3 ms·

I've been to the Eiffel tower several times. The security there is not even in the same league as the security as Tiananmen Square.

by ciguy 6y ago

ketzu 6y ago
My experience in tienanmen: Showing my passwort and a bag scanner, going through. Area was limited with small metal fences. My experience at the eiffel tower: Bag scanner, didn't go through (because I had a huge bag which was not allowed). Area was limited with huge glass panes. (Don't know if they want to see any ID) So it felt very much the same to me, but the security in Paris was probably not police (I didn't go fully in, so I don't remember).
- ciguy 6y ago
  You just ignored the armored vehicles and police station permanently setup at one end of the square? The facial recognition when you go through the scanners? The guards posted at vantage points with rifles? You were either paying no attention at all, or you are intentionally misrepresenting the situation.
  - ebg13 6y ago
    > The guards posted at vantage points with rifles? Your other points notwithstanding, rifles aren't particularly special in French policing. Gendarmerie are basically everywhere.
  - ketzu 6y ago
    > You just ignored the armored vehicles and police station permanently setup at one end of the square? Apparently yes, at least I can't find them on my pictures and don't remember them (but that doesn't mean they weren't there, human memories are notoriously unreliable). But I didn't took that many pictures either way, because it was slightly raining and not that interesting, I accidentally went when the forbidden city was closed. > The facial recognition when you go through the scanners? I have a hard time telling facial recognition and non facial recognition security cameras apart. They are common in many places of the world, so I stopped noticing them all that much. >The guards posted at vantage points with rifles? I mostly remember the honor guards and police at the entry. But I wouldn't be surprised if there were some with rifles somewhere, as those are not that uncommon at high profile places. > You were either paying no attention at all, or you are intentionally misrepresenting the situation. I'm sorry you get that impression just because it doesn't fit with your experience. I personally think that both our experiences are likely to be true, but are like snapshots of a given time.
    - ciguy 6y ago
      Appreciate your reasonable responses. It's of course possible that they change the security level at times especially if the Forbidden City was closed as you say. It likely also changes around the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Examining my own feelings on this matter further, I think I had a sense that the security at the Eiffel was very focused on keeping weapons and bombs out, while the focus at Tiananmen was more on controlling the crowd and tracking who was there. For example the police station and armored vehicles were inside the square. At the Eiffel the security was outside only.
- ebg13 6y ago
  > Area was limited with huge glass panes Having lived in Paris for several years, I don't recall ever seeing access to the Eiffel Tower area restricted at all except during restoration construction. It's a giant pass-through surrounded by park where thousands of people congregate daily.
  - ketzu 6y ago
    They installed it in 2018 apparently: https://text.npr.org/s.php?sId=620268193 https://text.npr.org/s.php?sId=620268193 wish I could have gone there before.
  - prepend 6y ago
    I was there last July and there were huge plexiglass lanes restricting access. Once I made it through bag checks, I could wait in line to buy passes to climb up. All previous times (2000, 2005, 2011) I could just walk under without any restriction.

I've been to the Eiffel tower several times. The security there is not even in the same league as the security as Tiananmen Square.

by ciguy 6y ago

I've been to the Eiffel tower several times. The security there is not even in the same league as the security as Tiananmen Square.

ketzu 6y ago

My experience in tienanmen: Showing my passwort and a bag scanner, going through. Area was limited with small metal fences. My experience at the eiffel tower: Bag scanner, didn't go through (because I had a huge bag which was not allowed). Area was limited with huge glass panes. (Don't know if they want to see any ID) So it felt very much the same to me, but the security in Paris was probably not police (I didn't go fully in, so I don't remember).

ciguy 6y ago
You just ignored the armored vehicles and police station permanently setup at one end of the square? The facial recognition when you go through the scanners? The guards posted at vantage points with rifles? You were either paying no attention at all, or you are intentionally misrepresenting the situation.
- ebg13 6y ago
  > The guards posted at vantage points with rifles? Your other points notwithstanding, rifles aren't particularly special in French policing. Gendarmerie are basically everywhere.
- ketzu 6y ago
  > You just ignored the armored vehicles and police station permanently setup at one end of the square? Apparently yes, at least I can't find them on my pictures and don't remember them (but that doesn't mean they weren't there, human memories are notoriously unreliable). But I didn't took that many pictures either way, because it was slightly raining and not that interesting, I accidentally went when the forbidden city was closed. > The facial recognition when you go through the scanners? I have a hard time telling facial recognition and non facial recognition security cameras apart. They are common in many places of the world, so I stopped noticing them all that much. >The guards posted at vantage points with rifles? I mostly remember the honor guards and police at the entry. But I wouldn't be surprised if there were some with rifles somewhere, as those are not that uncommon at high profile places. > You were either paying no attention at all, or you are intentionally misrepresenting the situation. I'm sorry you get that impression just because it doesn't fit with your experience. I personally think that both our experiences are likely to be true, but are like snapshots of a given time.
  - ciguy 6y ago
    Appreciate your reasonable responses. It's of course possible that they change the security level at times especially if the Forbidden City was closed as you say. It likely also changes around the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Examining my own feelings on this matter further, I think I had a sense that the security at the Eiffel was very focused on keeping weapons and bombs out, while the focus at Tiananmen was more on controlling the crowd and tracking who was there. For example the police station and armored vehicles were inside the square. At the Eiffel the security was outside only.
ebg13 6y ago
> Area was limited with huge glass panes Having lived in Paris for several years, I don't recall ever seeing access to the Eiffel Tower area restricted at all except during restoration construction. It's a giant pass-through surrounded by park where thousands of people congregate daily.
- ketzu 6y ago
  They installed it in 2018 apparently: https://text.npr.org/s.php?sId=620268193 https://text.npr.org/s.php?sId=620268193 wish I could have gone there before.
- prepend 6y ago
  I was there last July and there were huge plexiglass lanes restricting access. Once I made it through bag checks, I could wait in line to buy passes to climb up. All previous times (2000, 2005, 2011) I could just walk under without any restriction.