The security at Penn Station

　ギグに行く時に、ニューヨークのターミナル駅のペン・ステーションを通ったのですが、そこの警備が尋常じゃなかったです。また何かあったのでしょうか？防弾チョッキを着て砂漠用の迷彩服で身を固めた兵士がウロウロしてましたよ。駅の構内では、この迷彩服は余計に目立ってましたが、まあこの場合は逆に『ここに兵士がいまっせー』というのを周りに分からせた方が良いのでしょう。警官も２人組で普通にあっちゃこっちゃを見回っていたし、爆弾犬もいたし、それに何よりビビッたのはM4（米軍の突撃銃）を持ったSWATらしい兄ちゃんが立ってましたよ。15年ぐらい前にバンコクの空港でUZIを持った兵士が怒鳴りながら客の誘導をしていたのを見た時もビビりましたが、今現在のニューヨークはこんな厳重な警戒態勢を敷かなければならないほど切羽詰まった状況なのでしょうか。こういうのを見せてテロリストをビビらせているのでしょうけど、ウチら市民の方がもっとビビるっちゅーの！

I went through the New York Penn Station and was really surprised that the security at the station was insanely tight. Did something happen again lately? The soldiers in armor vests and camouflaged suits for desert were wondering around. These camo-suits were not camouflaging from anything but rather standing out at the station, but in this situation, I guess they wear it purposefully to make everybody know “hey, scary soldiers are here.” Bunch of police officers were grouped in two and patrolling everywhere and some were with K-9 to find bombs. The one which really scared me was the SWAT guy who was carrying a M4. About 15 years ago, I saw the soldiers with UZIs in Bangkok Airport yelling at us passengers and I guess they were trying to be sheepdogs. They scared us sheep alright. Is New York City in present time needed this much tight security measure? Well, I am sure they are trying to scare the terrorists away but before that, they are scaring us civilians!

Illustration: Fish Print