The day I saw terrorists

[Errant Bard]

To reiterate: did that road get blown up by those terrorists?

[BigFatCoward]

this is the best thread ever, either the OP is a comic genius or a complete fruitloop, but that doesn't reduce its brilliance.

post the tube bombings in london i spent a month doing nothing but getting called to suspicious bags of rubbish on the streets, people like to think they are helping bless them.

This told me one thing: He's changing his appearance to disguise himself.

i can just imagine a lightbulb going off in his head right here.

[DreamSongs]

At least you took me seriously. Well, they were the visitiors. We are locals and we know the area slightly better.

Many of you see this as some kind of joke, but if you knew the political and social climate of my country and had seen what I had seen, you might think different.

There were simply too many coincidences and things that did not add up. You know the movie Home Alone? The two burglars were driving around a neighborhood in a grey van. At one point one of them said 'Let's get out of here before somebody sees us'. When people see something out of the ordinary, they should report it. I would have been doing the police a favor.

I should clarify: they were not taking pictures of themselves or each other. Just the road. It happened to be a major road leading in and out of the district capital.

So my question is this...why is this bothering you tonight? Its been three years.

[DreamSongs]

Now that you've made reference to Home Alone, I regret my earlier cynicism. Obviously, you are on to something big here.

Seriously Nasrudin...last winter I went out to smoke a cigarette at about 3 AM. Nothing unusual about that. What was unusual was a old white pontiac cruising the parking lot. It made me nervous enough to go inside. The next night I was working and that morning another nurse that lives 2 buildings over came in to work to announce that he had ended up providing traumatic care to a young man that was shot in the head in that same parking lot. The guys who did it were in an old white pontiac. I didn't report it until after the fact because I did not know it was important. But it most certainly was important after the fact because it showed planned intent to harm.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Ordos,

I have to say I kept waiting for the "Luke and Leia" punch line to this one. You really seem to me to be jumping to conclusions here.

[DreamSongs]

In Ordos' defense, we don't live in Indonesia. What would be jumping to conclusions in GB or the US may make perfect sense in the political/religious situation in his area.

Recent alert for travelers from Australia. http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Indonesia

Terrorist response in Indonesia following air strikes in Iraq, even though radical Muslims are considered a religious minority in Indonesia. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-15/indonesian-terrorists-discuss-attacks-over-is-action/5743076

Sounds like Indonesia is a hotbed right now Ordos. No wonder you are thinking about this today.

[Errant Bard]

Dreamsongs: it's three years after the fact, by now either he got confirmation those were up to something nefarious then, or he's entirely off his rocker. Imagine: "yeah, I saw that white Pontiac three years ago, nothing happened but my biggest regret is not calling the cops". It does not seem that road was ever under terrorist attack though (what the heck would terrorists do with photos of main roads anyway?)

[Relic]

It does not seem that road was ever under terrorist attack though (what the heck would terrorists do with photos of main roads anyway?)

Submit them to google earth and hope for a commission?

[Ordos]

Dreamsongs: it's three years after the fact, by now either he got confirmation those were up to something nefarious then, or he's entirely off his rocker. Imagine: "yeah, I saw that white Pontiac three years ago, nothing happened but my biggest regret is not calling the cops". It does not seem that road was ever under terrorist attack though (what the heck would terrorists do with photos of main roads anyway?)

Nothing happened. It was probably called off or somebody smarter than me turned them in. After all, they were being too obvious as I said.

What would terrorists do with the photos? Perhaps I should tell you about the documentaries about terrorism I've seen on National Geographic and Crime and Investigation. One documentary showed a terrorist plotter video recording in Singapore. He was filming a large bus station. He was filming an area for possible attack to show the leader of the terrorist cell where to maximize casualties. Paraphrasing: 'and here is where the passengers disembark at this hour'. The attack was called off but the evidence of the potential attack is there.

Another documentary explained how the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania were chosen. Apparently Osama Bin Laden's spy surveyed the area first.

[DreamSongs]

Dreamsongs: it's three years after the fact, by now either he got confirmation those were up to something nefarious then, or he's entirely off his rocker. Imagine: "yeah, I saw that white Pontiac three years ago, nothing happened but my biggest regret is not calling the cops". It does not seem that road was ever under terrorist attack though (what the heck would terrorists do with photos of main roads anyway?)

Its called 'gathering data'. I'm looking at articles on Indonesia and the threats to target it that ISIL is making and it makes perfect sense that he is mulling over the memory in his mind.

