You can't be too careful. /s
Posted on 12/03/2010 9:49:17 AM PST by MissTed
What's next? Pat-downs at the church confessional?
As travelers rightfully fret over excessive groping in airport security lines, it now seems skiers and snowboarders are subject to this growing game of pat-down.
New policies at several Colorado ski resorts also are placing uniformed police in visible and active roles to curb excess in the very places that otherwise go out of their way to cater to excess.
The most extreme example? Those waiting to board Steamboat Springs' gondola first must submit to police pat-downs, according to 5280 magazine's Kelly Bastone.
Skiers and snowboarders "must unzip, de-layer, and turn out their pockets," Bastone writes. "Like travelers at Denver International Airport, these would-be gondola riders must run through a gauntlet of security checkpoints before taking to the skies."
And it's either submit to the searches, or forgo the nearly $100 you just spent on a lift ticket.
Other resorts also are using police to patrol for drunken skiers or look for thrill seekers who stray out of bounds. While we don't relish an overbearing police presence on the slope, we can understand how it occasionally might be justified.
The resorts have the right to pat down their customers. Though most resorts make use of U.S. Forest Service leases, the gondolas and chair lifts are privately owned.
The increased police presence apparently comes with the overwhelming family-oriented atmosphere of resorts these days. Parents obviously want their children to be safe, so some welcome the crackdowns.
But we haven't heard of studies that show there's a growing safety problem on the slopes, even with the increasing number of skiers. Also, alcohol sales are still prevalent on the mountain.
A cynic might wonder whether the searches for flasks are actually more of an effort to force riders to pay for drinks at resort bars and restaurants, just as concert-goers and sports fans are increasingly made to do.
Not so long ago, we encouraged air travelers to endure the full-image body scanners at the airport and avoid a proposed boycott during Thanksgiving travel. Our concern was for those travelers already forced to endure the Transportation Security Administration's invasive new policies and practices who then would be further victimized by long lines. But we also encouraged the TSA to streamline and dignify its protective measures.
We can't allow the fear of a few people — whether they are evil terrorists or drunken college kids — to turn a free society into a police state, where pat-downs and shakedowns tarnish a powder day, a trip to the mall or a date to a movie.
Clearly we need law enforcement and laws, but a heavy police presence on the slopes stands in stark contrast to our idea of fun-filled days on the mountain.
So... are folks with a CCW permit and the obvious carry going to be prevented access?
You can't be too careful. /s
I’ve never heard of anyone being shot on a ski slope nor do I think it’s likely for a muzzie to blow one up. This is insane.
This is getting absolutely assenine. It is like watching a beast in its final death throws.
Hopefully the phoenix that rises from this mess will have learned something.
bing!
My guess is that Steamboat Springs will have less business this year once the word gets out. There is stiff competition among ski resorts.
Wow.... The story is a little unclear if all get the pat-down or just some lucky winners.
I have rode the gondola there and at the speed they load, I can’t think of anything but a serious gridlock.
You’re right...ridiculous. Everytime you ride the gondola? Geez...
Hard enough getting into layers of ski clothing, putting on gloves, hat, etc....then having to unzip and turn pockets out when they’re filled with Kleenex, Chapstick, etc.
If someone wanted to do harm, it’s easy enough to put something in boots. If they made you remove them, I don’t think anyone would go skiing.
This is alcohol and behaviour control, not security.
A cruise ship will shake you down looking for bottles and flasks because a full bottle of Jamaican rum is $300 at the bar, served out in shots and mixed drinks, plus they want to control how drunk you get.
A ski slope can get sued if they let someone get hammered before they slam into a tree (unless you are a Kennedy).
Where I live we get a lot of avalanches and everybody know how dangerous back-county skiing can be. That said, when somebody dies, invariably it’s back-country snowmobilers or guys that go into off limits areas at ski resorts - sometimes they find them after the melt, sometimes they don’t. If the cops have such a burning need to “protect and serve” (HAH!), then they should line up in front of areas where people sneak off limits rather than confiscating boda bags so the resorts can maximize profits. Skiing is expensive enough without having to pay the jacked up prices for a lousy drink. And it’s bullshit if people think there is some kind of security threat - there’s just too many goddamn cops trying top justify their existence. Parasites.
God I love that man...
I've been skiing for 25-years now and the ones that are drinking are the 20-somethings, and that's even a small minority of them. No need to pat down Mom & Dad when they are there with their children.
You don’t mean...< shudder >..PROFILING?
“You either surf or you fight”
- Robert Duvall Apocalypse Now- Univesal Studios 1979
Ha! As if they need the piddly little money your ski business brings in. A quick search shows that the Steamboat Springs Resort is owned by Intrawest ULC, which, in turn, is owned by Fortress Investment Group LLC.
The CEO of Fortress is Daniel H. Mudd, former President and CEO of Fannie Mae.
Cofounders include Wesley R. Edens, former partner of BlackRock Financial Management. BlackRock’s cofounder Keith Anderson apparently replaced Robert Soros, son of George Soros, as the Chief Investment Officer of Soros Management in 2008.
Another major cofounder of Fortress is Peter L. Briger, Jr, a partner at Goldman Sachs.
The board of Fortress is listed here:
http://www.fortressinv.com/AboutFortress/TeamList.aspx?lid=2
Bottom line: these are people for whom the threat of declining ski revenues may not be quite as fearsome as you may think. I predict, like you, that Steamboat will have less revenues soon ... but I also predict that the people who own Steamboat won’t care at all.
(are these tinfoil hats always so tight? Any tips on getting one to fit better?)
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