Salt Lake Ironies

[marcusmarcusrc]

Irony #1: Robert Redford organizes a global warming conference at Sundance. 3 days of 100+ degree weather. Good timing! I was tempted to try and crash the meeting, but had too many other things to do (plus, the newspaper clipping about the conference used the word "exclusive" at least twice, so I don't know what my chances of being let in would have been)

Irony #2: Which is more dangerous? A) A torque wrench on a plane. or B) Miscalibrated equipment in our nation's nuclear missile silos?

If you answered "A" you agree with that fine organization of safe living, the TSA! My seatmate on the plane ride here was on her way to do calibration at a series of nuclear missile silos across the midwest, and the TSA confiscated and destroyed her torque wrench because it looked dangerous. I feel much safer now. (Yes, she got one of her Air Force buddies to agree to drop a properly calibrated torque wrench off at her hotel, but still...)

Irony #3: (Okay, more an observation than an irony, but): I went to a concert last night. They patted down all the males going in quite thoroughly. The women got away with raising their arms and doing a pirouette. Is it because men are more dangerous? Or do we have baggier clothing that is easier to hide weapons in? Or because the bouncers are worried abhout getting punched in the face?

Plus, this is Salt Lake City... the crowd at the concert was about as well-behaved as one could hope, despite being packed in to a 100 degree non-airconditioned room (see above comment about the temperature here). Security wouldn't seem to be an issue...

Comments

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

Is it because men are more dangerous? Or do we have baggier clothing that is easier to hide weapons in? Or because the bouncers are worried abhout getting punched in the face?

Worried about getting sued for fondling the women, I have to imagine. (I think most women are unlikely to punch the face of the security guard, but there are other ways to cause trouble if one gets upset at over-enthusiastic patting.)

[kirisutogomen.livejournal.com]

Certainly concern about lawsuits would be a motivation for the organizers, but I suspect that the organizers have nothing to do with this. Males are more dangerous, and the bouncers are realists.