Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Stupid is as Stupid does...

Here's one for you:

A Colonial "theme" park has a couple of people that operate the mules that pull a barge along a closed-off two mile stretch of canal. The canal doesn't get anywhere even close to anything even vaguely sensitive like a nuke power plant, military base, or anything like that.

So what does the TSA demand? Biometric ID for the muleskinners, under the claim that everybody with any kind of Coast Guard license (the 'skinners have to have one because of the boat) has to have the background check necessary to get the I.D.

Now, you tell me -- does THIS look all that dangerous?



Best line of the article? Has to be this:
... the mules could be considered weapons of mass destruction only if they were aimed at something resembling food.
Ya gotta love it...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What the news reporters don't tell you is that the boat operators (captains) are required to be trained, certified and licensed by the Coast Guard for the safety of the passengers. At a minimum they would have to have a license with an operating in an inland waterway endorsement (lowest level). Meaning they are licensed in any inland waterway in the US. There is a reason behind all this and it is for the safety of everyone. As we all know don't believe half of what you read or hear on the news. They only tell you their slant or half the truth. It's called making news not reporting it...

Dave said...

I'm aware that boat captains in this situation require the inland waterway licensing. But how does that apply to the MULE operators? Is there any good, valid reason the muleskinners require a background check -- other than sheer bureaucracy, that is? The news items said that this is all happening on a closed section of waterway; why not just let them do their thing, and make them get any licenses or checks if/when they ever start working outside that closed system?

Tuesday Taylor said...

TSA sound like a bunch of Jack Asses...