If you thought the security at WDW is scary...

[Michael623]

I was at DLP last week and the first people you see as you approach the gates are soldiers in fatigues carrying AK-47s. I felt like I was going through Check Point Charlie.

Oh yes, you can add your own French Soldier Joke here.

 

[dcentity2000]

I was there recently and the place was crawling with French marines armed with bloomin' FAMAS assault rifles!

Mind you, the UK is brimming at the moment with armed police carrying MP5 automatic weapons and side arms; Europe appears to be pretty terrified at the moment after the Madrid bombings, repeated attempted attacks on London and the rather shirty rejection of Bin Laden's "peace" offering

Things at the moments are not nice



Rich::

 

[KNWVIKING]

.... they scratch to easily when they're dropped.

 

[dcentity2000]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING
.... they scratch to easily when they're dropped.

The French use FAMAS assault rifles



Rich::

 

[KNWVIKING]

Are they teflon coated and scratch resistant ?

 

[dpuck1998]

<IMG SRC="http://remtek.com/arms/famas/g2.gif">

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Originally posted by dpuck1998
<IMG SRC="http://remtek.com/arms/famas/g2.gif">

Tripod setup makes for safe placement when it comes time to surrender.

 

[KNWVIKING]

I still haven't figured out why it has a trigger.

 

[renknt]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING
I still haven't figured out why it has a trigger.

firing on ceremonial occasions... like Bastille day

 

[chrissyt27]

I was in Paris in Feb. and May of 2001 and most of the touristy places I went there were soliders with rifles around. I just can't picture them at Disney.

chrissy

 

[Miss Eeyore]

they are there! when we were at Disneyland CA Chiristmas of 2001 there were marines with assault rifles at the entrance to both Disneyland and California Adventure. Our bodies were searched and we went through metal detectors, I think.

 

[dpuck1998]

Notice the handle, makes it easier to set down and the trigger makes a good place for the white flag ;-)

 

[dcentity2000]

To be fair to the French, they do have the best trained marines branch in the world - their amphibious branch. Apparently they look absolutely horrific, very scary. I believe at current rating as an army they're only second to Britain (which is titchy) and Israel (which gets waaaaaay too much experience).

Probably being invaded twice in the last 100 years that did it :/ But then again, to be fair once more, they were the prime target of a nation that took on the entire world twice and only lost in the second round because it tried to invade Russia... in the winter...

Anyone read "Fatherland" by Robert Harris? Suggests an alternate world where Hitler's army got a few little mistakes right - end result was the Greater German Empire consisting of half of Russia, France and a few other tidbits. Scary. but I digress.



Rich::

 

[Phoebesaturn]

Originally posted by dcentity2000
To be fair to the French, they do have the best trained marines branch in the world - their amphibious branch. Apparently they look absolutely horrific, very scary. I believe at current rating as an army they're only second to Britain (which is titchy) and Israel (which gets waaaaaay too much experience).

I'd put our Marines up against any of them and it would not even be pretty.

 

[Sarangel]

OK, guys... This has wandered pretty far afield. Please keep this closer to the topic at hand.

Saranagel

 

[TinkBoo&ElliesMum]

That is pretty scary!!

My in-laws have noticed things getting a bit more tense over there lately. My BIL has been taking the TGV between the north of France and Paris a lot - I don't even want to think what that's like right now!

We were at DLP in October and it was as laid back as ever!

 

[Danauk]

I was at DLP over Easter and I thought the security was not as good as at WDW. They did not search your bags upon entering the parks (just going in to Disney Village at night time - they were checking to make sure no one was bringing in their own alcohol.) We were there for 5 nights and only saw the armed soldiers twice at evening time and then they were just walking around they did not interact with anyone. I was also in London a few weeks ago and didn't notice a raise in armed police around either.

 

[randytenn]

I have a friend who owns a huge cruise only travel agency (they are the top producer for the past several years for the chain). He told me that after 9/11, Disney had submarines following the two ships as protection.

I told this to some friends, who immediately played their bull$hit cards. So, I went back to Mark, the owner, and asked if he was kidding me. He said absolutely not. Disney hired submarines to follow the ships as a security measure. He said it was something that they obviously did not advertise, but that they felt it necessary.

 

[dcentity2000]

Originally posted by Danauk
I was also in London a few weeks ago and didn't notice a raise in armed police around either.

No way!

You know as well as I do that weapons are banned in the UK and that police - yet alone ARMED police - are as rare as chicken's lips, but you MUST have noticed something?

I was in London not long ago (say two weeks) and London Victoria had around 5 armed police standing around at the entrace with MP5s; Waterloo had the same, ditto St. Pancras! By armed police I mean the ones trained to fire the things and not much else.

For everyone else out there: such armed police in the UK are in very short supply and are generally seen as the UK SWAT force - never called in except as a deterrent and for raids. Yes, there are police who carry weapons on occasions (airport police, local police) but the important difference to look out for is the black, shock proofed jackets as opposed to the silly big hats. So to see more than a couple of them ANYWHERE in the city is... well, it's mad! Note: I'm not sure what they're actually called, hence the rather confusing generic 'armed police' tag.



Rich::

 

[mikeymars]

>>He told me that after 9/11, Disney had submarines following the two ships as protection.<<

Yes, certainly....they retained retired staff from the North Korean Navy, who sailed on used WWII subs Disney purchased on eBay.