When you ride the metro in Washington, DC, every five minutes the same message comes on. If you see something, say something...
After the events in Boston this week, this phrase is more important than ever. The best line of defense against future acts of terrorism is a vigilant public. It is every Americans responsibility to stay alert and let authorities know if something does not seem right. One person speaking up can safe the lives of thousands. Many forget that it was a hot dog stand vendor that stopped the bombing in Times Square. He told police officers about a car that was smoking. He alone saved hundreds, if not thousands of lives.
Why do I write this on a points/travel blog?
The reason is simple. We, frequent travelers, are in high traffic areas more often than the average American. How many times at the airport do you see a bag unattended? When you see this, do you tell someone? If you are like me, you are rushing to the bathroom, the gate or grab something to eat before your next flight, so we move on, leaving the bag unattended. We justify not telling someone about the bag by saying someone else with more time will. My guess is that 99% of us use that justification.
You see something, you must say something....
CNN today has an article on Vigilance Key To Safe Travels. In the article, the author says, "If the past is any predictor, Americans may forget they're part of the solution and move on." This sediment is so true. We fall complacent about our safety. We tell ourselves, "we live in America, the safest country in the world." It is only after tragic events are we awaken from our la la land and brought back to reality. For a few days after the event, we remain on high alert, but eventually we fall back into our complacent state. It is then that we open ourselves up to greater danger.
Again, if you see something out of place, say something. We are the final line of defense, but only if we leave our comfortable complacent state.
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Bruce Schneier has pointed out extensively that these campaigns have failed to deliver actionable leads and tend only to burn resources that would otherwise go towards better investigations.
ReplyDeleteAs he sums up, "[I]f you ask amateurs to act as front-line security personnel, you shouldn't be surprised when you get amateur security. People don't need to be reminded to call the police; the slogan is nothing more than an invitation to report people who are different."