Can I ask you about where you live?

[canadianbeaver]

Hey there BOTL's, I want to ask you something and since we are such a worldly bunch here goes. I am not trying to be political, opinionated or controversial in any way! Just curious.

In Toronto, we have very little military presence on our city streets, except in parades or if there is some kind if event. Even when I have been to Chicago or New York, minimal.

Today in the subway in Paris, 3 soldiers in camouflage uniforms, carrying machine guns strolled up and down the platform. No one so much as flinched. I was spooked!

What is like where you live?

[cottierm]

This has been going on for several years in France (in train stations, airports, etc.). Fear of terrorism is the reason for it. But our French contributors could offer better information on it.

Best,

Michel

[Rushman]

The municipal police here in Mexico commonly carry automatic weapons at the ready, just walking down fifth avenue. And that's here in the very safe riviera maya.

In northern Mexico and along the Texas border, the police and military are seriously outgunned.

I've travelled throughout Mexico for most of my life and unless I absolutely HAVE TO GO, I wont go to Monterrey or the border cities any longer.

---

I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=20.631818,-87.070487

[cottierm]

Oh, and police in anti-riot gear everywhere in the center of Athens the last time I was there.

Michel

[mk05]

NYC had (to 2 months ago) at least 4 fully armored officers with m16 at central points of subways corridors, around 42nd and downtown on the 456.

Boston, only in financial. Usually group of 3-5 talking about redsox and how old our basketball team is. Sometimes youll see 5-10 officers in a motorcade just chillin on newbury st. You see a grey swat truck once a day. It's fine though, they all have lives like you and me, and most of them smoke cigars with me anyway hahaha.

Cabo mexico you will see a white pickup cruising around all day, 8 tac ops in the back carrying m16s trolling for drunk americans to empty out.

[winelover]

Today in the subway in Paris, 3 soldiers in camouflage uniforms, carrying machine guns strolled up and down the platform. No one so much as flinched. I was spooked!

What is like where you live?

I was in Paris last August or at least Gare du Nord station as I took the Eurostar from London en route to Perpignan by TGV. Anyway I noticed a few soldiers with automatic weapons (the bullpub) and I was quite glad in fact. When you are in a civilised democratic country where there are risks of terror attacks it is reassuring to see the good guys tooled up. Or at least that is how I felt at the time.

In the UK are cops are not carrying firearms except that Armed Response Units are never far away, particularly in London. Around airports and major stations we won't have troops with automatics, they will be specially trained police officers usually carrying MP5s with sidearms. I prefer it that way as it seems more civilised to keep the troops confined to their barracks unless there is a state of war.

[winelover]

Has anyone been to Manila? I've never seen so many guns. Went their in 2002 and my hotel was guarded by two heavies with pump actions, the traffic cop had an AR15 and Burger King had a pistol wearing security guard on the entrance door. To just go to the shopping mall required us to go through a metal detector! I didn't quite feel safe but my wife (then GF) had previously done a stint in Bangladesh and was very calm about it all. Also the traffic was mental - obeying traffic lights or one way streets was strictly optional!

[mazolaman]

There's more of that stuff in London at the mo, ie troop or police bunkers, jet fighters on exercise above...etc in prep for the olympics. To be expected I guess.

[Michel1968]

I must be lucky in the city center of Haarlem (population 200.000). Just some patrol cars every now and then, the weekends see the addition of bike teams.

My Gawd... I am living in a boring place!

[ptrthgr8]

There's an Airforce base just outside of city limits and an Army National Guard station in town, so it's fairly common to see military vehicles driving on the main roads as they travel here and there, but we never have geared up thugs roaming the streets. North Dakota is comparatively safe. Besides, most of the people in my neck of the woods are gun guys, so lots of folks carry concealed or have firearms at the ready in their homes, businesses, etc. We don't need no stinkin' geared up thugs.

Cheers,

~ Greg ~

[Onsto]

I must be lucky in the city center of Haarlem (population 200.000). Just some patrol cars every now and then, the weekends see the addition of bike teams.

