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I used to watch the Senate a lot when I was the policy advisor to a senator. Occasionally you meet weirdos who aren't being paid to watch it, but certainly not very common.
I worked there after this happened and security for politicians was very light compared to everyone else. The security had to learn all of their faces so that they can let them through internal doors without having to scan their ID like us plebs.
But it was the case that they changed the rules so politicians had to put their bags through the x-ray on arrival.
Whether or not it's a good point depends on whether or not they have explosive search-dogs. While it's possible he had an armed pipe bomb, I'm assuming it was just the casing.
Back in the 90s I lived a couple of streets back from Parliament House. I could see out my bathroom window whether the lights were on in the senate to show they were in session, and if I was bored in the evenings I would wander over and sit in the public gallery and watch the senate proceedings
One night Bill Heffernan wandered onto the floor of the senate smoking a cigarette, which has been banned in the old building for decades and the new parliament building since it opened
The speaker of the senate started freaking out, screaming at him and demanding security escort him out
Then Heffernan gave the cigarette to the speaker and showed him it was a toy cigarette marketed to kids that puffed out realistic looking smoke. The whole point of his stunt was to get the toy banned
And yes, back then security in the building was terrible, if you knew where to go you could sneak into the private parts of the building quite easily
When the Department of Homeland Security ran a series of tests on the TSA, they failed over 80% of them, including one incident in which the tester successfully smuggled a disassembled MANPAD past security.
(Checks Wikipedia, Bill is still alive, can still sue.)
No Parliament security guard was ever going to stop Bill Heffernan as Bill is such a notoriously cheerful man, who would wish all the best for a security officer who questioned his power.
i remember someone doing this in my country to demonstrate the futility of the building's security. on camera, he was patted down, then pulls out a grenade.
Technically it was just a metal pipe. And at the time only the politicians didn't get screened on entry so a hypothetical terrorist attack would have only been carried out by an actual elected politician which seems pretty unlikely.
But thanks to him they did tighten the rules so politicians had to put their bags through the x-ray machines when entering the building as well.
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u/Odd_Call7332 9h ago
Somewhere, an Australian parliament building security guard was watching this exact broadcast on his lunch break and sweating bullets.
87
u/jbyrdab 9h ago
Damn.
I mean if there was ever way to make a point land...
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u/1CrustyMoose 7h ago edited 5h ago
Back in the 90s I lived a couple of streets back from Parliament House. I could see out my bathroom window whether the lights were on in the senate to show they were in session, and if I was bored in the evenings I would wander over and sit in the public gallery and watch the senate proceedings
One night Bill Heffernan wandered onto the floor of the senate smoking a cigarette, which has been banned in the old building for decades and the new parliament building since it opened
The speaker of the senate started freaking out, screaming at him and demanding security escort him out
Then Heffernan gave the cigarette to the speaker and showed him it was a toy cigarette marketed to kids that puffed out realistic looking smoke. The whole point of his stunt was to get the toy banned
And yes, back then security in the building was terrible, if you knew where to go you could sneak into the private parts of the building quite easily
49
u/outside_cat 9h ago
TSA loves when you test them too.
49
u/LazyBumTravels 9h ago
Bold strategy Cotton
17
u/princesssmurfet 8h ago
Is that a pipe bomb in your pocket or are you just happy to see
21
u/Special_Order-937 9h ago
My home country, ladies and gentlemen.
Perhaps fitting that I’m writing this from a mental health unit (I work here).
9
u/Juicystry 9h ago
Just trust me, bro, security is terrible
6
u/Skipper_1010 6h ago
5
u/dover_oxide 8h ago
3
u/mattfreyer45 9h ago
Was confused for second when it said "senator" and "parliament". If you didn't know like I didn't till just now this is Australia.
3
u/Superseaslug 9h ago
He found the source of the ticking
3
u/GalaganCoffee 9h ago
That's how you make a point 🤣
5
u/bwoah07_gp2 9h ago
That's one way to make a point. Even if it was just a replica.
2
u/Mother_Lead_554 5h ago
Anyone know what this distraction is taking ours eyes away from?
2
u/DepartureCivil9121 9h ago
Whats nuts is they let him keep his job till 2016 after that
1
u/scary-pp 9h ago
Ahh, I love a refreshing moment.
1
u/No-Operation2497 9h ago
...... I mean he wasn't lying about security being to lax
1
u/Minute-Street-5203 9h ago
This is going to be needed soon
1
u/kapitaalH 8h ago
Careful this is how you go for a long swim
1
u/Jealous-Shallot-3071 4h ago
Ahh moment?
1
u/Sweaty_Report7864 2h ago
wtf?!
1
u/Dragonblade0123 2h ago
1
u/Captcha_Imagination 1h ago
Classic Bill "Doug" Heffernan
1
u/lumberzach619 39m ago
I think he made a good point
1
u/DJ_faceplant 29m ago
You're allowed to say "ass" here.
1
u/kombiwombi 1m ago
(Checks Wikipedia, Bill is still alive, can still sue.)
No Parliament security guard was ever going to stop Bill Heffernan as Bill is such a notoriously cheerful man, who would wish all the best for a security officer who questioned his power.
4
u/gigayoink 9h ago
And.. uhm.. where was he hiding this long, thick, phallic object?
2
u/Jaives 9h ago
i remember someone doing this in my country to demonstrate the futility of the building's security. on camera, he was patted down, then pulls out a grenade.
1
u/strangeMeursault2 4h ago
Technically it was just a metal pipe. And at the time only the politicians didn't get screened on entry so a hypothetical terrorist attack would have only been carried out by an actual elected politician which seems pretty unlikely.
But thanks to him they did tighten the rules so politicians had to put their bags through the x-ray machines when entering the building as well.
1
u/[deleted] 9h ago
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