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Are we still in Utah? Gimme a beer, and we'll discuss it By
Will Bettmann The downtown area really is cool. The place is packed for most of the day with tourists, scalpers, security, brochure-pushers, protesters (was that person dressed in a cow suit protesting the rodeo or advertising Chick Fil-A?), and a whole host of others not normally seen in Utah. Almost everyone in our driving crew of 25 has a "brush with celebity" tale to tell: in the bathroom with Hannah Storm (tall); passed Bob Costas in the hall (short); at the bar with Bob Saget (a lot coarser in real life than he acts on the sit-com, Full House). The daily concerts at the Olympic Medals Plaza seem to be a huge success although I have yet to witness any of them in person. The night before last, a member of the Barenaked Ladies performed in a Canadian figure-skaters outfit. A few nights before that, the lead singer of the Foo Fighters questioned Dave Matthews' contention that it was cold peforming at the outdoor medals plaza: "I don't know what the f*** he was talking about." Are we still in Utah? The two non-Americans in our driving crew seem to be doing the best job of absorbing the Olympics. Not only have the two South African girls managed to attend events almost every day (I have yet to attend one), but they were featured in a USA Today article yesterday. I think their favorite event was the men's half-pipe (snowboarding) competition, in which the athletes performed ridiculously difficult tricks and Americans took the gold, silver and bronze medals. Everyone working in any capacity at the Olympics has a 3-by-6-inch pass that allows entry into their particular venue or venues. No pass means no entry. Last week, when I was commuting from Logan, I left my pass at home, and realized it when I was around North Salt Lake, thereby adding a couple hours to the morning drive. The passes that we were issued as drivers allow us into every venue (except the medals plaza) because we are delivering people and equipment to each venue. So, in theory we could attend any event, although in practice we are supposed to contact the venue manager, and ask their permission, or ask if they need any help with work before we can enter the broadcast area of any venue. All of us have noticed inconsistencies in security practices. In order to park in one of the parking lots abutting the Main Media Center where we are based, we have to pass through the Vehicle Security Area, known as the VSA, which is manned by the National Guard, the Salt Lake Police, and the U.S. Secret Service. One enters the VSA about three blocks away from the media center by entering a special lane of traffic. Credentials are checked twice before entering the screening tent, in which the car is checked by National Guardsmen with varying degrees of throuroughness for bombs or any other forms of mischief. Since most of the drivers pass through the the VSA a few times a day, we are usually subject to less rigorous inspection, which can include emptying the car of its contents and being wanded with a metal detector and patted down. At the security tent, the lead inspector hands the driver a piece of white paper on which is written the drivers' destination parking lot, and the time. If the drivers spends more than a few minutes reaching that lot or attempts to enter another lot, he/she will be sent through the VSA again. One problem with this system is that not all the various guards know the lots by the same name. Almost all our drivers have done gratuitous rounds through the VSA when one guard knew our lot as "the MMC West lot", and another knew it as "the MMC lot." Last week, one of the inspectors found an old car battery in the trunk of my car, and called over a member of the Secret Service to discuss it. He told me they would let me through that day, but to leave the battery at home in the future. The next day - after working 12 hours and collapsing in sleep after work -- I forgot to remove the battery, and the VSA let me through without comment.
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