Hi all ....

Poor planning has me traveling today so I'm passing thru MSP (for the 58th time this teay!) and am amazed at the security!! I realize the Republican delegates, etc. are arriving so I wasn't surprised by their (security) presence, just by their sheer numbers. I sat down at the Subway beside the C concourse WC and in less than 10 minues saw at LEAST a dozen different bright-blue shirted TSA folk, four management level people with walkie-talkies working with the TSA-ers, and an equal or greater number on uniformed airport police --- and one bicycle mounted cop. The place is literally CRAWSLING with security. The WC employees say it's been this way since Friday. They aren't slowing anyone down (it's VERY quiet here!) but there are a ton of them.

I'll be back thru here on Wednesday and it'll be interesting to see if they're still here in such force.

Just an observation .......

BFN

I was on NRT-MSP today and from the moment we got off the plane I noticed a large amount of security hanging around. In fact, I was the unlucky victim of extra checks in customs, which has never happened to me before and delayed me about 20 minutes.

On the bright side, I got an op-up on BKK-NRT and NRT-MSP, so I can't complain too much.

if you were john Q public would you want a republican official in the stall next to you? MSP has been burned once before and prevention is the answer. watch them at all times...

The honorable Senator Larry Craig won't be attending the convention. I'm not sure if it's the Republican National Committee or undercover police at the airport he's most concerned about. IIRC, his trial begins a month after the convention.
Michael

Lindbergh Crossing mens room are hot beds of terror against the flying public. MSP has adopted a Nevermoreagain attitude.

Once upon a MSP dreary, while I connected, weak and weary,
Creating many a quaint and curious volume of trip report lore,
While I squatted, nearly cr*pping, suddenly there came a rapping,
As of a Senator gently tapping, tapping under my chamber door.

Wow, that is an amazing bit of poetry!

I flew through MSP yesterday and wondered why there were so many TSA people standing around. I'm an idiot for not connecting it to the convention...or non-convention it seems now, thankfully.

We planned over a year ago to leave for 10 days. I am so happy that I am safe and unbothered in NYC.

This is interesting... I transferred through MSP twice yesterday, and didn't see this scale that you're talking about. Maybe I'm just used to seeing a lot of security, or else it only started this morning.

edit: not knowing any of this, I almost took a photo of an officer on a bike, given my thoughts of MSP being so HUGE. Being the first time I'd ever been to MSP, the place feels so huge, people need bikes to get around. It feels bigger then ATL, and ATL is a monster.

Steve B.

Found this on the TSA Propaganda Blog

"New Technology and Uniforms Deployed in Time for Conventions in Denver and Minneapolis"

"As part of that team effort, TSA Minneapolis-St. Paul began deploying Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response teams at the airport and in other modes of transportation several weeks ago. These operations will continue throughout the convention."

VIPERs are the SWAT battle dress with machine guns patrolling after the checkpoints to scare Ma and Pa Kettle. (Shows how much they trust their own checkpoints, if they need VIPERS in the sterile area.)

Sorry, no poetry today, the VIPERS are after me for Poe Plagerism.

The blue uniforms were out in full force the whole weekend. Last night they had a temporary 'drone' set up at the base of the escalators from ground transportation to ticketing that was going back and forth, scanning for something. The desk and computers controlling this device were staffed by two very important looking TSA employees - they must think they are helping keeping this so-very-important convention 'safe'.

I also noticed they had numerous police vehicles sitting in the grass beside the Signature Flight Support ramp - this must be the overflow area for the aircraft without reservations over at St. Paul Downtown Airport.

Finally, 55 from the airport to St. Paul was lined with various police vehicles all standing outside their cruisers watching traffic. Sounds like anyone renting a UHaul this weekend in St. Paul better find a different route...

What no apologies to Poe?

I noticed the different TSA uniforms as well�

They also seemed to have increased their verbosity by a factor of at least 10�
�Do you have a belt on?�
�change in your pocket?�
�did you leave your phone in your pants?� � this is before I even walked though!! She is saying all of this as she�s standing facing me with my tub (containing all of these items) inbetween us. I thought of sarcastically pointing this out but I just kinda gave her a blank stare� They usually aren�t that chatty!!

As I tied my shoes on the other side I thought it was very ironic that they thought that those coming in and out for the convention would need additional coaching in the whole screening process � these are the folks that have advocated our new police state with such enthusiasm!!

Also, MSP was without question the *cleanest* I�ve ever seen it � the facade of Ike�s was literally sparkling!!

I flew in for my weekend trip home on Saturday morning. I got a kick out of the bright red floor placards sponsored by 3m welcoming delagates to the 2008 RNC. If there wasn't so much security running around the carousel level, I would have considered palming two cans of spray paint (one dark blue and one white) and overlaying my own "Obama 08" overlay for each red RNC placard..

Also, did you see the very silly, bright red arrows on the floor pointing RNC delegates to to key areas of interest to arriving PAX, like the elevators? If I were flying into MSP to attend the 2008 RNC, I would be a bit insulted at the suggestion that I couldn't navigate myself around the MSP Main Terminal... I would put down on my convention feedback card a reminder that we're not in Kindergarten anymore.

-A

The MAC probably thought that with the way these people have navigated the United States into the 21st century, they'll need some extra help finding their way around the airport

Remember - these are simple people! Some of them don't believe in science!!

Pointing out the bathrooms is pretty funny though...