Northpinellas: Today's Letters: Pinellas has no bomb unit. Why?

I recently read the article in your newspaper regarding an explosive device found on Progress Energy property in Palm Harbor. This article revealed that the Hillsborough County Bomb Squad responded to defuse the device.

This is not the first time I have read of a similar incident. It has occurred to me, what would the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office do if the Hillsborough County Bomb Squad was unavailable or assigned elsewhere?

In an age where the possibility of terrorist bombings, foreign or otherwise, seems to be looming around every corner, a police agency as large and well equipped as the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office should have its own bomb squad.

The result of not having a bomb squad available for immediate response could be devastating. Imagine if a bomb found in a school or hospital exploded because the Sheriff's Office did not have a team of bomb technicians on staff.

I am a man very close to 87 years old. I will not mention my wife's age. Neither of us are young.

In the past, we have made several trips to visit our children and grandchildren via commercial airlines.

I am deeply opposed to the way I have been treated as a result of the inspections forced upon us. Although I consider myself healthy, I do have a pacemaker. I dread and hate what I have to go through concerning the pat-down. I have the feeling I am being dealt with as if I were some kind of common criminal.

I am an American citizen, born in the United States. My mother and father were born in this country. Two of my four grandparents were born in this country.

I have, on a very few occasions, been charged with and convicted of speeding. If I put the figure high, I would say I have been charged six times during my 87 years. I know of no other offense on my record.

Now, unless someone can prove to me that King George W and his family, Crown Prince Dick and his family, and all the government dignitaries and their families are treated the same as I am when boarding an airplane, I will no longer have myself suffer the indignity of being patted down before I can "pass muster" to be allowed to get on an airliner. I will forgo the pleasure of the airlines.

If all older persons would rise up and protest, I am sure our high and mighty government would figure out a way to treat us as human beings - even if we are old.

While waiting to check out at the Kmart in Largo on July 21, I started talking to the two ladies behind me, bragging about the wonderful baby clothes I found on sale. I said our grandson and his wife are having their first baby in November and I had even found a Christmas outfit.

As I was putting my items on the counter, I heard, "Look what I have for your great-granddaughter," and she handed me a red teddy bear and said it would go great with the red outfit.

To my surprise, there really is a Christmas in July, so thank you again, special lady. I've told the soon-to-be parents, and they said thank you to a Mrs. Santa .

Why are we allowing the weeds to grow in the seams of the concrete median? Won't they eventually crack the concrete? They also take away from the otherwise beautiful bridge.

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Comments on this article

by John	08/23/07 11:36 PM
We do not need a bomb unit. How often do we get a bomb call? Isn't most bomb calls now funneled to Federal Homeland Security or the F.B.I. anyway

by Ingrid	08/22/07 09:48 PM
Kay, Terrorsts are unreasonable, just now getting that?

by Heather	08/22/07 08:19 PM
Kay: Nobody's forcing the old man to fly, with all due respect.

by Pat	08/22/07 08:16 PM
No Kay, Berolzheimer's point was that it was somehow Bush's fault, idiotic

by ken	08/22/07 08:15 PM
Kay, if you can't handle being an adult in modern society, do go out in it

by Wayne	08/22/07 05:59 PM
Mr. Berolzheimer, I am an American Soldier. I too was born in this country. If I am a subject of these pat down searches you should be too. Don't use your age as a shield. I don't think you would enjoy being discriminated due to an age factor.

by john	08/22/07 01:47 PM
Bomb Squad? You folks have been watching too much TV. Lets get the traffic enforcement under control first. Pinellas Cty streets are in a state of anarchy.

by Sue	08/22/07 12:07 PM
In regards to Mr. Berolzheimer's comments on pat downs. In this day and age, this is a part of reality. Why should he be exempt because he is 87 years old? EVERYONE should be treated the same, regardless of age.

by Kay	08/22/07 11:23 AM
Pat, Henry's point is that it is unreasonable. I totally agree with him and I'm not old or cranky.

by Hear Hear Rich	08/22/07 11:07 AM
Rich, you beat me to it. Citizens would rather save $150 (about $13 a month) a year on property taxes. The tax cuts will also cut into the "median weeding" also. Go volunteer and pull them yourself.

by Patricia	08/22/07 10:48 AM
So Henry, be glad you are alive, have a pacemaker & can afford to fly to see your family. Ted Kennedy got searched & for once even he didn't blame Bush for it. You don't have that many heartbeats left in that pacemaker, live like it. Smile & enjoy.

by Patricia	08/22/07 10:42 AM
cont. anything but curtesy. I've always made a small joke about it and laughed with the personal. We both ended the "pat down" smiling and I went on my way happy. I'm sure the lady doing the exam was happier not to have been harrassed. (cont.)

by Gh	08/22/07 10:39 AM
I agree tehre is a need for a bomb squad of SOME kind in Pinellas. There is not even a dog. I know of a recent threat to a business- the employer did not consent to having the Hlsb bomb squad come in so the PCSO had the EMPLOYEES search for a bomb.

by Patricia	08/22/07 10:34 AM
Over 25 yrs ago my dad had his 1st pacemaker implanted. He also was given an official card stating this. I've been through many, many airport securities since 9/11. I have been patted down several times. Never have I been treated with (cont.)

by Tony	08/22/07 09:38 AM
Gary, how many times have you read about the need for a bomb squad? Why waste the money. They don't save lives, just property, since you would clear the area well before they even got near the device. Rich has it right. Cut $25 million or more!!!

by JT	08/22/07 09:38 AM
The pat down issue is not about the old or infirm. Those people could have hatred to share with others as much as anyone. Nonetheless, look at all the recent attacks and only the OK-city one wasn't done by Arab males 17yr to 40yr. Don't waste effort

by Pat	08/22/07 07:34 AM
Henry, so you are old and cranky, but it is the terrorists fault you get searched at airports, don't put you anger at your condition on the president, take responsibility for yourself, at any age!!

by Rich	08/22/07 06:49 AM
We have to cut $17 mil from the budget AND you want a bomb squad? Good luck. We rarely need a squad, Hillsborough has always helped in the past, if they're unavailable we have Macdill, or secure the area and leave the thing alone.