SGs Posing A Security Risk

[glendalais]

Hi all, this is my first post here, so I'm really sorry if this kind of thing has already been discussed before, but this was so out there I just had to share it with the world.

I was over at my location (which I won't disclose for what I think should be obvious reasons) today and working near the entrance. Anyway, this guest left her bag unattended in her stroller and entered the restaurant. There were a lot of strollers in front of the door (how they got there is another SG story in and of itself, frankly), so I didn't notice the bag bag until people started taking their strollers away. When I saw it, I sorta started freaking out, for reasons I think should be clear to anyone.

I was about to call for my lead (heck, I was ready to run to the nearest telephone and call Security myself) when this woman very casually walks up to the stroller, takes the bag out and puts her kid in. I walk up to her, and tell her not to do something like this in the future, since the DLR isn't responsible if it gets stolen (I can't obviously tell her the real reason). She basically said something to the effect of "I only left it there for a while, and it's just a bag, calm down", and walked off.

Anyway, sorry if this all seems a bit cluttered, I'm still in a bit of shock over the whole thing. But has anyone else ever had a SG do something that ended up posing a security risk? I would like to think that most of our guests are smart enough to realize that leaving a bag unaccompanied in the middle of a public area of one of the few private properties in America to have a no-fly zone over it on one of the biggest holidays in the year is a very bad idea.

[Randy B]

(visualizing)

The SG comes out to find a huge pile of sandbags surrounding their stroller and several dozen neat 22 cal holes in their stroller and bag. When they demand to know what happened, you tell them that they can relax because the local bomb squad has determined that the unattended package is not hazardous. :D: :twisted:

Randy

[Big Wallaby]

I have had that concern as well in my area. If I had things my way, people would be searched thoroughly once on their way into Disney property, then wouldn't have to worry about it again. On my bus, there is no security. I don't interrogate each guest to find out what is in their bags... all I can do is hope for the best, and I am in an unsecured area at all times. So when I have a signal 80 that's a stuffed, heavy backpack, it can sometimes raise the hair on the back of my neck a bit... I understand that I am a bit paranoid, but I would rather be paranoid than careless.

This is an interesting thread topic. Security, to some level, is all our jobs. But how often do we overlook stuff just because someone else should have checked it?

[BRWombat]

I'm with Wallaby. Better too much concern than not enough.

I'm also with Wallaby in saying... Welcome to SGT, glendalais!!!!

from :wallaby: and !!! :D: :D: :D:

[Mikey]

Chances of anything dangerous being in an unattended bag are incredibly small. You probably have a greater chance of being struck by lightening while you observe the bag.

As long as the "those in charge" can keep you scared in this manner, the more you are fearful that you must depend on "them" to protect you and that you must give up more of your privacy and legal rights.

I have been in the position where a customer threw a briefcase under a bush and ran off, and I had to follow the appropriate procedures which inconvenienced several thousand other customers for an hour while the official fools ran around in a panic playing their "what if" and "the sky is falling" games. They managed to use up the resources of three police cars, a medic unit and two fire trucks for an hour while they played.

Turned out the customer was too cheap to rent a locker and thought his case would be safe out of sight under a bush.

I went to a un-named theme park in the far north-east and they had metal detectors and demanded to check the contents of my pockets before I entered. I turned around and walked away and insisted upon a refund of all money paid to this company, and never plan to return.

Once the people stand up against this idiocy and vote with their dollars, perhaps these "security requirements" will disappear and you won't automatically be treated like a guilty criminal.

(I sure hope I don't sound like a raving lunatic, but this issue really heats up my anger)

Take care, and be brave and be safe; The sky is NOT falling.
Mikey

[Cranbiz]

CM calls bomb squad,

:strolatt: :kaboom:


Problem solved! :D:


Couldn't find a bag smilie, so I used the stroller.

[Kwahati]

You're absolutely right to be worried at least a little. You just never know when somebody is going to put together a little scheme to "teach somebody a lesson." Like those jerk-offs on the subway (I think in England, but I'm not sure) with "bombs" in their backpacks. Luckily nobody got hurt on that one, but you never know what could happen. And it's not like security going into the parks is all that tight anyway. I am pretty sure that somebody could bring in enough explosive materials in ways that would not be checked to do some real damage and maybe bring down an icon like the castle or the geosphere (AK's tree would be a lot harder for obvious reasons). My first thought is to get a bunch of people brining in the detonation elements in pockets and the flammable liquids and such in drink bottles. None of that gets checked on your way in. Even if an IED was ready-made in a backpack, it could be disguised and I don't think most of the guards would know (they seem like nice guys, but honestly, how much training do they really get? ***If anyone knows the answer to this rhetorical question, please do not post it publicly as that would pose a security risk!***)

The timing of this post is especially interesting to me as it was a year ago today (when I was on hiatus from posting in the SGT forums due to time constraints) that I was working part-time at a Disney Store in a large mall here and discovered an unattended shopping bag which was very full and beeping (quietly about once a second...like a bomb in a movie. And, yes, I'm ex-military, so I know most bombs don't do that, but they certainly could)! I alerted security first and a manger second and security was just getting ready to empty the store (a hard call to make in a mall on "black Friday"--the biggest shopping day of the year) when the owner of the bag showed up, asked what was going on and was promptly placed in police custody for questioning. I'm sure based on their reaction that they had no ill intentions, but at least they and everyone who saw this all learned a valuable lesson.

