater danger of being looted by my own local government. Does anyone see it differently?

 

[dischord]

In as much as the code-system is accurate and meaningful (debatable, I know), the point of moving from yellow to orange is decreased safety, so it doesn't make sense to expect increased safety.

 

[Ol' Badger]

What is "Code Oragne"? a new window cleaner.

Want to feel safer? Stay away from large groups of people at all times! Matter of fact, stay away from people all the time and you will feel great. Try it!

 

[answerguy]

Want to feel safer? Stay away from large groups of people at all times! Matter of fact, stay away from people all the time and you will feel great. Try it!

Yeah, people, they're the worst.

 

[Leatherneck]

Badger, you're my kinda guy, Old Coot!

TC
TFL Survivor

 

[TrapperReady]

During deer season, I definitely feel safer in my orange coat.

Oh... you said "code", not coat.

 

[seeker_two]

"Code Orange" is just another reason for CNN & Fox News to put another gaudy graphic on the screen...

I'm a staunch practitioner of the Ol' Badger Threat Control System--stay up in the mountains until you have to go down for supplies...


(...of course, finding a mountain in East Texas takes a bit of effort. )

 

[RAY WOODROW 3RD]

Orange ain't nothin but a color.

They get you used to these random searches by doing enough of them so you will not protest when it becomes an everday afair. We are being conditioned so that IT WILL BECOME AN EVERYDAY AFAIR!

"ver es un papers?"

 

[stevelyn]

Another practitioner of the Ol' Badger security doctrine.

 

[Zedicus]

"Code Orange" A color, and an Excuse for more Paranoia and Theft of Civil Libertys....

-Nuff said! :banghead:

 

[rock jock]

Are we Safer with Code Orange?

It was never designed to make us safer. It is designed primarily to put govt and LE agencies, and emergency response people at a higher state of readiness. As a secondary goal, it is designed to alert ordinary citizens to an increased threat level and let them decisions accordingly, i.e., "should I go Times Square or not?" I guess your question was meant to elicit a "oh, there goes another stupid govt program" response.

 

[mountainclmbr]

The intent of my post was to show how government systems that are implemented with good intentions (i.e. a systematic system to change tactics based on terrorist threat risk) are used by totalitarian or authoritarian government entities to enhance their power and enrich themselves; all at the expense of law abiding citizens they are supposed to protect (i.e. changing speed limit signs and piling in officers on ticketing duty with no additional checks for terrorist threats). We will gradually lose our freedoms with promises of these good intentions. This injustice was just glaringly apparent to me. The police motto is "To Serve and Protect" NOT "To Ticket and Collect". But, not in Denver.

 

[Politically Incorrect]

What I don't understand is why is there a CODE BLUE and CODE GREEN. Does anyone really think that we will ever use these?

I guess if we wiped out half of the other side of the world, we might use code blue. The government is always going to go from Code Yellow to Code Orange and back until there is an attack. Why? Because it allows politicians to justify new laws that intrude on our lives.

We are no safer with Code Orange as we would be with Code Chartreuse. After so long, people become indifferent to such warnings like the boy that cried wolf. I guess if we're going to pretend such a warning system works, then we might as well have Will Shatner in a costume and elect him President.

The Emergency Broadcast System was never used even during September 11, 2001. Why do we need something else that isn't effective in the first place. Are we not on a more elevated alert about terrorism after Sept. 11th attacks than before? It's as if we didn't have the government to tell us what state we were in that we would forget about terrorist attacks. Thanks Mom!

I'm sure the first Code Orange, people were fearful of an attack. And when no attack happened, the next time they raised the level, a few people became afraid while others merely went on with their lives as I do.

 

[Bruce H]

How much holiday overtime pay did code orange generate? Why did the same section, homeland security, declare orange and have several employees involved?