On the Sofa: GL Reader Comments

Once a week, we post some reader comments we've gotten during the previous week. Here is this week's selection, with an emphasis on an issue that generated a bit of discussion:

Bklink: Do You Hear Boat Noises? "Most likely what you hear are the barges+tugs going up and down the Buttermilk Channel, which has heavy commercial traffic. These are warning signals for the most part, meant to avoid potential collisions under situations of restricted visibility and/or maneuverability as you would have in a Channel. Here's how to decipher what goes on, so you can impress your friends as you sit at the Gowanus Yacht Club: if you hear one short blast it means one vessel is saying to another "wacth out, I am about to direct my course to port". If you hear two short blasts, teh tug is saying "I'm going to starboard, hold you course". But what you will hear more frequently is one prolonged balst, which means "watch out, I am operating under restricted visibility and/or maneuverability" (try and parallel dock while towing a 30,000 ton barge). Sometimes you'll hear a powerful longish blast (4-5 secs or so)and that's a ship leaving the dock, and you'll hear that when the cruise ships leave the Red Hook Terminal. Dont you love us salty Carroll Gdnrs?" [Anonymous]

GL Analysis: In Ten Years, Will They Ask "How Did This Happen?":

"Yes, ten years from now after a 'terrorist' blows up this NBA basketball arena we will only be able to say "If only we moved that entrance back 15 feet!" [Anonymous]

"That was the most ridiculous piece I've read. If you don't want an arena say that. Urban environments mean that people gather densely. If we build everything so that it can't be blown up by a truck New York will look like the Paramus Mall." [Marc]

"This has to be the most craven use of terrorist hyperbole I've heard since the last time I watched a Bush news conference. If you object to the arena project, fine. But don't wrap yourself in the flag and scream about terrorism. At best, you come across as a paranoid nut. At worst, you come across as the worst kind of deliberate fear-monger." [Anonymous]

"'wrap yourself in the flag?' what on earth are you talking about. project critics, opponents, and supporters are asking the NYPD what impact their security and terrorism planning and precautions will have on the streets, street lanes and surroundings. That's fearmongering and false patriortism?" [Anonymous]

"something is seriously wrong in Brooklyn when the lack of planning is called "fear mongering"....that seems like it was the attitude after the first World Trade Center attack as well...people wake up we are at war for Gosh sake...and we will be for years to come and to not plan for the safety of Brookynites when we have the chance with a NEW building is insane!!" [Anonymous]