I'm going to be that person who shows up late to a thread and comments on something that happened 20 pages ago.
Regarding the discussion of what this will mean for hotel security going forward -- metal detectors, bag searches, etc. -- and whether Americans will tolerate it...
This is already standard practice in Nairobi. First, when approaching the hotel (ours was a Hilton, but their procedures were typical for the city), your car/taxi is stopped at the gate and searched. (The property is completely fenced.) Doors are opened, passengers questioned with a quick "Hi, how are you today, just arriving? Blah, blah" to get a sense of the person's demeanor. Trunk is popped and officials walk the car with mirrors to look underneath. Then you're waved through. When you get to the hotel doors your bags/purses/jackets are put through a scanner and you step through a metal detector, followed by a wanding and pat down if you set it off. I had our wedding rings safety pinned inside my bra so I got a lot of feeling-up that trip.
This procedure is carried out
every single time you enter hotel property. Running back in to use the bathroom real quick while waiting for your cab? You're going through the whole process all over again even though you just waved to the security guards on your way out two minutes ago.
This isn't just for hotels, though. It's practically the entire city. Large properties like government buildings and malls are fenced and you're stopped and searched before you or your car get onto property, then possibly again before you enter the building depending on the security layout. Indoor/outdoor retail promenades have security checkpoints at every entrance. Individual stores, and I'm talking cheap little souvenir shops, have metal detectors and/or someone standing at the entrance with a wand. If you're moseying down the street and want to pop into a shop for a second, you're getting wanded. Five shops? That's five searches. Basically, any time you want to enter any kind of enclosed or partially enclosed space, you will have to go through security. It's like one giant TSA city.
Certainly there are exceptions and not
every business in Nairobi has their own security staff, but the vast majority do. Definitely anything in the tourist areas, the city centre, government properties, malls, and neighborhoods with $$$. It's by far the most "secured" city I've ever been to. Jarring-ly so. This wasn't because of a heightened threat level or impending elections or anything. This is normal day-to-day life over there. And truthfully, it became normalized for us very quickly, too. After a couple of days, it becomes habit to toss your bag on the scanner and stop to be wanded every time you approach an entrance.
Do I think this incident in Vegas will move us in that direction? I do. I think we were already moving in that direction anyway, but I feel like this was the game changer for mass shootings. Sandy Hook was the one that upped the depravity of mass shootings, IMO, but this is the one that fundamentally changed how they're carried out. This wasn't the typical crazed gunman enters building and opens fire. This puts a whole new spin on potential loss of life that can occur from one man and his weapons. Kind of how September 11th was the game changer for terrorist attacks. It was no longer about bombs in vans; it was on a whole new level entirely and security procedures underwent significant change as a result.
Will Americans tolerate having to go through searches to check in to their hotel? I don't see why not. We accept it as a routine part of flying. We have to go through security procedures to enter a school. We open our bags when we want to go to the Magic Kingdom. This will just be one more thing "keeping us safe" that will soon feel normal. It's already normal for the citizens of Nairobi.
(Whew, that was long! I need a nap now.
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