What the hell do they use this for? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

urbandev · 12-17-2005, 10:11 PM

"Homeland Security"

What the hell are those things under the plastic on the roof?
Behind that grate thing there's some equipment, looked like a generator.
Light bar?

Cones?
It says "Mobile" something on the bottom rear...didnt see the whole thing.

MSD · 12-17-2005, 11:24 PM

Looks like a mobile bio/chem/nuke cleanup/response thing. Might be loaded with sensors and equipment to detect that sort of attack. The vents on the sides and top are either for a generator or air circulation/purification equipment.

bobby · 12-18-2005, 08:15 AM

si fi stuff............maybe for snooping on pOrn guys?? xoxoxoo

Coppertop · 12-18-2005, 08:48 AM

They gotta spend our money on something.

Happy Dog · 12-18-2005, 01:12 PM

You can be arrested for taking that picture.

Gatorade Frost · 12-18-2005, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Dog

You can be arrested for taking that picture.

According to what?

billege · 12-22-2005, 08:09 AM

Any reason anyone wants to throw at you.

I can say you were posting that to help identify anti-terror equipment for your nefarious plans, report you (as the new-narc culture would praise me for doing), then you end up with an illegal phone tap and are now officially "suspected of terrorist activity."

Have a nice day, and welcome to Oceana.

fresnelly · 12-22-2005, 08:14 AM

Movie Prop? Or so they'd like you to think...

urbandev · 12-22-2005, 08:41 AM

It's not like I was peeking through a fence or something...that thing was on the freeway.

Asuka{eve} · 12-22-2005, 09:01 AM

but that freeway is on American soil...

Scorps · 12-22-2005, 10:46 AM

I got a picture of the Stealth Bomber and Fighter.....oooh nooo!

Charlatan · 12-22-2005, 10:52 AM

Could it be one of these?

http://www.crime-research.org/articles/946/

Quote:

Freedom of the Road

Recently, it was disclosed that the Department of Homeland Security had deployed an x-ray van, previously used in cargo searches at America's borders, in a test run – taking x-ray pictures of parked cars in Cape May, N.J. While the DHS claimed all x-ray surveillance was conducted on empty cars with their owners' consent, one wonders how long this will last. After all, American Science &Engineering Inc., the manufacturer of the Z Backscatter Van (ZBV), notes that "it maintains the outward appearance of an ordinary van," so it can stand unnoticed and peep into cars as they drive past, and with its "unique 'drive-by' capability [it] allows one or two operators to conduct x-ray imaging of suspect vehicles and objects while the ZBV drives past." Since we're all increasingly suspects (in our "suspect vehicles") in the Homeland Security State, it seems only a matter of time before at least some of us fall victim to a DHS x-ray drive-by.

But what happens after a DHS scan-van x-ray shows a dense white mass in your car (which could be any "organic material" from explosives or drugs to a puppy, a baby, or a head of lettuce)? Assuming that the DHS folks will be linked up with the Department of Transportation (DOT), soon they might be able to call on DOT's proposed Intelligent Transportation Systems' (ITS) Joint Program Office (JPO)'s "Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration (VII)" system for help.

According to Bill Jones, the Technical Director of the ITS JPO, "The concept behind VII is that vehicle manufacturers will install a communications device on the vehicle starting at some future date, and equipment will be installed on the nation's transportation system to allow all vehicles to communicate with the infrastructure." In other words, the government and manufacturers will team up to track every new automobile (x-rayed or not) in America. "The whole idea," says Jones, "is that vehicles would transmit this data to the infrastructure. The infrastructure, in turn, would aggregate that data in some kind of a database."

Imagine it: The federal government tracking you in real time, while compiling a database with information on your speed, route, and destination; where you were when; how many times you went to a certain location; and just about anything else related to your travels in your own car. The DOT project, in fact, sounds remarkably like a civilian update of the "Combat Zones That See" program developed by the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Noah Shachtman, writing for the Village Voice, reported in 2003 that DARPA was in the process of instituting a project at Fort Belvoir, Va., whose aim was "to track 90 percent of all of cars within [a] target area for any given 30-minute period. The paths of 1 million vehicles [w]ould be stored and retrievable within three seconds." It gives a whole new meaning to "King of the Road."

present_future · 12-22-2005, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coppertop

They gotta spend our money on something.

True, there's only so much they can spend on toilet seats and monogrammed towels.

j8ear · 12-22-2005, 03:27 PM

Those plastic things on the roof are air conditioners. These things a nefarious and everywhere. Not necc the frieghtliner step van replacements that this one is, but mobile command units, emergency response units, etc, etc...every police, fire, EMS, and government department has at least one.

Looks like Frieghtliner, not happy to be replacing the UPS and FedEx fleets, or upgrading soccer mom's with the Dodge incarnation of this Van, are now happily customizing or at least field testing a version for the DHS.