I hope none of my post bothers anyone (especially the part where I'm coming up with how a disney resort could be attacked). They had us do exercises in the military where we were to "think like a terrorist" and come up with the most devastating and unexpected way to attack a target (either of military value, symbolic importance or simply opportunity). I believe that going through these exercises is one of the best ways to help ourselves because it allows us to close obvious security holes: "If the terrorist was going to do this, what measure do we have in place to stop them? Where would the chain of events be interrupted?" (Incidentally, this can be applied to many different areas. If you're the head of a business or a department, sit down with your employees and go over emergency plans and basic security. If you're an employee and you don't do anything like this regularly--or ever--suggest to your manager that they arrange something. Often, local police departments or other security specialists will happily come in and speak or consult for free so it will be interesting and valuable, and your work still has to pay you to be there for that training, so it's no big deal to you!)

[Kwahati]

(I sure hope I don't sound like a raving lunatic, but this issue really heats up my anger)

Um...well...I'm with you to some degree. The department of homeland security is BS and has to invent work for themsleves, and I'm not sure what the TSA is thinking or if they are thinking. (With a 1 quart bag full of 3.4 ouce bottles, I could get some gasoline onto a plane and start a few fires with my lighter they let me have, but they won't let me bring a damned bottle of water even after my roommate is hospitalized on our trip for dehydration?) Further, I'm all for not giving up civil rights. There's no reason GWB needs to know what I'm saying on the phone to my mother without a warrant, especially when there's a system in place for quickly and easily getting that warrant if they need it. On the other hand, complacency kills. The point of terrorism is that it can happen any time. If you completely change your habits because you're scared, then the terrorists have won (and I do consider our current administration terrorists). However, taking a few minor steps to protect yourself is just logical. You lock your car doors when you leave it usually, right? It's one more step, and it's a little out of your way, but it would be stupid not to. In the same vein, there are minor things you can do to protect yourself and being a little cautious is just logical.

[Princess Susi]

I agree with you, Kwahati. Your post made so much sense. It is frightening to think what COULD happen, but we cannot live for fear of the sky falling. Being prepared and having some common sense goes a long way.
susi

[vixen101485]

When going thru security checks to speed things up y'all could do what I did at Hershey park this summer.
My back pocket of my park purse is usually where I keep my personal feminine products. (see where this is going?) Since HP is set up rather oddly in that their picnic area is outside the gates and we did have to eat lunch and dinner at some point (I refused to pay $12 for a hamburger and fries) We got rather familiar at going thru their bag check. I decided to have a little fun with the young about 18 yr old gentleman doing the last said bag check. He seemed so serious. LOL "oh honey, there is nothing in that pocket except my tampons" LMAO. Poor kid turned so red and handed that bag back like he was trying to win a hot potato game. I had to have some fun that day since the park sucked.


ON a side note and actually pertaining to the OP (dont pass out from shock)
Bags left in strollers. I do this with my extras bag. I come prepared. LOL...ask a few folk on here how much stuff my stroller had in at OHANA.

Welcome to the site Glendalais! No offense tho, but I probably would have responded similar to the woman you spoke to. It is just a bag. I dont leave anything that is sentimental or of valuable in my stroller. Of course you do have the SG's who do then whine when they get taken. I take the chance knowing that it may be stolen so it is my responsibility. I would not be freakin' out about a bag left in a stroller. Now odd looking bags on buses I can understand being wary about, also the holiday thing and terrorism and all. But if wanted to blow up a park, I wouldnt go into the restaurant that I parked a bomb in front of.
Sometimes you have to use a variety of observations when deciding if someone may be a security risk or not. A lot of those kind of observations come with age and experience and knowing how to read ppl. It is better sometimes to be safe then sorry but apparantly leaving bags in strollers is not common at DL????? Go look at Fantasyland in WDW and I would say every 2 out of 10 strollers in the lot by the old Sky Buckets building have a bag of some sort in them. LOL

NOw leaving your purse unattended in the cart at a grocery store is my personal beef. Nothing to do with terrorism but HOW FREAKIN" DUMB do you have to be to leave an oviously full purse in the top basket of your cart, wide open and go on the other side of large display on the day prior to Thanksgiving in a huge crowded store????? DUH!