[Relic]

In Ordos' defense, we don't live in Indonesia. What would be jumping to conclusions in GB or the US may make perfect sense in the political/religious situation in his area.

Recent alert for travelers from Australia. http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Indonesia

Terrorist response in Indonesia following air strikes in Iraq, even though radical Muslims are considered a religious minority in Indonesia. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-15/indonesian-terrorists-discuss-attacks-over-is-action/5743076

Sounds like Indonesia is a hotbed right now Ordos. No wonder you are thinking about this today.

Indonesia has been a "hot bed" for a long time. It has the largest muslim population in the word and has had numerous deadly acts of terror carried out on its soil, most notably the bombs that went off in Bali in 2002 killing 200+ people.

However, that means nothing in terms of the OP. Pure paranoia in his part.

[Errant Bard]

Its called 'gathering data'.

Indonesia is so much of a backwater that even main roads are not on google street view?

I'm looking at articles on Indonesia and the threats to target it that ISIL is making and it makes perfect sense that he is mulling over the memory in his mind.

It's been three years, for god's sake.

[DreamSongs]

Nothing happened. It was probably called off or somebody smarter than me turned them in. After all, they were being too obvious as I said.

What would terrorists do with the photos? Perhaps I should tell you about the documentaries about terrorism I've seen on National Geographic and Crime and Investigation. One documentary showed a terrorist plotter video recording in Singapore. He was filming a large bus station. He was filming an area for possible attack to show the leader of the terrorist cell where to maximize casualties. Paraphrasing: 'and here is where the passengers disembark at this hour'. The attack was called off but the evidence of the potential attack is there.

Another documentary explained how the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania were chosen. Apparently Osama Bin Laden's spy surveyed the area first.

Exactly. I spent two hours waiting for a tow truck and some utility surveyor came by trying to locate a GPS point. The MPs stopped by to make sure I was getting my vehicle towed and questioned the Jeep next to my car. I explained about the surveyor (who had explained himself to me when he first drove up), but the MPs were pissed because I didn't call them.

[DreamSongs]

Yes Errant and Relic, it has been 3 years. It is obviously weighing on his mind today and he posted about it. I wasn't aware that reflecting on the past (or paranoia for that matter) were something to be derided. Just because it is not logical to you, doesn't mean it is illogical to him. I understand where he is coming from.

[Relic]

Yes Errant and Relic, it has been 3 years. It is obviously weighing on his mind today and he posted about it. I wasn't aware that reflecting on the past (or paranoia for that matter) were something to be derided. Just because it is not logical to you, doesn't mean it is illogical to him. I understand where he is coming from.

....there is nothing wrong with reflecting back on things, of course. calling two strangers "terrorists" because they come from java, were growing beards, and were taking pictures is ridiculous, however. and dangerous.

[arya_underfoot]

I'm black. Murder me on sight, lest you be robbed.

That happens to black people in america all the time does it not?

Seriously though, I read thru the whole OP expecting to see some sort of a punch line where it would all turn out to be a joke, or something completely unrelated. But nope....The dude was being sincere.

[DreamSongs]

Me calling two strangers 'terrorists' because they come from Java, were growing beards and were taking pictures of a road here in GA would be ridiculous and prejudicial.

Ordos, who actually lives in the country subjected to political/religious violence has every right to have a different take on things. I would not expect him to come to GA and know what is or isn't normal behavior or appearance in my town, so I must certainly will respect his view of what he said he saw. I'm not saying that he saw anything other than a couple of local weirdos, but I can understand why he would have considered their behavior and appearance suspicious. He knows what his local cultural norms are, we don't.

[Ordos]

....there is nothing wrong with reflecting back on things, of course. calling two strangers "terrorists" because they come from java, were growing beards, and were taking pictures is ridiculous, however. and dangerous.

If you read my post carefully, you will see I considered other possibilities as to who they were and what they were doing. But nothing was adding up and there were to many coincidences.

As to why I talk about this? Well for one it's an interesting story for me anyway. Also so others can learn to think fast and do something if you feel something is not right. When I failed to catch their licence plate, I made up for it by telling everyone I know about what I saw. Nobody so far has dismissed me as paranoid until now. I do this to expose those two suspicious individuals as much as I can.

[Alex.]

WHAT A THREAD

[Anatúrinbor]

Reminds me of

a bit.