Maritime Transportation And Shipping Talk

As seen through the eyes of a person using the Ports Canada Terminals doing business with the various ships that arrive. The Port is issuing a Identity Card that has to be visible at all times when accessing Port Property and also same Card is used as Identity Card when logging inn onboard the ships. This Card bears the name of the company (employer)and the name of the person carrying the card. Prior to issue the Identity Card the Port Authority runs an Identity verification and co-signatures by a valid person within the port has to be on the Application Form. First then the Card is issued. One would think that this information is made available, through a database, to all Ports in Canada and same card would be valid at any Port. However this is not the case as all ports have their own card and the permits and requirements for them are interpreted differently. Any Port Installation seem to have the full right to do whatever they consider to be the right way of controlling the access to the Port. Many of the Port Security Agents and Persons in charge have been given full authority to do whatever they consider is right with no consequence what so ever. It seem that this whole security issue has gone to their heads and we have gotten small dictators that will do whatever they want. Are we facing Paranoia or is it just miss-use of powers? I hope this was not the intention when the laws were concocted. One would think that when a person has been security cleared at one Port that this would be sufficient at any Port. One would think that when documents are sufficient for the Provincial Government as far as Dangerous Goods Transport is concerned that this would be sufficient for the Port Authority. One would think that when a person has been cleared, anything that he is transporting for delivery to the Ships is also cleared when all his/her documentation complies with the laws of the Provincial and Federal Governments. One would think that when a Truck Driver have all the necessary documents to drive a truck with any kind of cargo and are complying with the laws of the Province that it would also be sufficient for the Port Security. Rumors has it that the Saint Lawrence Seaway also is going to deny access to family of sailors that are sailing on Canadian Lakers so they would not be able to see family and loved ones while transiting the Seaway Locks. If these laws has bee put in place to prevent Terrorist Attacks, then I would say that the terrorists have won the battle without doing any physical attack as they have created a bunch of Paranoid people in charge and the regular man are just being bugged down by bureaucracy and extra paperwork Where is the security in a procedure that says that you must fax a full copy of inventory of a truck entering the Port? Imagine this information ending up in the wrong hands. It opens up a whole new side of possibilities for organized crime and Terror instead of preventing it. So, to answer the question if the Security is working…… I dear to say that from a Security point it is Not Working. From a Terrorist Point it Is Working just Fine. Everybody has become Paranoid and the Terrorists are winning the Silent War.

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