myname

I agree the whole point is the government policy to CYA. I can't believe they will go to red until there is an initial attack.
On the other hand, I must confess that when I ride the subway I am alert to who is riding the car with me and if they seem to be doing something strange. Of course, I doubt I would ever recognize a truly suspicious person from the rest of the crowd.

WorldTravel

Orange alerts are all in the news once again. You and I don't have shells to crawl into like a turtle, so we have to cover up in our own way. Little kids like Paul and Patty know this. No matter where they go or what they do, they always remember what to do if the atom bomb explodes right then.
"It's a bomb! Duck and cover!"
Tony's on his way to his cub scout meeting and knows that the bomb can explode any time of the year - day or night. "Duck and cover!"
Atta boy, Tony. That flash means "act fast!"

sardog10

If this will make people less complacent and more alert, then I'm all for it as long as it's not changed so often it loses it's effectiveness.

We live in Europe working for the U.S. government. An incident occurred here last September that received very little attention at home. A week before the 9/11 remembrance ceremonies a woman who worked at the American BX store made a casual comment to her neighbour; something to the effect of "You should stay away from there that day; I bet something's going to happen". It was said in such a way that triggered suspician in the neighbour who called the MP's. It turns out that the woman and her boyfriend had bombmaking supplies in their apartment, along with detailed plans of the BX. They planned to set off a bomb in the store; a major gathering place for families. The female suspect is German-American and never would have been suspected. Had it not been for the neighbour being alert, God knows how many soldiers, family members and especially kids would have been killed. It sure helped to remind me that only one person can make a difference in something that most of us believe is beyond our power.

Maira

If you go to the website of the newly formed U.S. Dept of Homeland Security:

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=29&content=320

you can read all about the codes. Anybody involved in Emergency Planning knows these codes activate certain levels of security measures. It is federal law (often also enforced by state regs) that at a minimum, local counties must have an Emergency Plan. Probably worth getting familiar with your local governments before badmouthing their efforts. This plan can often be found in the local libraries, Town Hall, local Fire Department(s), etc. It is supposed to contain likely scenarios, vulnerabilities, etc.

BuffaloGirl

Beachbum is correct. There have been several cigarette "schemes" going on around Buffalo (where there are several Indian reservations). Here's a short statement I copied from the Buffalo News... "Federal authorities in Detroit say two women from the Seneca Nation of Indians' Cattaraugus reservation played a key role in a cigarette-smuggling ring that helped ship hundreds of thousands of dollars to Hezbollah, the Islamic militant group blamed for.....".

Hey, if there's Al-Quida in little old Buffalo, New York, then you can have them anywhere. Do you remember the Buffalo (Lackawanna) six arrested here a few months ago? They all pleaded not guilty but one by one are starting to come forward and admit that they knew what they were doing and that they had met with Bin Laden. A few more Arab men from Buffalo who own deli's have also recently been arrested for sending hundreds of thousands of dollars to Yemen without reporting it.

giro

Dear Magnus...since when is categorization a "liveral democratic" thing. Your past heroes like J Edgar and his G men were a bit intrusive I dare say and no one is accusing him of being liberal democrats...go back to talk radio!

LilMsFoodie

Hey Magnus, doesn't look like you will be missed as your posts have nothing to do with sharing travel ideas.

Every site I post on has each registered person's posts available for review. I like the idea as it gives me a better feeling for that person's views and if I will find their views on whatever (stocks, wine, travel, movies) compatible with mine. The sincere members of Fodor have always posted with one screen name for the most part and with registration, the number of sociopaths has been reduced. It has also eliminated the paid flacks on the site for restaurant chains, etc.

Now onto the Terror Alert code Orange:

I will continue to live my life and travel in much the same way as I always have. I will not allow myself to be dominated by terrorists. However, I will be more alert and have alternative plans in place.

We are living in a very different world from 18 months ago and one must adjust. There is no sense in waiting for a return to life as it used to be. It is forever changed.

LilMsFoodie

LMF