The way FedEx and UPS have been snapping up this vehicle design, I suspect the government will also be quite happy with them.

-bear

BigTruck1956 · 12-26-2005, 12:48 AM

why dont they just drive the damn thing around?
It cant really enforce anything all loaded up on the trailer like that.

peterbilt1 · 12-29-2005, 08:26 AM

I'm glad they are hauling it around instead of driving it--I built the truck it's on.

12-17-2005, 10:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
urbandev Insane Location: Dayton, NV	What the hell do they use this for? "Homeland Security" What the hell are those things under the plastic on the roof? Behind that grate thing there's some equipment, looked like a generator. Light bar? Cones? It says "Mobile" something on the bottom rear...didnt see the whole thing. __________________ Raoul Duke: "I wouldn't dare go to sleep with you wandering around with a head full of acid, wanting to slice me up with that goddamn knife." Dr. Gonzo: "Who said anything about slicing you up, man. I just wanted to cut a little Z in your forehead."

12-18-2005, 08:15 AM	#3 (permalink)
bobby Super Moderator Location: 18,000+ posts on TFP #1,2,3,4 and 5,but I'm not counting!	si fi stuff............maybe for snooping on pOrn guys?? xoxoxoo __________________ "Life goes on,within you,and...with out you !" xoxoxoo

12-18-2005, 01:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
Happy Dog Upright	OH NO! You can be arrested for taking that picture.

12-22-2005, 08:09 AM	#7 (permalink)
billege Watcher Location: Ohio	Any reason anyone wants to throw at you. I can say you were posting that to help identify anti-terror equipment for your nefarious plans, report you (as the new-narc culture would praise me for doing), then you end up with an illegal phone tap and are now officially "suspected of terrorist activity." Have a nice day, and welcome to Oceana. __________________ I can sum up the clash of religion in one sentence: "My Invisible Friend is better than your Invisible Friend."

12-22-2005, 08:14 AM	#8 (permalink)
fresnelly Functionally Appropriate Location: Toronto	Movie Prop? Or so they'd like you to think... __________________ Building an artificial intelligence that appreciates Mozart is easy. Building an A.I. that appreciates a theme restaurant is the real challenge - Kit Roebuck - Nine Planets Without Intelligent Life

12-17-2005, 11:24 PM	#2 (permalink)
MSD The sky calls to us ... Super Moderator Location: CT	Looks like a mobile bio/chem/nuke cleanup/response thing. Might be loaded with sensors and equipment to detect that sort of attack. The vents on the sides and top are either for a generator or air circulation/purification equipment.

12-18-2005, 08:48 AM	#4 (permalink)
Coppertop Getting Medieval on your ass Location: 13th century Europe	They gotta spend our money on something.

12-22-2005, 08:41 AM	#9 (permalink)
urbandev Insane Location: Dayton, NV	It's not like I was peeking through a fence or something...that thing was on the freeway. __________________ Raoul Duke: "I wouldn't dare go to sleep with you wandering around with a head full of acid, wanting to slice me up with that goddamn knife." Dr. Gonzo: "Who said anything about slicing you up, man. I just wanted to cut a little Z in your forehead."

12-22-2005, 09:01 AM	#10 (permalink)
Asuka{eve} Addict Location: Oh God, the rain!	but that freeway is on American soil...

12-22-2005, 10:46 AM	#11 (permalink)
Scorps Lost!! Location: Kingston, Ontario	I got a picture of the Stealth Bomber and Fighter.....oooh nooo!

12-22-2005, 03:27 PM	#14 (permalink)
j8ear Gentlemen Farmer Location: Middle of nowhere, Jersey	Those plastic things on the roof are air conditioners. These things a nefarious and everywhere. Not necc the frieghtliner step van replacements that this one is, but mobile command units, emergency response units, etc, etc...every police, fire, EMS, and government department has at least one. Looks like Frieghtliner, not happy to be replacing the UPS and FedEx fleets, or upgrading soccer mom's with the Dodge incarnation of this Van, are now happily customizing or at least field testing a version for the DHS. The way FedEx and UPS have been snapping up this vehicle design, I suspect the government will also be quite happy with them. -bear __________________ It's alot easier to ask for forgiveness then it is to ask for permission.

12-26-2005, 12:48 AM	#15 (permalink)
BigTruck1956 Psycho Location: norcal	why dont they just drive the damn thing around? It cant really enforce anything all loaded up on the trailer like that. __________________ so much to do, so little time.....at least i aint bored.

12-29-2005, 08:26 AM	#16 (permalink)
peterbilt1 Upright Location: Nashville	I'm glad they are hauling it around instead of driving it--I built the truck it's on.