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The APEC conference is being held in Sydney later this year. Virtually everyone who's anyone (the who's who of world leaders) is going to be there.

Security has been stepped up, perhaps understandably as potential terrorists may see this as an opportunity to big to miss.

So the whole city's to be locked down for the duration. Of course, no-one has told the city traders yet. They are all still in the dark in terms of road closures and opening/closing times for their businesses.

And in another security measure, mobile phone signals will be blocked during Bush's visit to Sydney to prevent any bombs being set off remotely. This raises an issue.

What if someone needs to contact emergency medical services and they're in an area where public booths aren't immediately accessible? If someone has a heart attack for example. The time it takes to find a public booth and call for help may be all it takes to see the victim run out of time.
As opposed to having a mobile phone present with which the emergency services can be contacted immediately.

Why do you think ambulances have lights and sirens and race through red lights and such? Because sometimes seconds make the difference between life and death.

But no, in order to protect the glorious president, the ordinary man has to settle for second best and trust to luck. His life, potentially, is being sacrificed to protect the life of someone considered more important. That this person of importance is waging war on whomever he chooses, we'll just forget for the moment.

And as further protection for 'Der Fuhrer', there is now legislation to be passed allowing body searches to be employed on persons within a certain 'zone'. Whether this comprises 'pat downs' as in airports or full 'empty out the pockets', hasn't yet been clarified.
My first response to this, and perhaps no surprise to those who know me, was get fucked, pal, you're not searching me like I'm some sort of criminal. On further reflection though, I reconsidered airports and found that the priniciple of pat downs as a security measure wasn't actually offensive to me.
However, what IS, is that this new law (a new law, for God's sake) is at the bequest of George Dubya.
And that, dear readers, is what returns me to my intial reaction and the one I shall embrace while the big nobs are in town. I'll do a few nights in lock up before I'll let someone search ME!!
What's more disturbing is that I, and probably many more people, am not surprised at this.