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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Why You Don't Want to Wake an Ex-SF Guy for No Reason... |
| 2005-09-08 |
| [New Orleans] Sometime around midnight, a squad of 82nd Airborne guys accompanied by a US Marshall busted into our Data Center with their M4-A1s to investigate the lights and movement. Personally, I know they were just bored -- there's no way they honestly thought there was some kind of threat up here just yards away from several huge military and police presences. Anyway, they came up and demanded to account for us all. That means they told Donny, who was still up, to come wake up Crys and me in the side closet room type area where we sleep. I could hear Donny telling them that I was exSpecial Forces as he came to get me. He stuck his head in and explained the situation while I made Crys get up and get dressed. We came out and I gave the Marshall a sheepish look which said was this really enough fun for to relieve your boredom? He kind of knew they shouldn't be up here -- I think it was Crystal's being here which really made him snap out of it. He began apologizing and I could tell the yound soldiers with him were really shy about having seen Crystal come out too. But I didn't let them all off that easily. "Hey, I understand. I know you guys are just doing your job." He kept apologizing. Then I put them to work. "So wait, how did you get up here anyway? We locked this building down.... The Marshall claimed that one of the emergency exits -- the one on the Lafayette Square side had been open. I knew this was bullshit. For one thing, Sig and I tied down and concealed that door. It would have taken a group of guys to open it. For another Lafayette Square is to the south of our building. The only lights visisble are from Poydras to the north. Am I to believe that they bypassed the obvious entrances (also locked down) to look for one they didn't even know existed and it just happened to be open? No, they searched for a way in, and by the time they got around back and found the emergency exit, they were ready to break in, so they did. "Wait, we secured that exit. That means that this building might have other people in it," I told them. They all knew what was coming next. If it was their job to check on lights and movement to look for people who didn't belong there.... I asked them to sweep the building for us. And they did. All 27 floors of it with no elevators. If you want to play soldier with me, I will make you play it a lot longer than you had in mind. Crystal and I went back to bed secure in the knowledge that a US Marshall and a squad from the 82nd Airborne cleared 27 floors and the roof of our temporary residence. And then they secured the door they must have spent 45 minutes breaking into. Most restful sleep I've had all week. Good morning, world. This guy has been keeping his data center in downtown NOLA alive all through the hurricane. The blog (with pictures) is fascinating. |
| Posted by:Thrusing Phineling3752 |
| #3 Lighten-up,ZF.Those guys new they were busted and(I'm sure) took it with a wry grin.Watch ya wanta bet a couple of those 82 boys come-up with a little imaginative pay back. |
| Posted by: raptor 2005-09-08 15:14 |
| #2 Have you read the gentleman's blog, ZF? He's been carrying on with 2 hour naps round the clock since Katrina hit, keeping alive the computers for his company's clients -- including the NO government -- plus patrolling the area around his building to keep it free from those with poor impulse control. The Army patrol could have rung the doorbell instead; it would have been answered. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-09-08 13:58 |
| #1 This is lame. The Army guys were rousted from their bunks to carry out this thankless mission in New Orleans. They did not need to be sent on a sweaty, tiring wild goose chase - on top of the wild goose chase they'll be carrying out over the next several weeks. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-09-08 13:40 |