Author Topic: Be sure to close your curtains when playing Aces High (Read 1358 times)

Delirium · « **Reply #15 on:** January 13, 2004, 05:01:39 PM »

Its a bit much... I could of seen it happening if the customer's questions were related to cities or well known buildings in regards to a flight sim.

Glad I don't shop at Staples, if I buy coffee there they may think I'm trying to ship cocaine.

AKWeav · « **Reply #16 on:** January 13, 2004, 06:34:36 PM »

Quote

That's it, I'm getting myself a turbin and heading down to my local Staples.

mrblack · « **Reply #17 on:** January 13, 2004, 06:41:15 PM »

A Dariwn award canidate?

cpxxx · « **Reply #18 on:** January 13, 2004, 07:13:04 PM »

First off it's basically an isolated and absurd case but is symptomatic of the kind of absurdity that pops up in times like these. Just like what happened to JB73 when he made his crack about a 'yellow alert' and nearly got fired and or arrested.

That clerk must be incredibly stupid or naive. Imagine saying that asking about flying airplanes is against the law. That was confounded by the management in the shop. I don't blame the cops because they have to respond to to all kinds of BS as a routine. The question in my mind though is what if it was a young man not an Air Force pilot who happens to be a woman. He could have spent a very uncomfortable few hours before the truth came out.

It reminds me though of the kind of thing that goes on in Fascist or Communist regimes. There is always someone willing to report people for real imagined plots against the leader or threats to the state.
Luckily America is still a free country but there are degrees of freedom. The risk is not so much that the government actually deliberately restricts freedom but that it creates a climate of fear where people are afraid to express themselve freely because there is always a spy or an informer ready to report them to the authorities or even maliciously try to get them into trouble.

JB73's situation would be more typical. An isolated jokey comment taken out of context and escalated. I'll bet JB feels a little more constrained in what he says these days. Multiply that by a thousand or a hundred thousand times and it gets worrying.

United · « **Reply #19 on:** January 13, 2004, 08:14:26 PM »

Can't even buy flight sims anymore. What has happened to the economy!?!?!

dont answer that, it may involve another 150 posts....

Stoned Gecko · « **Reply #20 on:** January 13, 2004, 08:19:04 PM »

At least she didn't try to buy a yoke and pedals to go along with the flight sim. That could've gotten her arrested.

capt. apathy · « **Reply #21 on:** January 13, 2004, 08:29:10 PM »

the clerk doesn't suprise me. more often than not I deal with morons when going to a retail store. he was an idiot.

but the cop should have known better. when the clerk made the report, why didn't the cop just say "wise up you moron, flight sims aren't illegal" and end it right there.

zmeg · « **Reply #22 on:** January 13, 2004, 08:32:23 PM »

The cop had no choice, the idiot couldn't help himself it's the manager who should be fired.

Shane · « **Reply #23 on:** January 13, 2004, 10:00:16 PM »

you have to remember in any good-sized organization, the true idiots don't get fired.

they get promoted.

Nefarious · « **Reply #24 on:** January 13, 2004, 10:00:56 PM »

"In the post-9/11 world, Staples spokesperson Sharyn Frankel said are instructed to be alert and to report any sort of suspicious inquiries or behavior in the store. "It's all about keeping our associates and customers safe. This was out of the ordinary and kind of raised a red flag and (the sales clerk) did what he thought was right."

It seems as if they are allowed to track the books we read from the library. Then they should be allowed to know what we game we play for our computer. Strike another one up for USA Patriot Act and the fear this government has pumped into the masses.

I hate living in the post 9/11 world.

capt. apathy · « **Reply #25 on:** January 13, 2004, 10:01:48 PM »

why did the cop have no choice. the guy reptorted behavior that was neither suspicious nor illegal.

_Schadenfreude_ · « **Reply #26 on:** January 13, 2004, 10:18:19 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by SOB
That's it, I'm getting myself a turbin and heading down to my local Staples.

Let us know how it works out.

Manedew · « **Reply #27 on:** January 14, 2004, 03:43:09 AM »

Lip service to safety?

Yes, looks that way to me...

Attempting to create a fear ridden state through such means?

Yes also....

They get to look like they are doing something to protect us when in reality they can do next to nothing. 9-11 will Never happen agin ... the passengers won't let it. An irrational fear has been created over a little anthrax and four planes ... now you see this fear eveywhere .... anyone could be a terrorist, especialy tho' fligth sim dweebs

.

But this is simply the latest symtom in the news

tho I see it elsewhere too

.... I went to a basketball game few weeks back .... they were stoping people and checking thier cell phones... they made you push buttons to make sure it was 'real' and working...

so I ask him.... why are you checkign the phones

Guys says ..."because they might be bombs"

I had to stop myself from LOL...

I could think of easier ways in a minute to create terror than packing c4 or something into a phone....

Throw any chemical of choice into a hotdog stand.... ( i get liquor in games all the time, it wouldn't be any harder to get in some type of posion, were you so inclined)

A working phone would be much more useful for a remote triggering device, which means it would be working anyway.

Lip servivce to safety ....

This flight sim fiasco reeks of the same problem .. not only lip service to safety, but an attempt to build fear in common people, an irrational fear ....

"The Terrorists(al'quada)" aren't coming for you ... and the idea that you can keep people like Tim McVhey(sp) from doing thier thing is impossible unless your willing to give up all your freedoms for safety....

Watch out for tho's guy renting U-hauls ... they might use it to blow up the FBI

That's the kind of logic we are looking at

What's stoping me from going out and createing terror .. nothing but me.....

and that holds true for most of you with a brain and any education in firearms etc.

-------

This is why this really bothers me .. just the latest symtom of an irrational fear.

the clerk should not be that afraid... it's irrational....

The police should have told the moron it's an irrational fear, but they didn't so ....ethir the cop(s) involved have the same fear, or they feel the right to seach anyone at a whim- take your pick.

Creamo · « **Reply #28 on:** January 14, 2004, 04:04:31 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by SOB
That's it, I'm getting myself a turbin and heading down to my local Staples.

I'd pay for that video. It would be 10X's as funny as "Punked" or "Yank Crankers"!

Anyway, this is just the beginning.

I still gotta wonder, if someone called the police and said they had to report someone was trying to buy flightsim software, why would she have to have a Trooper knocking at her window with a flashlight pry scaring the crap outta her? Wouldn't they just tell them to piss off?

Roscoroo · « **Reply #29 on:** January 14, 2004, 04:29:39 AM »

SOB in a turbine .... I hope he remembers were the pull starter is on it !!!