[comp.org.usenix] aircraft carrier tours

henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (01/14/89)

In article <3399@wiley.UUCP> don@wiley.UUCP (Don Kark) writes:
>The Navy (actually volunteers) gives tours of the aircraft carriers on
>weekends when they are docked...  Be warned, though, you can't just
>walk up to the gate and get in on a weekend.  You need to apply for a
>pass by the Wednesday before...

Be warned, also, that if you're from outside the US, you probably can't go.
(This is the general pattern in the US these days for such things...)
-- 
"God willing, we will return." |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
-Eugene Cernan, the Moon, 1972 | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu

friedl@vsi.COM (Stephen J. Friedl) (01/15/89)

In article <3399@wiley.UUCP> don@wiley.UUCP (Don Kark) writes:
>The Navy (actually volunteers) gives tours of the aircraft carriers on
>weekends when they are docked.

In article <1989Jan13.223546.23048@utzoo.uucp>, henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes:
> Be warned, also, that if you're from outside the US, you probably can't go.
> (This is the general pattern in the US these days for such things...)

Could Henry be *jealous*? :-)


-- 
Stephen J. Friedl        3B2-kind-of-guy            friedl@vsi.com
V-Systems, Inc.        I speak for me only      attmail!vsi!friedl
Santa Ana, CA  USA       +1 714 545 6442    {backbones}!vsi!friedl
---------Nancy Reagan on Hawaiian musicians: "Just say Ho"--------

dbw@net1.ucsd.edu (David B. Wollner) (01/16/89)

Every weekend on the Broadway pier, the navy gives a tour of whichever
ship is docked there.  Last time I went, it was a Destroyer.  The most
interesting thing about it was the oil tanker painted on the guns.  They
let everyone on, but perhaps they'll make an exception for Henry if he
complains loud enough.  They do refuse to answer any questions about
nuclear capability, although with a rather disturbing smile.  The pier
is at the end of Broadway, hence the name.  It's open during the day on
the weekends, and I've never had a problem just walking on, although
reservations are probably a good idea.

henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (01/16/89)

In article <1014@vsi.COM> friedl@vsi.COM (Stephen J. Friedl) writes:
>> Be warned, also, that if you're from outside the US, you probably can't go.
>> (This is the general pattern in the US these days for such things...)
>
>Could Henry be *jealous*? :-)

Jealous of the privilege of living under a government that thinks silliness
like this has anything to do with real security?  Not likely.
-- 
"God willing, we will return." |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
-Eugene Cernan, the Moon, 1972 | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu

dave@micropen (David F. Carlson) (01/17/89)

In article <1989Jan16.105614.5325@utzoo.uucp>, henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes:
> In article <1014@vsi.COM> friedl@vsi.COM (Stephen J. Friedl) writes:
> >Could Henry be *jealous*? :-)
> Jealous of the privilege of living under a government that thinks silliness
> like this has anything to do with real security?  Not likely.
> "God willing, we will return." |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology

Jingoism aside, my bet is that every military in the world holds very stringent
security of foreign nationals around sensitive (how about nuclear capable)
military installations.  Even the colony to the north would hesitate before
letting just anyone onto a military reservation.  (The US fears terrorist 
bombing of what might actually be legitimate military targets, rather than
military discoteques as usually get hit.)

-- 
David F. Carlson, Micropen, Inc.
micropen!dave@ee.rochester.edu

"The faster I go, the behinder I get." --Lewis Carroll

ado@elsie.UUCP (Arthur David Olson) (01/19/89)

> Jingoism aside, my bet is that every military in the world holds very
> stringent security of foreign nationals around sensitive (how about nuclear
> capable) military installations.

Absolutely right--just *try* boarding one of the RCMP's vessels.
-- 
	Arthur David Olson    ado@ncifcrf.gov    ADO is a trademark of Ampex.

msb@sq.uucp (Mark Brader) (01/19/89)

[If you get two versions of this, it's not my fault, I cancelled the first.]

> > Jingoism aside, my bet is that every military in the world holds very
> > stringent security of foreign nationals around sensitive (how about nuclear
> > capable) military installations.
> 
> Absolutely right--just *try* boarding one of the RCMP's vessels.

Is this a joke?  [No ":-)" was used.]  The RCMP is a police force, not a
military force.  The name stands for Royal Canadian Mounted Police,
where the 1st and 3rd words are retained mostly for reasons of tradition.
They police federal installations and any province or (small) municipality
that doesn't have its own police.

In any case, we weren't talking about *sensitive* military installations.
Even a country's own nationals will not be freely admitted to those.

We were talking about a *public tour* that was said to be open to Americans
only; but which, according to someone's followup, actually was open to all.

Mark Brader		"... a movement is already under way to declare
Toronto			 December 7 an annual legal holiday in commemoration
utzoo!sq!msb		 of the opening of hostilities."
msb@sq.com			-- Ring Lardner (in the New York Times), 1931

henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (01/20/89)

In article <623@micropen> dave@micropen (David F. Carlson) writes:
>... my bet is that every military in the world holds very stringent
>security of foreign nationals around sensitive (how about nuclear capable)
>military installations...

Tight security around sensitive installations I can understand; the claim
that security risk somehow correlates with citizenship is more dubious.
Personally, I would have hoped that the US in particular would remember
that (for example) Lafayette was a foreigner and Benedict Arnold was not...

Anyway, this doesn't seem to be an issue for the SD ship tours, so this
probably isn't the group to continue this...
-- 
Allegedly heard aboard Mir: "A |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
toast to comrade Van Allen!!"  | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu

domo@riddle.UUCP (Dominic Dunlop) (01/21/89)

[Countless other references omitted...]

In article <1989Jan13.223546.23048@utzoo.uucp>, henry@utzoo.uucp
	(Henry Spencer) writes:
> Be warned, also, that if you're from outside the US, you probably can't go.
> (This is the general pattern in the US these days for such things...)

Weelll...  I'm an alien, but I've walked around US navy ships when I happen
to have been near one which has been open to the public during my visits to
the States.  If the US military wants to show off its hardware, that's fine
by me, and I'll go a little out of my way to take a look.  Not that I've
ever seen anything which seems to me to be anywhere near ``the state of the
art''.  You know, just old lethal stuff, not new lethal stuff.  Even after
I've opened my mouth to expose my very wonderful English accent, nobody has
arrested me, or even asked to see my driver's license -- despite my having
the unaccountable feeling that maybe I was doing something a little naughty.
(All they're liable to do is ask whether I'm Australian.)

Or, to put it another way, Loosen up, Henry; I don't think that things
south of the border are yet as bad as you suggest.
-- 
Dominic Dunlop
domo@sphinx.co.uk  domo@riddle.uucp