A post-Olympics conundrum.
What is the difference between this:
And this:
The first is the LiveCity site downtown; the second is Robson Square – both showcases of Olympic-related events, both open to the public, both free.
The difference, of course, is that one had airport-style security, the other was open without constraints.
How come?
In fact, from the point of view of a terrorist, wouldn’t the restrictions at the LiveCity sites have made Robson Square an even more inviting target? And if security really didn’t make a difference (or was effectively implemented at Robson Square without screening everyone), then why was it necessary at LiveSites?
This probably confirms what Atlantic bloggers James Fallows, Jeffrey Goldberg and others have written about ‘security theatre’: it’s largely about show.
This was my question during the Olympics. As soon as you add security and lock down the gates – for free events – you instantly create lineups. Robson Square worked very well, it allowed a lot of people to flow through all day long with no lines and no trouble. The Live City sites were seeing lines as longs as 2-3 hrs at peak times…for free events…I don’t get it. If they had opened the gates they would have created a much more open and flowing atmosphere ( are you going to leave in 5 min after lining up for 2 hrs??).
At the back of Live City Yaletown, it was open for the first couple of nights. Then after the Wilco show they blocked off the seawall at night – a big inconvenience to us locals who like to go for walks at night with a stroller. When I asked the guy why they had suddenly decided to block it off when it was open the previous night he said it got too crazy down here during the Wilco concert. I was amazed at that comment, since I was one of the people sitting on the seawall during whole Wilco concert. In total, there were about 30 people standing around, sitting on the sidewalk, talking casually listening to the music. And there were a few people coming and going during the whole concert. Way more mellow then the crazy crowd behind the locked gates of 20 yrds from us.
Another reason for closing off the seawall towards the end of the concerts each night is that the fireworks often landed on the seawall itself (I witnessed that myslef) – some of the fireworks were shot off from behind the stage near the water jets. It would have been much more difficult to clear the area immediately before the fireworks (i.e. after the concert) started because there wouldn’t have been anywhere for the people in the danger zone to move to because of crowds who would have gathered along teh seawall behind them.
Then again from the point of view of a terrorist a large stationary group of people standing around waiting to go through the security check is as effective and public a target as the more dispersed and mobile crowd behind it so I really doubt those security checkpoints were doing much of benefit at all.