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October 29, 2005

Making National Security Fun

Constant appeals for vigilance have a shelf life, its true. So how do you exhort commuters to keep an eye out for bad guys, when their eyes are glazed over from orange alert, yellow alert, etc.?

A little word play may be in order.

Five hundred Washington buses and about 90 subway cars now carry advertising posters with creative dictionary definitions of made-up words urging commuters to keep an eye out for danger and respect fellow travelers on the busy "Metro" system.

"Sumpnspicious," -- a play on the slang pronunciation of "something suspicious" -- is defined as "n. (noun) unattended package or odd, unusual behavior that is reported to a bus driver, train operator ... station manager or Metro Police."

Other definitions include "PlanBdextrous: ... adj. (adjective) able to plan an alternate route home in case Metro is inaccessible due to unforeseen circumstances."

"Tariq'scellphoneiswiredtohisduffelbag: what you might say to the police when you report 'sumpnspicious'"

OK, that last one was not in the article.

posted by LauraW. at 09:42 AM

Comments

I submitted a proposal to Homeland Security regarding awareness.

The plan was to have the public address system at train stations and airports periodically play a clip of Osama saying "Allahu!" over the loudspeakers, followed by a five second pause.

Anybody that replied 'Akbar!' during that pause would be considered 'suspicious'. The benefit is that everyday people can be trained to point at the person who said 'Akbar', thus helping out the security forces.

So far there's been no mad grant money coming my way, though a couple of nice FBI agents stopped by for a chat.

Posted by: BumperStickerist on October 29, 2005 10:00 AM

Sniglets? Their big plan for Homeland Security is *sniglets*!?

Woo hoo, gotta love DC.

Posted by: someone on October 29, 2005 10:06 AM

Bumperstickerist, can't see anything wrong with your idea except of course that it is nonviolent.

Posted by: lauraw on October 29, 2005 10:11 AM

crazYmotherfckerlooklIkeHeupTOsomethinkiCkhisASS

Posted by: Dave in Texas on October 29, 2005 10:12 AM

Dude'sgotajarofmeaslesnadmumpsunderhiscoat

Posted by: lauraw on October 29, 2005 10:22 AM

They left out "splodeydope?"

Posted by: Jordan on October 29, 2005 12:35 PM

It sounds like a decent idea. Even if it does make a difference we may never know about it -- but that's par for the course.

Posted by: Guy T. on October 29, 2005 02:02 PM

Well, at least Mayor Nagin is doing something with some buses.

Posted by: John on October 29, 2005 02:05 PM

I heard on the DC local news last night that the next thing they're going to do is print War Bonds with Muppets on them. F'in idiots.

Posted by: harrison on October 29, 2005 02:11 PM

Dave in Texas,

could you shoot me an e-mail? I need to ask you something and I didn't want to ask on my blog.

Thanks!

www.rightwingsparkle@hotmail.com

Posted by: Rightwingsparkle on October 29, 2005 06:17 PM

sure Sparkles, but I'm married too. (bummer, ain't it?). Mrs. Dave in Texas has some pretty strict rules about dating.

completely off topic, gasoline prices in my part of the world have dropped from a post-Katrina high of $2.91/gallon to $2.26/gal (regular unleaded). I haven't been checking diesel.

Anybody else in your respective parts of the country seeing .65 cent drops, or similar?

Cause I haven't seen this anywhere in the media. I know they care a lot about gas prices cause they wouldn't shut the hell up about it for weeks.

just curious, I don't do this for a living.

Posted by: Dave in Texas on October 30, 2005 04:54 PM

Ads reading THERE ARE AL QUEDA EVERYWHERE LOOK OUT BE ALERT DUCK AND COVER

Posted by: spurwing plover on October 30, 2005 10:57 PM

RWS, as requested, email sent this morning.

I'm guessing you want to send me a pic that you won't show Michael. That'll drive him nuts! Won't that be fun? hee hee hee, I can hear him now, he'll be ranting like Harry Reid within minutes.

Go ahead - have some fun at his expense!

Posted by: Dave in Texas on October 31, 2005 01:05 PM