So much safer

[magid]

There were six cops standing around the end of Charles St. by the T station. Then I walked passed another one on the sidewalk. Then there were eight cop motorcycles parked in a row, the cops in question sitting and standing around the open air part of a cafe. Then a traffic cop. At the end of the street was a cop car, with the cop talking to a state policeman. A college cop car went by. All that on the length of Charles St. (half a mile, perhaps?). Then in the Common there were a couple of three-horse cop patrols, along with a number of park rangers, and many helicopters flying over.

No one cared what I had in the big bag I was carrying, I suppose because I wasn't close enough to harm the convention with my picnic goods.

Comments

[danger-chick.livejournal.com]

There has been cops around the Charles MGH stop for weeks now. I think they are on detail for the construction. It takes two cops alone to walk me across the street so that I can get into the new entrance.

[magid.livejournal.com]

I've walked by Charles MGH a number of times since they've put a cop detail on to make sure people know how to cross the street (which I find ridiculous in itself, since there are traffic lights and pedestrian lights, but whatever). That's always been one or two cops. This was six cops, standing around on Charles St., not helping people cross at all, just standing and being visible in those orange overjacket things.

ps

[magid.livejournal.com]

And I hope they haven't finished with the station, since right now it doesn't seem to fit into the pedestrian layout of that area well at all.

Re: ps

[ceo]

That's a temporary station. They're building the real one on the other side of the circle.

Re: ps

[magid.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I hadn't realized that (that the old station isn't just being upgraded, but actually replaced with a separate station). It makes a lot more sense, since most pedestrians getting on/off the T there are not walking to Cambridge.

Hm. I wonder if they'll also slightly re-engineer the walkways in the area, too: the sidewalk width on the Boston end of the bridge is rather ridiculous (especially the last bit on the north side).

[cellio]

Which raises the question of who's less safe now because their cops have been redeployed.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Yup. A friend mentioned he'd seen cops from towns well south of here; I guess that means there's just got to be less crime in the greater Boston area this week. Not to mention all those other potential targets less fascinating.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Now, if this were a military operation, we'd be calling all the cops out there a "show of force". That is: here's all our muscle, I dare you to try anything funny, you enemy, you.

When I was out yesterday, I saw a good number of cop-types talking to civilians - and they ALL seemed to be giving people directions :) I sense second jobs for these folks: tour guides.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Somehow, that makes more sense to me as a military operation, not a police one. Though perhaps that's from the particular sf I've been reading lately.

And as for cops as tour-guides, I pity the people who ask out-of-town cops.
[In Israel there are stringent tests tour guides have to pass to become licensed, and somehow that's become my mental norm; I suspect even the cops who have good geography aren't necessarily up on their history...]