My Gawd... I am living in a boring place!

"May you live in interesting times" is a curse. Be glad of the peace and quiet! I live in British Columbia out in the sticks and rarely even see an RCMP officer, never mind one carrying an automatic weapon. They've had some bad press lately but I'd rather see them carrying tasers than MP5s...

[Orion21]

Regular police cars etc here in Phoenix. The only place I ran into Military Police was crossing the boarder of Austria into the Czech Republic and then at the airport in Vienna where they were carrying automatic weapons.

[sblevit]

In LA you only see the LAPD. Don't think I've ever seen any military presence here (at least since the riots in '92).

[iGrizz]

I live on the outskirts of Wright Patterson AFB. Common to see armed personnel around area. I also live close to where they build the M1 Abrams. So at least once a month we have trains coming through loaded with them and other various vehicles.

[Cohiba Stevie]

As i am a nationalist from Belfast i get naturally apprenhensive when if i see police or any armed forces lol

[CanuckSARTech]

No comment.

[CaptainQuintero]

Due to the huge Olympics budget (Approx £20B), the UK has had to make cutbacks to it's own police force and hire rent a cops from abroad

[AverageJoe83]

Oh my......

[ptrthgr8]

Due to the huge Olympics budget (Approx £20B), the UK has had to make cutbacks to it's own police force and hire rent a cops from abroad

Look at that trigger finger indexing... someone taught those girls some important gun handling safety. They're already better than most cops.

Cheers,

~ Greg ~

[Fuzz AI]

I remember my last trip to Paris back in '07. We were standing underneath the Eiffel Tower when a small bus pulled up and unloaded a platoon of soldiers carrying FAMAS assault rifles. They broke up into pairs and dispersed into the crowd. My friend's wife was a little unnerved about that.

Travelling in KL back in the 80's, saw 2 cops riding tandem on a motorbike, the rear cop holding 2 M16s... with his finger on the trigger! If he forgot to put the safety on, I'd hate to see what would happen if they hit th oh so frequent pothole! And security guards that casually carried shotgun used to worry some tourists. You wonder what disaster he was there to prevent and what would happen if he started blasting away.

And in Sydney? We hardly ever see any military personnel. Maybe down at Woolloomooloo where the Garden Island Navy base, you see some hanging around trying to pick up tourists or grabbing a mushy peas, gravy and mash pie at Harry's.

[PuffDaddie]

Just the Police at the airport, every thing is normal here in Louisians.

[IcedCanuck]

In Ottawa we see the local police, OPP, and RCMP. If you are anywhere near parliament hill, some of the major embassies, 24 Sussex Drive, etc you will see the RCMP. I take public transit to and from work and quite frequently see military and air-force personnel but they are not armed. Other than that it is pretty much the same as TO except when we do see armed military personnel they are armed with more than just snow shovels

[BrotherBear]

^^^ LOL

More info for those who don't get it: http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090111/army_1999_091011/20090111/?hub=TorontoNewHome

[Wil]

I live in a scary place indeed.

[asmith]

Years ago I had a consultant out here from the States doing some work for me. He had been to Australia several times and this one time I was driving him through the CBD of Brisbane, not sure what time of the year it was, but our army were out collecting donations for Legacy week, (support the diggers' families who never returned from battle).

Anyway our military guys are standing on each street corner in their uniforms and a bucket asking for donations for Legacy. Its a little unusual to see this many military on the streets in Australia so this consultant asked what they were all doing? I said that the government had cut funding to the military and they had to rely on public donations to run the military. He was appalled that a government would cut funding to the country's military, especially being an ally of the USA. I said yeah its tough times for those guys, going out getting shot at and not really sure if they will get paid due to the spending cuts. For the next week in Australia he wanted to discuss this issue with all of my clients more than work, they didn't know what was going on. I had a great laugh adding wood to the fire during the week. I eventually told him what they were really doing and surprisingly he is still a good friend.