Planning to be in the city and carrying (concealed of course) while cheering on my sister for the marathon. I can't seem to find any security info on the official site.
Anyone know of any potential hassles?
Jim
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Planning to be in the city and carrying (concealed of course) while cheering on my sister for the marathon. I can't seem to find any security info on the official site.
Anyone know of any potential hassles?
Jim
It's a race on public streets, no special rules needed, all the normal rules apply.
Thanks! I thought as much but with Boston I thought they added screenings at certain places like the finish line.
I have photographed the Philly Marathon for more than 5 years on assignment from publications. I have CC'd an IWB pistol every time. Since Boston the visible security has not increased too much. However, the undercover security has increased, but has not been invasive. You should try to CC without a visible exterior signature. An UC cop is likely to challenge you, if he or she sees reason to think you are carrying. That is due to the new terrorism in Israel and Canada aimed at taking out a few people. The Philly PD does not want a radical to gun down a few folks.
Not targeted at anyone who has posted on here, but I find it funny the way people think a terrorist is more likely to attack a marathon than some other event, because a couple of them did it a few years ago at a marathon. Terrorists don't care about marathons. They did not bomb the Boston marathon because they hate marathons, yet security is going to be higher at marathons around the country for a few more years because people now believe that terrorists have a thing for marathons.
I suppose one can use an Armsband or belly band with a Keltec or LCP for ccw while running a marathon.
Any heavily attended public event would be a high profile target.
With ~30,000 runners and who knows how many spectators, The Phila Marathon would be a notable place for whackos to get publicity. The attacks at the Boston Marathon just moved them higher on the watch list.
Parades, festivals, highly attended concerts, etc. would be on the list just as much. I'd suspect that they'd be looking more for satchels and backpacks, rather than checking for concealed firearms, particularly considering the area covered for a marathon type of event.
The only security I saw was at the finish line and I'm not convinced it was real security. Physical security experts please chime in. I will sound critical and I am being critical but I'm interested in knowing what more could have been done that would be real security not just throwing rocks.
There were the little three foot or so high metal fences with check points here and there. Everyone had to empty their bags and put their belongings in clear bags supplied by secuirty. Once in side, you were not allowed to put your stuff back in your own bag, backpack or what ever. You had to hand carry the little plastic bags and your backpack separately. That is my first head-scratcher. The inspection process wasn't very thorough. No metal detection wands that I saw.
I can understand a bag inspection but once inside what the hell is the purpose of letting people keep their empty backpacks and carry around clear bags with their stuff inside?
I mentioned the little fences. It would have been easy to hop one and bypass the checkpoints. Risky yes but a determined person could do so. Easy enough to grab extra clear bags to make it look like you'd been though security. I bet a bad guy could have left a bag laying around with any group of stationary people. No one would have noticed an "un attended" bag.
I can only conclude the process was for show. And to make people money at our expense but that's a different topic...
I'm not saying more could have been done just that what was done didn't seem to be real security. That said I fully understand making a show of it "just in case" someone did a very bad thing so the news couldn't blame authorities for not doing anything after Boston. I most likely would have done the same thing.
Again, I'm more of a cyber security guy so any physical sec people please chime in.
There's a balance of how much security is enough versus too much to the point it makes people not want to be there and those providing it seeming overly heavy handed. I think a lot of security isn't so much to stop someone as to make whoever tries to get around it stick out to be dealt with.