MD Sniper - Shut down roads after sniper left, WHY???

Me ^ | 10-22-2002 | Me

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

OK, I live dead center in the middle of Aspen Hill sniper central. 15 years ago I lived in those apartment buildings across the street from where the guy was shot today on the Ride-On bus. I now live in the house I built two miles from there, 1/2 mile from the post office where the lady was shot in the head while sitting on the bench out front. That is the shopping center where I shop (as well as 10,000 REALLY old people.. Leisure World ). Anyway, the point of all of that is to say that I know this area VERY well (grew up right up the street from the Mobil station where the taxi driver was shot too).

Now, to the road blocks. I couldn't go to work today (yet, it's 11:30am now) because, 15, or so, minutes after the sniper shot and killed the guy on the bus all of the roads leading away from Aspen Hill were blocked. I won't go into how far away the blocks were but they were pretty far (many miles) away. Since at 6:00am I can get to work, 18 miles away, in 25 minutes, what good does it do shutting down all roads in the area after the sniper has left the vicinity??? Or, since the sniper isn't a total idiot, what good do the road blocks do if he (or she) were to simply sit in a shopping center parking lot waiting in his/her car or shopping in the grocery store, until after the road blocks are taken down? It seems to me that putting up road blocks for 3, 4, or 6 hours after the shotting has occured is just plain stupid. Is this simply to show the public that the police/govt./our protectors, who in Maryland WON'T allow us to carry guns, are "doing something?" It's certainly screwing things up around here (as the sniper wants, I'm sure...

[TheLion]

Since police have no idea of who they are looking for, they are stopping all males. They have no idea if this guy will be on the road. Road blocks are a waste of time and resource. Police need to get out of their cars and be on foot all over the place. He probably hangs around the area til it's all over. We could have volunteer citizen patrols. They need to start thinking out of the box on this one. Just showing up after the fact and putting on a good show, just ain't getting it done! It's becoming a total waste of time watching the media.

[stuartcr]

Internet access, you never know!

[stuartcr]

Sometimes people don't pull over, depends on where you live. Sometimes people don't have their radio on. It would only take a couple of people that didn't get the message to screw things up, or panic. Could be a mom that is worried about her kid, so she thinks her reason is good enough to not stop. Who knows? Too many variables when dealing with thousands of human beings. Just doesn't seem realistic to me.

[longtermmemmory]

The reason I reference CNN is that CNN had an "expert" who recomended taking the bus. Now a bus driver is dead. This nothing person is watching CNN.

[longtermmemmory]

good thing they have gun control. This should make everyone feel reeeeeaaaal safe.

[stuartcr]

You would have to be deaf and blind to not have been saturated with all that is going on.

[M. T. Cicero II]

I am very impressed by the drivers out here in the country. 99% get off the road (2 lane) well infront of the emergency vehicle. Those who don't are just not paying attention, but because of those who are, the vehicles can get around them easily. In a metro area, I don't think that this is possible.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Wouldn't all that picture taking put an undo strain on the photo developers?

Digital cameras...

[AnnaZ]

I am very impressed by the drivers out here in the country. 99% get off the road (2 lane) well infront of the emergency vehicle. Those who don't are just not paying attention, but because of those who are, the vehicles can get around them easily. In a metro area, I don't think that this is possible.

 

I lived in NYC for several years, and prayed that it would not be the place I was in were I to suffer from a stroke or heart attack or other critical life-threatening situation.

 

I've lived in L.A. for almost seven years now and, shockingly, must admit that I have never seen such instant courtesy for emergency vehicles as I have here. Everyone pulls over to the right and stops. Everyone. It seems really odd to me, this city being what it is, and all.

[stuartcr]

There are many that still have and use film cameras. What are the odds that everyone on the highway has a digital camera and a printer in their vehicle, ready to post their photos?

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

What are the odds that everyone on the highway has a digital camera and a printer in their vehicle, ready to post their photos?

I sense a NEW, massive, government program in the works here!!!

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

However, the police will move in like white blood cells to keep the contagon from spreading.

My problem is that the contagon has left the host by the time the white blood cells mosey on over. Doing the speed limit and stoipping at lights, I can be 10 miles away in less than 15 minutes. No road blocks that far off. Or, like others have said, I could simply sit at Denny's and have breakfast, go to K-Mart for the day's shopping, then buy groceries for the week. Once I've done the week's chores the road blocks are gone. The simply don't make sense. And, we see how well they've been working... 0 for 12...

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Are we wrong to assume the French soldier is a "he?"

I thought all of the French were unisex.

[longtermmemmory]

I never said the police were efficient. The premise is police are designed to protect society not individuals from harm. That is why this shooter is outclassing the police. They are out of their area of design. The shooter is targeting individuals, the blind spot of police.

[GnL]

What would happen now, if the shooter were stopped in a roadblock along with you?

Probably nothing, which is precisely my point. Chances are this guy is no longer driving his white van with ladder racks, even if he ever was. And unless the cops are going to search every vehicle in the roadblock (both impractical and a 4th Amendment violation), the guy just drives on through as soon as the roadblock is cleared. The roadblocks are a waste of time and resources--UNLESS the shooter is still driving a white van (and then he is just plain stupid, which I doubt).