Re: Digest Number 1313

Tas wrote:

> To: Paul
> Knowing restriction policy before entering a refinery maybe a good idea.
> One time, I was detained at a refinery's security office (in KSA) for about
one hour and was threatened to be hauled to jail when a security guard at the main gate found a digital camera in my brief case. Only the intervention of my host prevented it from happening. And, I was not even going to the refinery proper. I was to attend a meeting in the admin building which was not classified as hazardous area (hazardous only to us, contractors, suffering some project delays).
> The good thing was, I missed the meeting. It would have been very "hot" in
there.
> Regards.

Of course it's a good idea, and not just maybe.

What possible safety problem did your digital camera present and why were you detained? Or was it a restriction on photographing possibly sensitive installations.

If they were worried about you taking pictures of some oh-so-secret technology, then they should have taken the camera, informed you of the rules and returned the camera after your visit.

Maybe I'm just talking out of my posterior orifice here, but sophisticated process monitoring devices that can be disturbed by a cell phone, digital camera or laser measuring device probably don't belong in any industrial facility.

On the other hand, missing useless meetings can always result in greater productivity on your part.

Paul Received on Thu Oct 21 21:05:00 2004